STRIKE partners Brett Ormerod and James Beattie are determined to sink their hometown club at St Mary's tomorrow.

The Saints duo first linked up as youth team players at Blackburn Rovers back in the early-1990s and both still have strong connections with their former team.

Ormerod grew up in Great Harwood, the same Lancashire town as David Dunn and shares the same circle of Blackburn-supporting mates as the Rovers winger.

But the 26-year-old (pictured below) was eventually released by Blackburn just prior to the 1995-6 season after suffering a succession of injuries.

He remembers the rejection as one of the most heartbreaking moments of his career.

"At the time, Rovers had won the Premiership with Shearer and Sutton as first choice strikers," he said.

"Kevin Gallacher and Mike Newell were also vying for a place, while Peter Thorn, Michael Holt, James Beattie and James Thomas were also coming through.

"I had an inkling that I wouldn't be taken on but I'll never forget the day when I received the news.

"I was devastated and thought my world had collapsed.

"For a few weeks after I was released by Blackburn, I just didn't care about football.

"I went out drinking with my mates and just wasn't interested."

Beattie, by contrast, was taken on as a trainee and stayed at Blackburn from 1995 to 1998 before being signed by Saints for £1m.

But to the relief of Saints fans, the initial setback wasn't the end of the Ormerod story.

While working in a textile factory, he started banging in the goals for non-league Accrington Stanley, before making a £50,000 move to Blackpool.

Ormerod prolific strike-rate continued, before his dream £1.5m signing for Saints last year.

Strachan has since admitted that he was a player he had admired before taking over at Saints and his faith has so far been repaid with six goals already this season.

Beattie has also scored four, helping the former Blackburn pair forge one of the most profitable partnerships in the Premiership.

As a youngster Ormerod was an Everton fan, but for obvious reasons he now admits he would love to beat Blackburn.

"I've got my family coming down for the game and loads friends," he said.

"I've also got my brother's mob coming down and staying in bed and breakfasts in Southampton.

"Virtually everyone at my local, The Wellington, is a Blackburn fan and so it was disappointing to lose to them last season.

"I remember I turned my phone off after the game and later found that I had about 30 messages taking the mickey out of me.

"For me it is certainly a very special game," he added.