Michel Kuipers hopes a couple of razor sharp saves for the reserves have tuned him up nicely for a first-team recall.

The big Dutchman is back in goal tomorrow as Albion tackle his former club Boston United in the first round of the Carling Cup.

It will be Kuipers' first Seagulls outing since a game at Sheffield United on January 21 and his first at home since Leeds were beaten a week previously.

It should also be a rather special evening for a man whose days as an Albion player looked to be in serious jeopardy at one stage.

Kuipers has worked hard to put himself back in Mark McGhee's plans, looks fit and strong and has impressed in training and friendlies since returning to the club in the summer.

He has been short of competitive football, though, since his last Boston game, a 1-0 home win over doomed Oxford on April 17 Which explains why he was glad to see names like experienced Kevin Gallen and Shabazz Baidoo, fresh from his dramatic equaliser for the first team against Leeds, on the team sheet when he turned up at sparsely populated Loftus Road last Tuesday.

Kuipers was beaten by a pinpoint low drive by Baidoo but preserved a 2-1 win with two almost identical saves from attempted curlers by Gallen low to his right.

Now comes the big Withdean comeback against a Boston team with whom he played .. games on loan while out of the picture at Albion last season.

He said: "It was good to play against first team strikers last week, the likes of Kevin Gallen, and I was well pleased with the performance.

"The overall performance of the team was very good and individually I was very happy as well, especially because with the score at 2-1 I remember making saves which could have easily ended in a goal."