Blues' boss Alan Little and his Peterborough counterpart Barry Fry are turning up the heat on tomorrow's Roots Hall clash by labelling it one of the season's biggest games.

Little, aiming for Southend United's fourth Division Three win in a row, said: "We're settling down nicely now and our fans will again have a big role to play."

Fry argued: "Southend are flying with attacking, adventurous football, but I think we've got the players to cope."

The fourth-placed Blues are set to be unchanged from last Saturday's 4-1 defeat of Halifax Town.

Fellow promotion-chasers Peter-borough have midfield starlet Simon Davies fit again and are likely to unveil Fry's "dream strike-pairing" of Andy Clarke and Howard Forinton for the first time.

Little said: "It will be a big crowd, there's an extra atmosphere when Barry returns, and I think our players can handle our supporters' rising expectations.

He added: "Last week's starting line-up are fit, so the problem is choosing the substitutes.

"We were excellent in the first half against Halifax and when they fought back we showed we can dig in."

Front-man Martin Carruthers, who made his Blues debut last week on loan from Darlington, joins left-winger Scott Houghton in facing his former Posh team-mates tomorrow.

Peterborough-based Houghton, whose first Southend match after his permanent signing was the 2-0 home defeat of Posh last December, said: "Tomorrow and against Brighton will be our largest home crowds this season.

"I feel I've come into a bit of form in the last six or seven games and there's no better feeling than playing well and scoring against your former side.

"I've heard Peterborough get the ball forward a bit quicker now, whereas I prefer playing in a team like Southend who try to play total football.

"We've been quite solid, everyone's playing quite well and if we're still high up after 15 games we can say we've had a good start."

His ex-boss Fry, again expecting a hostile reception after leaving Roots Hall for Birmingham City six years ago, has yet to win in three returns to Southend.

However, fifth-placed Posh should be at full strength, with ex-Blues men Andy Edwards and Jae Martin in central defence and on the bench respectively.

Ex-Wimbledon striker Clarke is finally fit, while Forinton, Peterborough's new record signing for a forward at £300,000 from Birmingham, plays his second game.

Fry said: "We've lacked firepower, but at last I've got my first-choice pairing."

Southend United (probable): Capleton; Beard, Booty, Coleman, Roget, Jones; Connelly, Tinkler, Hough-ton, Tolson, Carruthers. Subs (from): Campbell, Fitzpatrick, Cross, Spittle, Morley, Gooding, Roach.

Peterborough (possible): Tyler; Hooper, Edwards, Wicks, Drury; Farrell, Davies, Castle, Etherington; Forinton, Clarke. Subs (from): Scott, Martin, Gill, Green, Chapple, Griemink.

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