Gary Hart has handed Albion another boost as they look to increase their firepower ahead of the Division One campaign.

The busy little striker safely came through the first 34 minutes of last night's 3-0 friendly win at Bognor in his first outing since breaking a leg at Peterborough in the Division Two title run-in at the end of last season.

Hart will be given another run-out at Gravesend tomorrow as boss Martin Hinshelwood continues to assess his attacking options having decided against offering a deal to Grimsby's Bradley Allen.

Young Shaun Wilkinson did himself no harm by scoring the first two goals and was one of seven Seagulls to get through the full 90 minutes last night.

Boss Hinshelwood was pleased with the exercise.

He admitted: " It was the first 90 minutes for some of the boys and towards the end we looked quite tired and rather than doing the simple things we tried to have too many touches.

"I'm pleased with Gary. We said beforehand he would only have half an hour but he will build that up at Gravesend and have another 45.

He added: "We are still looking at signings but I'm not thinking of making a comeback myself just yet!

"Bradley was obviously disappointed but we felt he was not the one for us at the moment.

"We are talking to people all day and every day but they have got to be the right people to come into this football club.

"We now know a bit more about what we need to work on.

"This was a good workout and Bognor probably deserved a bit more than they got from the game."

New signing Matt Edwards almost gave the Ryman league side an early lead, bouncing a header off the top of the crossbar before Hart helped Albion take control.

His speed of thought and movement helped him take advantage of a Bognor defensive lapse and, although his chip across goal was beyond Wilkinson, the Albion youngster retrieved the ball, cut side and shot low beyond Craig Stoner.

Wilkinson added a second on 33 minutes, heading Paul Watson's right wing corner inside the far post.

Hart also had a chance to get on the scoresheet himself but failed to connect properly with a right foot shot having been released by Paul Brooker, allowing Stoner to block with his right foot.

The home goalkeeper was helpless 13 minutes after the re-start when Wilkinson produced a superb angled throughball which allowed Brooker to somehow force a shot inside the post, seemingly helped by a deflection off Jodey Rowland.

Hinshelwood will have been less impressed however by a couple of lapses in defensive concentration which should have seen Bognor test Michel Kuipers.

As it was the Albion goalkeeper had little to do, other than clutch a fierce drive from Rowland as Bognor's collection of new faces struggled to strike up an understanding.

The hosts lost Guy Rutherford with a dislocated shoulder and Albion took off Nathan Jones as a precautionary measure after he had taken a knock to the shin.

Will Packham (ankle), Geoff Pitcher (heel), Danny Marney (thigh) and Chris McPhee (back) are all expected to recover from minor injuries ahead of tomorrow's game.

Bognor: Stoner, G. Rutherford (sub: Hall 20, sub: Howell 50), D. Birmingham, Leigh (sub: Hall 73), Tucker, Murphy, Sansom (sub: Hudson 66), M. Birmingham, Edwards, Francis (sub: Dunk 84), Jackson (sub: Rowland 50).

Albion: Kuipers, Watson. (sub: Hinshelwood 45), Jones (sub: Harding 77), Cullip, Pethick, Hammond, Brooker, Wilkinson, Hart (sub: Beck 34) (sub: Bartholomew 73), Oatway, Harding (sub: Gratwich 66).

Referee: Rob Styles (Waterlooville).