SOUTHEND United have sec-ured their League One play-off place while Port Vale have been consigned to the drop.

But Shrimpers striker Alex Revell has claimed Saturday's meeting between the two at Roots Hall is no dead rubber.

The 23-year-old, who returned to the starting line-up at Tran-mere Rovers on Saturday in place of the injured Lee Barnard, is desperate to go into theplay-offs with a win that would ensure the Blues finish in fifth place.

"It's an important game," confirmed Revell.

"Having lost at the weekend we need to bounce back as quickly as we can and go into the play-offs in a confident frame of mind.

"Winning on Saturday is therefore important and so is finishing fifth because of the way things are working out."

If the positions stay the same the Shrimpers will take on Carlisle United, who have won just one of their last seven games.

But Blues are only two points ahead of sixth-placed Leeds United.

Leeds host struggling Gilling-ham at the weekend and also boast a vastly superior goal difference, making it even more important that Southend succeed.

"We know what we need to do. Port Vale are only playing for pride as they are already down and hopefully that can work in our favour," Revell observed "You never know how things will work out, though, so we will have to play well to get the points."

Revell is also hoping to impress against the Valiants and build on what was his first start for the Shrimpers in two months at Prenton Park.

"I thought I did everything but score at the weekend," said the striker, who picked up a hernia problem just three games after joining Southend from Brighton and Hove Albion in January.

"I felt fine and from a personal point of view it was great to start after a few appearances off the bench.

"I only knew a couple of hours before kick-off that I was playing. The manager spoke to me and told me to enjoy it, which I did, but the result was disappointing.

"It isn't nice coming into the team for the match which brought our unbeaten run to an end but it's better to lose now than in the play-offs.

"I also thought we played some good stuff in the first half and were unlucky not to be leading at the break.

"That remains a positive and certainly gives us hope for the rest of what we want to be a successful season."