It is not often that you enjoy bragging rights over Roy Keane but Albion can claim a victory of sorts over Premier League Sunderland in Athlone tonight.

True, there has not quite been the same clamour for tickets on the banks of the River Shannon as there is for the visit of the Black Cats on August 7.

Nevertheless, Athlone expect to double their modest average gate with Albion in town and the game against the Seagulls is, in its own way, a significant occasion for the Republic of Ireland's oldest club.

Chris Enright, Athlone's promotions and media officer, said: "Brighton will have the notoriety of being the first team from across the water to play in our new stadium.

"Our average crowd is about 420. They are our diehards. For Brighton I would expect hopefully 700 to 800 and I know there are quite a few travelling over."

The surroundings are much smarter than they were when Micky Adams gave his then assistant, Alan Cork, a late run-out and Albion won with an own goal against Athlone eight years ago.

The Eircom first division strugglers are proud of their new 2,072-seater stadium at Lissywoollen, which opened 16 months ago.

Aside from the attractive venue, what sort of opposition can Albion expect in their opening pre-season friendly?

That is a misleading billing for Athlone, since the Irish season runs from March to November. It gives them a fitness advantage, which should be offset by the Seagulls' superior quality.

Enright said: "We are self-financing so we have to keep costs down to a minimum. We have no full-time players. Every one of them does a day's work before enjoying their football. One of our strikers, Dave O'Dowd, is out until September. He was working as a carpenter and the saw slipped and he nearly sliced his arm off. That is what we are up against. Players can get injured at work as well.

"To run the whole club costs about £420,000 a year. That is to pay the players' wages, the running costs of the stadium and a few full-time staff like the groundsman and office staff. We believe here that playing for the jersey is more important than the money."

Like Albion, Athlone peaked in the early 1980s when they won two league titles. They have not played in the top flight since 1996 and Dermot Lennon's side are currently near the foot of the table with just two victories and ten goals scored in 17 games after losing 1-0 in their latest outing away to high-flying Dundalk last Thursday.

Enright said: "We probably have about ten or 12 players from Athlone itself and then we have players from Sligo and Galway.

"Phillip Riley, a leftback, played with Stockport and Man City and we have an ex-Barbados international striker called Eric Lavine. He is 36 now and coming to the end of his career but he has played for eight or nine years in the League of Ireland."

All of which should not cause Adams too much concern as he embarks on his second spell as Albion manager.

He said: "I am expecting Athlone to be a decent side. Perhaps the game is a little bit early for us - we will only have been back for ten days. I am not too fussed about the result in many respects, although I obviously would like to win."

What can Albion hope for tonight?