Southend United goalkeeper Mel Capleton has called for unification from Blues' supporters on the eve of Saturday's Third Division Roots Hall clash with Rochdale.

Capleton has failed to start any of Southend's previous four league matches, following Shrimpers boss Alan Little's decision to drop the fans' favourite in favour of veteran shot-stopper Mark Prudhoe.

However, Prudhoe has suffered a torrid time in recent weeks both on and off the pitch, following a couple of goalkeeping blunders and unwarranted abuse from the terraces.

But Capleton has pleaded with the Seasiders' supporters to give Little's men their full backing tomorrow - no matter who wears the number one jersey against Rochdale.

"All I want to do is play in every game and do my best for Southend United," said Capleton, who made his comeback as a bizarre half-time substitute for Prudhoe during last weekend's 2-1 defeat at Barnet.

"But we're in the middle of an awful run at home at the moment and the players - including me and Mark - need all the support they can get from the fans to turn things round.

"It doesn't matter who plays in goal against Rochdale as both Mark and I just want each other to do well for Southend, no matter who gets the nod, what's important is that we get a good result."

Southend's last Roots Hall success was more than two months ago - a 2-1 triumph over Brighton on November 2 last year - and since then Blues have failed to register a single victory from six outings on home soil.

However, Capleton believes the 15th-placed Seasiders are more than capable of finally ending this miserable sequence, which has included five defeats and one draw, against Rochdale.

"We need to put our recent results at Roots Hall behind us and start to push ourselves back up the league table," said the 27-year-old.

"At the start of the season we did really well at home, losing just one match in three months in front of our own fans, and we need to find that form again."

Little has major injury problems, with nine-goal joint top scorer Neil Tolson (groin) and defender Simon Coleman (leg) both rated 50-50 to face promotion seeking Rochdale.

Reserve striker Neil Campbell and full-back Garry Cross (both back) are also doubtful.

Front-runner Neville Roach will take Tolson's place and experienced stopper Rob Newman will deputise for Coleman, if both players fail to pull through.

Southend (from): Capleton/ Prudhoe, Jones, Beard, Booty, Morley, Newman, Connelly, Tinkler, Roach, Carruthers, Houghton, Maher, Roget, Clarke, Hails.

Blues midfielder Simon Livett has left Roots Hall by mutual consent.

Mel Capleton - calling on Southend fans to pull together and get behind the team ahead of their clash with Rochdale

Dale aiming to extend away success

Away-day specialists Rochdale plan to extend Southend United's Roots Hall agony on Saturday.

The Lancashire side have the best travelling record in the Third Division this season, winning seven, drawing two and losing just four matches on the road, and will be hoping to cash in again against Blues.

The Shrimpers have failed to register a single triumph from their last six Roots Hall outings - a woeful run which Dale strikers Tony Ellis and Clive Platt will be confident of prolonging.

Platt, who scored against Blues at Spotland in August during Rochdale's 2-0 victory, has joined Steve Parkin's team for a club record £100,000 fee from First Division strugglers Walsall, following a successful loan-spell.

And 36-year-old veteran hitman Ellis, a recent recruit from Stockport County, who has collected goals for fun during a long league career, hitting the net more than 150 times, will be looking to punish the Seasiders' shaky rearguard.

In-form Rochdale, two points adrift of the promotion play-offs in ninth spot, travel south boasting an impressive record of just one loss from nine games.

The Dale have no injury worries ahead of their clash with the Shrimpers and Blues fans should get the chance to see 40-year-old midfielder Tony Ford, who holds the English Football League appearance record.

Rochdale (from): Edwards, Evans, Stokes, Hill, Monington, Bettney, Flit-croft, Peake, Platt, Ellis, Atkinson, Jones, Lancashire, Bayliss, Hicks, Peyton, Priestley.

For the record: Last five league meetings

Jan 1990 Rochdale 0-1 Blues

Apr 1990 Blues 3-2 Rochdale

Oct 1998 Blues 1-1 Rochdale

Mar 1999 Rochdale 1-0 Blues

Aug 1991 Rochdale 2-0 Blues

Rochdale's last five games

Form book - :

Home - Macclesfield: 3-2 (A.W.S.)

Home - Brighton: 1-0

Away - Hartlepool: 2-3

Home - Shrewsbury: 2-1

Away - Carlisle: 2-1

Dangerman: Jason Peake - central midfield playmaker.

Top scorer: Clive Platt - eight goals.

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