Gaetan Bong would love to go out with Albion and play the beautiful game.

But he will take spoiling others’ fun for now if it helps them regain the backbone which took them to the Premier League and kept them there.

The Seagulls brought back a few memories as they grafted their way to only a second away clean sheet in a year.

Bong was part of it on his recall at left-back.

As he has been since signing for the club during Chris Hughton’s first summer in charge, almost four years ago.

The Cameroon international knows Albion have suddenly lost that trademark of being well-disciplined and hard to break down.

They showed it on Saturday against a Wolves side with plenty of artistry on the ball.

Bong said: “I know we have been there (in the Premier League) for a year and we know how tough it is.

“Sometimes we have to remind the young ones, to the new lads, even to ourselves how we have to work hard to stay in this league.

“Sometimes things are going well and we forget.

“I think everyone in the stadium saw the spirit because we needed a point and that is exactly what we did. I think we deserved it.”

Bong said there had been finger-pointing and criticism among the players on occasion but that, at the right time, it was all part of being a football team in a competitive environment.

He added: “I said to the boys sometimes we have to encourage the others.

“I remember one moment we made a mistake and started shouting.

“It’s not bad sometimes when you shout to wake up your team-mate.

“But sometimes we need to be positive and say ‘Let’s keep doing the right thing, let’s keep being positive’.”

So when, The Argus asked, did Albion forget where they had come from and how they work best?

Bong replied: “It’s not that we forgot. We all want the same.

“We all want to play nice football and stay in this league.

“But, when things become hard, we just need to remember how we built this team.

“We have always been a defensive team, working hard all together and going forward.

“Scoring goals as well because, when you work hard and keep a clean sheet, you always have a chance.

“We are all looking for a nice football.

“We can see how Wolverhampton played this afternoon.

“But everybody builds his team to play differently.”

Bong was asked about unrest among fans about a perceived lack of spirit among the squad but took it as a question about playing style.

He said: “Sometimes what fans are looking for can be a bit different to what we are doing as player.

“It’s normal. I love football as well.

“We are looking for a nice football, we are looking to win games like 10-0.

“But, when you’re a player on the pitch, sometime s you realise it can be harder.

“Other teams are on the pitch, they are doing things well.”

Bong said Albion have been built to play a certain way.

Not necessarily all-out defence, which it turned out to be at Molineux.

But certainly strong defensive organisation out of which they can counter-attack.

He added: “Which type of player we have in the team, that is the way we are playing.

“We have to remember we built this team to play in this shape, to be hard to beat.

“Not an open team who are going to try to score a lot of goals and lose because they concede goals.

“That is what we did today and why the manager tried to remind us in the last few days that we need to stay in shape because it is the only way we are going to win games and take points.”

As Bong spoke at one end of the interview area, Lewis Dunk was being told a few yards away that this was Albion’s first clean sheet in 12 away league games.

He replied: “If you’re giving me that stat, then you’re right, yes. I wouldn’t know.

“But it’s been a long time coming and we have prided ourselves on that for many years now. It’s been disappointing, conceding most games, and you’ve seen how hard we’ve worked out there, especially in the heat.

“It was a hot day for the boys and we’ve probably worked the hardest we have all season and that’s what we need to give until the end of the season.”

The key now is to improve again. Albion probably need another win with the home date against Newcastle most people’s idea of their best chance.

That will mean ending a goal drought which, while glossed over on Saturday, now runs to six games.

Dunk said: “We can move on from this and hopefully show a bit more quality on the ball and create a few more chances and take them.”

Bong added: “Of course we want to play well, keep the ball and all those things.

“But the basic is to work hard, defend hard, keep a clean sheet and after look to go forward and score goals.

“Even if we didn’t do everything well, we took a point.”

“We can look forward. We have to enjoy first of all this point. Then rest and we go again.”