New Southend United striker Neville Roach is aiming to get his Roots Hall career off to a quickfire start by shooting down Swansea City.

Roach made his Shrimpers debut during last weekend's 3-0 defeat at promotion-chasing Cambridge United after joining Blues on loan from Second Division Reading.

However, Seasiders boss Alvin Martin decided to pay the Royals £30,000 this week to make the 20-year-old's move to Southend permanent and now Roach wants to repay the Blues manager's faith in him, starting with Saturday's Third Division match.

"I've had a rough time of it at Reading during the last couple of years and it's a big relief to be given a fresh start somewhere else," explained Roach, who has signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Southend.

"For the last two seasons I've been totally frozen out of the First team picture at Reading because my face didn't seem to fit with the coaching staff.

"On the few occasions I have made the team this season I've been played as a wing-back, which is a total joke because I'm a forward and my game is all about scoring goals - not stopping them."

Roach broke into Reading's first team three years ago as a 17-year-old when Blues' assistant boss Mick Gooding was the Royals' joint manager.

He made a goalscoring home debut in the First Division against Oldham Athletic and is hoping for a repeat performance against Swansea.

"I'd love to get a goal against Swansea and get my Southend career off to a good start," he said today (Friday).

"I didn't play particularly well in my first game for Blues last weekend at Cambridge, but it was a strange experience for me as I didn't really know any of the other players.

"But I've had a week to settle in and get to know everybody now and I expect to put on a much better display tomorrow.

"I've already forgotten about the Cambridge match and will consider the Swansea match as my first real game for Southend."

Boss Martin is praying that tomorrow's game doesn't follow the same path as Blues' match at the Vetchfield earlier in the season.

There they were thumped 3-1 and had three players red carded with Gooding, midfielder Kevin Maher and right-back Julian Hails all given their marching orders.

He said: "There wasn't any problem between the players on the pitch that day and it certainly wasn't a dirty game.

"Hopefully after tomorrow's fixture both sides will still have 11 players left on the field."

Front runner Neil Campbell will be missing from Southend's squad for the visit of Swansea as he sits out the last of a three match ban.

Fellow forward Trevor Fitzpatrick is away on international duty with the Republic of Ireland under-18 squad, while attacking midfielders Alex Burns (dead leg) and Steve McGavin (calf) are doubtful starters.

Southend (from): Margetson, Beard, Booty, Hunter, Coleman, Newman, Maher, Unger, Conlon, Roach, Houghton, Harris, Burns, Livett, McGavin, Morley, Clarke.

Swansea (from): Gregg, Lacey, Smith, Bound, O'Leary, Howard, Cusack, Coates, Appleby, Alsop, Watkin, Bird, Jones, Roberts, Casey.

Keep the faith - New Blues' signing Neville Roach is keen to supply boss Alvin Martin with some much-needed goals

Picture: ROBIN WOOSEY

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