Taken from the post.... John-Joe O'Toole believes a victory against Southend United at Roots Hall would serve to finally get Bristol Rovers' season up and running. Rovers boss John Ward admitted last weekend his players had so far fallen below the expectations he had set at the start of the campaign, after collecting eight points from their opening eight games. O'Toole will lead the charge from the middle of the park at Roots Hall as Rovers aim to secure their first away points of the season. O'Toole said: "We are at a stage where we need to get our season up and running. We'd be well on our way to doing that if we could go to Southend and get our first away win of the season. We are playing well in patches, but that we can't seem to do that more often and more consistently does leave you pulling your hair out at times. It is frustrating because, without a doubt, we should be doing much better." O'Toole gave his manager a timely boost last weekend by scoring his second goal of the season, to claim a last-gasp share of the spoils against Hartlepool United, at the end of a second-half during which the players showed signs that they are capable of shaking off their poor form. O'Toole said: "The ball fell nicely for me. You don't get too many chances as good as that one in the game, so it was a bit of a dream when I saw the ball coming in my direction. I was very happy to get the goal, but at the same time there was a bit of disappointment that we didn't win the game. We can definitely take encouragement from our second-half display, but I'd rather we play poorly and win a game, if I'm being totally honest. If you are looking at being in the mix for promotion you have to be able to win games at times when you are not playing particularly well." Had things been different, O'Toole may well have been lining up against Rovers tonight after Southend boss Phil Brown entered the race to sign him from Colchester United in the summer. The midfielder, however, decided to return to the Memorial Stadium on a permanent deal following a successful loan spell last season. O'Toole said: "I didn't go into too much detail in terms of talks, but Southend were one of the clubs interested. Phil Brown was keen at one point, but I had pretty much decided that I was going to come to Bristol Rovers by then. I don't know how he'll feel about that now, but I'm sure he will have moved on and be happy with the players he has now. I have to say I am enjoying playing games on a regular basis. It is a slightly different mind-set because last season it was always in the back of my mind that I was going back to Colchester. I'm pleased to be here now and the only thing missing at the moment is some positive results. I just want us to start winning games now and I'm confident we have enough about us to start doing that. We are all looking forward to the game on Friday night. I played there a couple of times when I was at Colchester and it is a tight ground, which always makes for a great atmosphere."
