By Paul Camillin
Boxing Day hero Richard Carpenter is hoping his first goal of 2004/05 will launch a successful second half of the season - both for him personally and for the club.
The long-serving midfielder - one of the club's stalwarts of the past five seasons - has found himself in and out of the first team after summer knee surgery has made it hard for Carpenter to re-establish himself in the team.
Speaking after the Boxing Day triumph he said, "I've never lost that belief in myself. It hasn't been a great season for me, but you have these knock backs - due to certain circumstances - and you just have to pick yourself up and get on with it.
"I missed pre-season and that's been a telling point. I had ten days holiday and came straight back in [after surgery] and then it took me three months to get back playing. It's frustrating because I'm used to playing, but it was nice to play today and win."
Carpenter's goal - his first since a pile-driver in last season's play-off semi final win at Swindon - came against his local club who gave him his break in the professional game, but the mifielder was quick to admit there is no room for sentiment in the battle for survival in the lower reaches of the Championship.
"They're down there with us and it's dog eat dog," continued Carpenter. "We've won today and after the second half I felt we deserved it. The first half was pretty even, but at the end we showed a bit of character to come back and get what we deserved."
Richard Carpenter is mobbed by his team-mates
Albion face Wolves in two days time and Carpenter is looking forward to the games coming thick and fast.
"We'll just relax tomorrow and get ready for the next game. It's a big programme and important time for us. We've just got to get our heads together and keep it going. It's a nice pitch at Wolves. Hopefully we can go there, get the ball down and play a bit more than we did today and ultimately get something out of the game."
Meanwhile Carpenter's fellow scorer Adam Virgo feels Albion's first come-from-behind victory of the season will be a big boost for Albion as they head into a busy period of games.
Virgo told seagulls.co.uk, "I think psychologically it's a great advantage. We've got a lot of games coming up, and especially after the Stoke game - when we did play well and got nothing to show for it. We played well today in a game that was a six pointer for both us and to come from behind for the first time this season shows great character.
"It's such a tiny gap between us and the four or five teams above us. If we can go up to Wolves and get a result and then go onto New Year's Day against QPR and the Watford game - matches in which we're capable of picking up points - and keep this little run going we'll slide up the table a little more."
