STUART Campbell would like to see Bristol Rovers do something unusual this weekend – take a lead and build on it.

In eight of their last nine outings, the Pirates have conceded the first goal and found themselves chasing the game.

It's a pattern that continued last weekend when they twice had to fight back from behind despite having more than their fair share of play in the 2-2 draw against Yeovil Town at Huish Park.

So Rovers skipper Campbell admits it would be a welcome change if Crewe Alexandra, tomorrow's visitors to the Memorial Stadium, are the ones who find themselves in arrears.

"It's crucial that we make a good start on Saturday. We seem to have been constantly chasing games and it's very difficult to do that because when a team go a goal or two up against us they just sit back and make it extremely difficult for us to break them down," acknowledged midfielder Campbell.

"If we can go ahead, then the onus is on the opposition to attack – and we are quite good on the counter, so we can hurt them."

Coach Paul Trollope must have felt like pulling his hair out at Huish Park last weekend after spending the build-up to the game focusing on his side's defending against set pieces.

The omens looked good as the visitors made a storming start, hitting the bar twice in the first five minutes. But moments later, from the Glovers' first corner, Terry Skiverton slipped his marker and promptly headed the Somerset club into the lead.

"It would have been very easy for our heads to have gone down after what happened early on at Yeovil and for everyone to have thought: 'Here we go again'," said Campbell.

"After hitting the woodwork twice, it seemed they scored the first time they got into our half – never mind our box.

"The lads deserve some credit because we dug in together and created quite a few chances, so we were very aggrieved to go in 2-1 down at the break. But again we stuck together and got back into it in the second half."

Rovers have been able to spend the week doing more work on the training ground to try and finally rid themselves of their defensive inconsistencies, while Crewe had the small matter of an Anfield cup tie to contend with. They went out of the Carling Cup after a 2-1 defeat at the hands of a mainly second-string Liverpool team.

"It was strange with no midweek game because we seem to have had so many in the last couple of seasons, and a few already this season. But it gave us the chance to get some hard work in on the training pitch," said Campbell.

"The Liverpool game was a big one for Crewe and they only lost it narrowly. But my experience of playing in big matches like that is that it tends to take a lot out of you, both mentally and physically. Hopefully that is something we can capitalise on this weekend.

"First and foremost it's important we go out and win the game, and hopefully the performance will follow.

"We have taken some criticism for our results and performances, but anybody who has watched us will know we are not that far away from putting a run of wins together. Hopefully that can start on Saturday."

Campbell had to sit out training on Monday through a bout of sickness, and others in the camp – including Aaron Lescott and Joe Jacobson – also suffered from the same complaint.

But he insists he will be ready to don the captain's armband again tomorrow.

"I missed training one day this week but I'm fine again – although I think a few of the other lads have got it now. It wasn't me who gave it to them though!" Campbell insisted.

"It was just a precautionary measure for me to miss training on Monday, but I made up for it on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"It tends to happen that if one person at a club picks something up, it can spread like wildfire. But hopefully everybody will be fine for Saturday."