Southend United boss Alan Little has demanded a positive response from his players at Third Division leaders Rotherham United.

Little's troops have been savaged this week by Blues chairman John Main, who has condemned his team of highly-paid underachievers for a string of lacklustre performances.

Main also warned his basement league players that their jobs were on the line following Southend's failure to win promotion this term - harsh words which have been backed by Little.

"My players have come in for a lot of stick over the last few days, but rightly so," said Little today (Friday). He has nine players out of contract this summer.

"Everything the chairman has been saying is spot on and I support him all the way as these players have deserved every bit of criticism they have received.

"But there's no point in them moping around feeling sorry for themselves, the buck has to stop here and the players have to start playing again."

With six games left this season, Little has called for solidarity within his ranks as the 17th placed Shrimpers play out the end of another miserable campaign.

"Everybody connected with this football club wants success more than anything and we need to stick together," Little added.

"There will be changes in playing personnel at Roots Hall over the summer, but what we need now is for our present squad to end this season with some good results under their belts.

"Our last few performances have been awful and the best way to put them behind us is by picking up our first away win of the year at Rotherham tomorrow.

"I know it will be tough because Rotherham are riding high, but football has a habit of conjuring up the unexpected, which we can make happen."

Blues will be trying to hit the net for the first time in 514 minutes at Millmoor on Saturday, but Little will stick with his front-pairing of Martin Carruthers and Steve Jones.

Southend will revert to a 5-3-2 formation, with skipper Simon Coleman returning to the defence at the expense of Scott Houghton, who will be a substitute.

Tomorrow's match will be an emotional return for Blues midfielder Nigel Pepper and assistant manager Mick Gooding to their first league club.

Southend (from): Capleton, Beard, N Jones, Roget, Coleman, Morley, Pepper, Connelly, Tinkler, Carruthers, S Jones, Newman, Cross, Maher, McDonald, Houghton, Fitzpatrick, Prudhoe.

Back to Millmoor - Southend midfielder Nigel Pepper will be returning to his first league club when the Seasiders travel to Rotherham

Picture: LUAN MARSHALL

Title beckoning for Millers

Table-toppers Rotherham United can move a step closer to the Third Division crown with a win over lowly Southend United at Millmoor tomorrow.

The Millers need ten points from their final six matches to be sure of automatic promotion, but are desperate to capture their first basement league title since 1989, ahead of nearest rivals Darlington and Swansea City.

Southend on the other hand will be hoping to take advantage of the South Yorkshire outfit's inconsistent home form by claiming their first success away from Roots Hall this millennium.

Rotherham have lost five of their 20 league games at Millmoor this term and have only taken one point from the previous couple of fixtures on their own pitch.

But Ronnie Moore's side are the top-scorers in the Third Division and will be aiming to increase their tally of 66 goals by claiming a few more strikes against the sloppy Shrimpers.

Yet the Millers' attacking options have been limited by injury, with targetman Leo Fortune-West expected to miss the rest of the season following an eye operation.

The big forward was elbowed in the face at Leyton Orient and has had to have his eye-socket rebuilt to prevent permanent double-vision.

West aside, Rotherham have a fully-fit squad with just one minor doubt in defender Vance Warner, who has a tight hamstring.

Rotherham (from): Pollitt, Varty, Warner, Branston, Wilsterman, Sedgwick, Watson, Thompson, Hurst, Turner, White, Warne, Glover, Berry, Hudson, Pettinger.

For the record

Last five league meetings:

Dec 1990 Rotherham 1-1 Blues

Mar 1991 Blues 2-1 Rotherham

Sep 1998 Blues 3-0 Rotherham

Feb 1999 Rotherham 2-2 Blues

Jan 2000 Blues 1-2 Rotherham

Form book - Rotherham's last five league matches:

Away - Darlington: 2-2

Home - Peterborough: 1-1

Away - Leyton Orient: 1-0

Home - Mansfield: 2-3

Away - Torquay: 1-1

Dangerman: Guy Branston - solid defender who rarely gets in a pickle.

Rotherham hotshot: Leo Fortune-West - 16 goals.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.