Albion boss Dean Wilkins has urged his players to rise to their "biggest challenge of the season" by sending Scunthorpe home empty-handed.

The Seagulls entertain the commanding League One leaders at Withdean with Wilkins mindful of the threat from the prolific Billy Sharp and his new strike partner Jermaine Beckford.

They have scored ten goals in eight games together since Beckford arrived from Leeds in January following Andy Keogh's £600,000 move to Wolves.

"It's our biggest challenge of the season," Wilkins said. "They have managed to replace Keogh with Beckford and I think everybody has seen a couple of the goals he has scored on TV.

"I believe they pose the biggest goal threat and we need to be at our very best as a defensive unit.

"They are both very quick, they have got good movement and seem to be lethal finishers anywhere from 18 yards out."

Sharp was on target at Glanford Park in October when Albion capitalised on the early dismissal of Steve Foster to run out 2-1 winners.

"We got great confidence from that, because we were on a run of five defeats at the time and that turned our season around," said Wilkins.

"Now they are on a run of 15 undefeated, so I think they are due one."

Goalkeeper Scott Flinders will be with Albion until their penultimate home game of the campaign against Bradford City on April 14 after signing for a second month on loan from Crystal Palace.

Albion remain eight points clear of the drop zone after free-falling Chesterfield lost 2-0 at Swansea.

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