BEN Coker wants Newport County to face the real Southend United at Roots Hall tonight.

The Shrimpers were well below their when losing 3-1 to Newport at Rodney Parade back in October.

And the left-back is now keen to help Phil Brown’s put in a vastly improved performance when the two teams do battle again this evening.

“It’s a massive game tonight and one we will need to play much better in than we did against them earlier on in the season,” said Coker, 24.

“We were poor that day and I would certainly say it was one of our worst displays of the whole season.

“I think that helped to make Newport, who are a good side, look brilliant but we drew a line under that game right away and I think our good run of form actually started after that defeat.

“We maybe have a bit of a point to prove against them and will want to show we are a good side.”

Blues’ improved run of results – which has seen them lose just one of their last 13 league games – has taken them up to sixth in the League Two standings.

Newport sit just outside the play-offs in eighth, eight points below the Shrimpers with two games in hand.

And Coker is desperate to open up even more of a gap on tonight’s visitors.

“It would certainly be a big win for us if we can get the three points,” said the defender.

“Newport have had a few games called off just recently so hopefully that will make them a bit rusty and we will be able to take advantage of that.”

Blues will be missing the injured Luke Prosser for this evening’s game and, as a result, Adam Thompson is likely to move to centre-back with John White returning at right-back after recovering from the dislocated shoulder which forced him to miss the last four games.