Southend United boss Alan Little wants his players to find a cure for their Third Division travel sickness when they visit Torquay United tomorrow afternoon.

Blues have failed to win on the road this year - a woeful run of 11 games without a victory - and have chalked up a meagre three points from a possible 33, scoring just four goals.

Coincidentally, Southend's last success away from Roots Hall came at Torquay's Plainmoor ground on December 28, 1999, when Martin Carruthers' scrambled goal handed the Seasiders a 1-0 triumph - a result Little would be happy for his team to repeat tomorrow.

"We got off to a bright start at home against Brighton last Saturday and we need to produce a performance of the same quality at Torquay," said Little.

"This is our first away trip of the season and gives us the ideal opportunity to put our poor away record straight.

"However, I can still remember our first match on the road last term when we fell flat on our faces at Rochdale, losing 2-0.

"We travelled north on the back of an opening day win over Plymouth at Roots Hall, but we played very badly at Rochdale, which mustn't be allowed to happen at Torquay."

Little, a former Torquay player, has a fully fit squad to select from and said his players were confident of continuing their good start to the new season.

"Everybody is fit and looking forward to playing our next game," he added.

"There's a lot of competition in the squad and all the boys are desperate to be involved, but I'll be sticking by the same team which beat Brighton 2-0 last weekend. I want to give them another chance to prove their hunger.

"All the players are fully aware of the tough task ahead of them tomorrow. Torquay is a very tight ground and we'll be in for a hard battle there because they will fight us every inch of the way and put us under extreme pressure.

"But it's vitally important that we get a result at

French hitman Habib Sissoko will be aiming to make a memorable home debut for Torquay at Plainmoor tomorrow against Southend United.

The summer import from Belgian Second Division side Kappelen, who had a brief spell at Preston North End and has also plied his trade in Portugal, will be hoping to get off the mark in English football against the Seasiders.

And he should be joined in the Gulls' line-up by another summer arrival from France, Racing Paris player Jules Mendy, if the right wing-back receives his international clearance in time to face Blues.

Torquay, who opened their Third Division campaign with a 2-0 defeat at Football League new boys Kidderminster Harriers last Saturday, have also raided foreign shores to make another signing.

Tough-tackling midfielder Mark Ford, a former Leeds United team-mate of Blues star Mark Tinkler, has moved to Plainmoor from Belgian team Lommel.

And the Gulls will need all of their new boys to be firing on all cylinders against the Shrimpers as their first-team plans have been ravaged by injury.

Midfield skipper Brian Healy (knee) and vice-captain, defender Lee Russell (broken foot bone), are definitely ruled out.

Torquay boss Wes Saunders, whose side just missed out on the promotion play-offs last term, could also be missing strikers Tony Bedeau (thigh) and Eifion Williams (Achilles).

Torquay (from): Jones, Holmes, Watson, Aggrey, Brandon, Tully, Ford, Hill, Platts, Sissoko, Parker, Mendey, Herrera, Neil, O'Brien, Stocco, Hockley, Northmore.

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