Albion chairman Dick Knight revealed today that Dean Wilkins is on course to land the manager's job permanently.

Wilkins still has to prove his three-match unbeaten run is not just a flash in the pan.

But Knight is not looking beyond the caretaker and assistant Dean White at the moment after Saturday's 4-1 home destruction of ten-man Leyton Orient, despite receiving a lot of "high quality" applications.

Knight said: "So far so good. I've always thought there could easily be a honeymoon period. It often happens with caretaker managers coming in, particularly because they are from existing staff.

"Obviously, both of the Deans (Wilkins and assistant Dean White) are very well known by all the players and they are very popular so they have pulled out the stops for them.

"What we now have to see is continual progress and improvement but they are setting out to prove to me I don't need to look elsewhere.

"Meanwhile, I've had a lot of very high quality applicants. I'm keeping a dossier of people who are interested in managing this club but right now there isn't any reason for me to look beyond the four walls of Withdean.

"What is very pleasing is the way the team are playing football. It's all credit to the way the two Deans have got the team playing."

Meanwhile, Wilkins wants Wayne Henderson to make the first move after having his transfer request rejected by the club last week.

The Republic of Ireland goalkeeper faces being left out of the squad for the third match running at Southend in the Carling Cup tomorrow night.

Wilkins said: "It's unchanged at the moment. At the end of the game he came on the pitch and congratulated us. I think the ball is in Wayne's court to come and approach us. If he wants to sit down and have a chat that's what we will do."