Albion boss Dean Wilkins saluted two-goal hero Bas Savage for lifting the Seagulls into the comfort zone.

Savage's second-half double took his tally to six in 11 games and five in as many away matches since signing on a free transfer from Gillingham at the beginning of February.

Albion were still in relegation trouble at that stage but they are safe now after a run of four wins, five draws and only two defeats since his arrival.

Wilkins said: "His goals have been very significant. Although we have been on a very solid run it has lacked goals so you cannot underestimate the contribution he has made.

"Bas has played a big part. We are very pleased with his ratio of chances and goals per game.

"We could not really have expected too much more than that and he is doing a very good job for us at the moment.

"We just felt that from what we had seen of him he would add to the squad and create different kind of problems to what we had in the side at that time."

Savage passed on the credit to his strike partner Alex Revell for setting up both of his goals. He said "Alex is just coming back from injury and he is getting back to his best. It was thanks to him that I scored.

"I am just working harder and getting in goalscoring positions, getting in the box, passing and moving and being on the end of moves."

Savage's form in front of goal is in stark contrast to a wretched run for Jake Robinson. He hit the bar with the goal gaping when Albion were 2-0 up and has failed to score in the League since the end of October.

Wilkins said: "I felt for him. It came quickly but it was an opportunity he would have taken 99 times out of 100 and you could see the despair on his face when he missed it.

"But he did a lot better in the second half and looked a lot more threatening when we got him into wider areas."

Liam Upton scored twice as Albion under-18s' six-match unbeaten run ended with a 3-2 defeat at Wycombe.