Danny Cullip has warned Albion they face a tough task getting the three points they need to have a chance of staying up.

Anything less than a win against Grimsby at Blundell Park on Sunday will sentence the Seagulls to an immediate return to Division Two.

Grimsby are already relegated and guaranteed to finish bottom, but victory is far from a formality according to the Seagulls' inspirational skipper and central defender.

"It doesn't matter that Grimsby are already down," Cullip said. "There are no easy games in this league.

"They are going to be relaxed. Some of them will be playing for contracts, so it's going to be a very hard game up there."

Cullip's cautionary message for the 2,000 plus Albion fans making the long haul to Humberside in the hope of witnessing a miraculous escape is backed by a mood of grim determination in the Grimsby camp as their five-season stay in the First Division draws to a close.

Player-manager Paul Groves said: "It is our last home game and we want to finish on a high. It is an important game for us and one we want to win.

"I think it is better that we are playing against a team for which the match means something and hopefully it will be a better game for us.

"Finishing bottom was something we wanted to avoid, but we have been unable to stop it. Now we want to give something to our home fans."

A win will only be enough for Albion if fellow strugglers Stoke also lose at home to Reading. Cullip is planning to contact Anthony Rougier, the Royals' former Albion loan signing.

"I will be on the phone to Rouge to make sure he fires them up. Reading are a very good side.

"You want to be going into the play-offs with as much confidence as you can and winning games is a habit. Hopefully they will win and so will we."

Cullip has already won the plaudits of Albion fans. They voted him player of the season, ahead of Kerry Mayo and Richard Carpenter who is battling to recover from a virus.

"It's a great honour," Cullip said. "It means people appreciate the effort you have put in during the season. All the players have done that, not just me."

Last night's 3-0 win at Watford, with Rougier scoring the first goal, means Reading will not need a result at Stoke to secure home advantage in the second leg of the play-offs.

More from the camp at thisisthealbion.co.uk