MICHAEL Collins is confident Oxford United will claim their first league win of the season today, even while admitting many people will see it as a “home banker” for Southend United.

The U’s have collected a single point from their five games in Sky Bet League Two, with only goal difference keeping them off the bottom.

Southend are far from ideal opponents to halt the slide, with the Essex side finishing as the winning side in nine of their ten meetings in all competitions since United returned to the Football League in 2010.

Collins acknowledged the formbook only pointed to one outcome, but the U’s midfielder is buoyed by the mood within the camp.

He said: “Everybody from the outside looking in will probably have it down as a home banker given the starts the two teams have had.

“We certainly don’t, we will go there full of confidence thinking we will come back with a win.”

Roots Hall in particular has not been a happy hunting ground for the U’s, who have lost on their last six visits.

The most recent was in March, when they crashed to a miserable 3-0 televised defeat in Gary Waddock’s first game in charge.

Head coach Michael Appleton watched that match at home and believes it should fire up the players who were involved.

He said: “You’ve got to use it as part of your motivation and remember last year how you felt coming off the pitch.

“It was live on Sky, everyone witnessed it, so you’ve got to make sure there’s not a repeat.”

He added: “It just seems to be one of those places where it proves difficult to get a res- ult.

“But surely under the circumstances we are in at the minute, they are the best places to get results.”

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