PHIL Brown is demanding a more confident performance from Southend United against Brighton & Hove Albion’s under 23 team in the Checkatrade Trophy at Roots Hall tonight.

The Shrimpers were seen off 2-0 by Fleetwood Town in disappointing fashion on Saturday.

And Brown – whose side have triumphed just once so far this season – is keen to get another victory on board in a bid to lift the squad’s morale.

“We’ve prepared for Brighton and trying to get a confident performance which sees players expressing themselves because that’s what we need,” said the Blues boss.

“We have been drilling the boys with the tactics to make sure we get something from the game because that’s what we need to do and it will give us all a lift.”

Brown is expected to hand goalkeeper Ted Smith his first start of the season this evening while John White should be recalled at right-back in place of Jason Demetriou who is away on international duty with Cyprus.

However, Brown will need to check the competition’s complicated new rules before finalising his starting line-up against the Seagulls.

“I was asking a fellow manager (Uwe Rosler) after the game on Saturday what exactly the rules are and he’s in the dark a little bit as well,” said Brown.

“We do know them but you have to read a booklet on who you can pick.

“The starting line-up has to include a certain number of under 23 players if you’re playing a team in the Championship or above and it’s all quite complex.

“It’s five or six players from last weekend or this but we have to pick a team to perform to the best of their abilities Prior to this season’s controversial decision, teams above League One level had not been allowed to enter the competition.

And Brown is not happy the higher ranked clubs can now play under 23 players and not just under 21s which was originally agreed.

“I think it’s good to improve the opportunities for young lads but it’s gone from being under 21s to under 23s now,” said the 57-year-old.

“The average age of a team is normally around 25 so you’re always going to have 23 year olds in there anyway.

“But we’ll just focus on ourselves “It’s under the lights on a great surface and there won’t be a big crowd so there won’t be as much pressure on either.”

Young full-backs Jordan Williams and Harry Kyprianou have both been added to the squad for tonight's clash.