PUBLISHED
10:53 6th April 2013
by Adam Tighe
Ahead of Albion’s clash with play-off rivals Leicester City, Dean Hammond has told seagulls.co.uk that the effort over the season has made this fixture so important.
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Gus Poyet’s men are two points ahead of the Foxes in the final play-off place, and can take a massive stride towards the play-offs with a victory over Nigel Pearson’s side.
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Hammond said, “The games coming up are very important as this is the business end of the season. You cannot look at their form or our form as it is a one-off game.
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“They’re a good team at the top end of the table, who have been higher up during the season. It is going to be a tough game and a real test for us but it is the type of game you need to look forward to as a player.
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“We work hard all season to play in these games, for these opportunities. If we play our normal game at home in front of a fantastic crowd we have every opportunity.”
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Hammond came off the bench against Nottingham Forest last weekend, putting in an inspired performance to help the Seagulls earn a 2-2 draw. And the midfielder accepts that rotation is inevitable with the quality of the current Albion squad.
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“We have a lot of good players in the team, and the gaffer freshened things up the other night brining in Vicente, who played very well.
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“He’s a quality player and we had a lot of attacking players on the pitch Tuesday night and it worked quite well, if we had just got the early goal then we would have kicked on and won the game by quite a few.
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“But there are a lot of players in the squad and a lot of competition for places which is good for the team. There are lots of games during the season and everyone is playing their part, so you have to stick together and do your bit when you get the chance. When that chance arrives you have to take the opportunity.”
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Original article