Fulham under 23s midfielder Ollie O’Neill is eager to clinch qualification from the PL Cup group stages with victory over Southend United tonight.

Steve Wigley’s side sit in pole position in their group with seven points from three matches. Having kicked off the competition with a win at Roots Hall in September, O’Neill is confident the young Whites can go through this evening but the Irish under-21 international isn’t writing off the Shrimpers.

He told the club’s official website this morning:

“Yes, we’ve had a good start and it would be nice to get qualification wrapped up as soon as possible. Southend brought quite a good intensity to the last game and they play at a different rhythm to what we’re used to, so it will be important for us to match that and control the game.

A good Cup run brings a good set of opportunities for certain players to show different things. It’s also an enjoyable experience for the group as a whole; the games certainly have a different feel to them when compared to PL2 games.”