|
United have been struggling in Division Three of late, and have lost five of their last six matches - the win coming away from home at Bristol Rovers - and there is no doubt that the Shrimpers need to start charging up the table.
Indeed the Quakers have been finding life tough aswell, and lay five points below Southend in the table. But at Darlington, chairman George Reynolds isn't a man to mess about and only a few weeks ago sacked their former Leyton Orient manager Tommy Taylor. Mick Tait, previously assistant boss, has taken over the managerial reigns on a temporary basis.
And Tait has bee given the task of steadying a very rocky ship, but his reign certainly began well as his side came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Shrewsbury Town last weekend. Tait however is also looking to strength the squad, and particularly Darlington's forward firepower and he may well have signed Newcastle United striker Richard Offiong on loan in time for Saturday's clash.
Darlington however will be wothut two key men for the visit of the Shrimpers. Firstly captain Craig Liddle misses out through suspension and secondly goalkeeper Andy Collett is absent with a broken rib. Collett's replacement is another loan signing, Sunderland keeper Michael Ingham with ex-Southend shot-stopper Chris Porter warming the bench.
Alongside Porter there will also be another very familiar face in the Darlington line-up, that of striker Barry Conlon. Irishman Conlon, formerly of Manchester City spent most of the 1998-99 season as a United player and joint top-scored with seven goals before switching to York City for £100,000 in the summer of 1999. Following a loan spell with our Essex rivals Colchester United, Conlon eventually found his way to Feerhams in the summer of 2001 and caused high-controversy on the opening day of the campaign at Roots Hall when Blues' Damon Searle was sent off in an incident in which it was Conlon who appeared to be the guilty party.
Anyway, that match is now in the past, and it's this Saturday that matters and Mark Rawle, the man who scored the winning goal that afternoon has been put on standby for a starting place along with Graeme Jones and Mark Salter should Barrington Belgrave, who picked up an injury to his hip on Tuesday night, not find his fitness in time. Tes Bramble, who scored the stunning equaliser on Tuesday, will start up front regardless.
Other than the slight doubt over Belgrave, manager Newman has a fully-fit squad with whom to select from and will be boosted by the news that winger Tony Scully, currently on-loan from Cambridge United, has signed a none month extension to his deal.
Last season's encounter between these two sides at Feethams saw United pull off a rather unexpected come back. Goals from Paul Heckingbottom and a Mark Ford penalty had put the home side into a two goal lead midway through the second half, but Southend hit back and strikes from Kevin Maher and Belgrave sealed a surprise point for the Essex side.
LAST MATCHES:-
Hartlepool United 1 (Richardson 63) Southend United 2 (Bramble 88, Cort 89), Line-up: Flahavan, Beard (Jones 82), Searle, Cort, McSweeney, Maher, Smith, Scully, Jenkins (S. Clark 73), Bramble, Belgrave (Thurgood 90). Unused - Broad, Gay.
Shrewsbury Town 2 (Rodgers 2, Stevens 25) Darlington 2 (Conlon 63, Keltie 82), Line-up: Ingham, Betts, Pearson, Liddle, Valentine, Hodgson, Keltie, Nicholls, Wainwright, Clark, Conlon. Unused - Sheeran, Fenton, McGurk, Campbell, Porter.
LAST FIVE MEETINGS:-
19th January, 2002 - Darlington 2 (Heckingbottom 37, Ford [pen] 58) Southend United 2 (Maher 78, Belgrave 89) - Division Three
11th August, 2001 - Southend United 1 (Rawle 80) Darlington 0 - Division Three
3rd April, 2001 - Darlington 1 (Naylor 61) Southend United 1 (Bramble 86) - Division Three
26th August, 2000 - Southend United 0 Darlington 2 (Liddle 56, Nogan 67) - Division Three
19th February, 2000 - Darlington 1 (Oliver 90) Southend United 0 - Division Three
THE SHRIMPERS (from):- Darryl Flahavan, Daniel Gay, Mark Beard, Damon Searle, Leon Cort, Stephen Broad, David McSweeney, Kevin Maher, Jay Smith, Stuart Thurgood, Steven Clark, Neil Jenkins, Tony Scully, Barrington Belgrave, Mark Salter, Mark Rawle, Graeme Jones, Tesfaye Bramble.
THE QUAKERS (from):- Michael Ingham, Chris Porter, Simon Betts, Stuart Whitehead, Ian Clark, Matthew Clarke, Ryan Valentine, Ashley Nicholls, Clark Keltie, Richard Hodgson, Barry Conlon, Mark Sheeran, Gary Pearson, Graham Fenton, Richard Offiong.
Referee - Mark Cowburn (Lancashire)
Assitant Referees - Dave McCallum (Tyne & Wear) and David Storrie (West Midlands)
Cowburn has officiated in ten games this season and has booked 37 players and sent off five, four of them in his four games in Division Three! He contenciously sent off Darryl Flahavan last season at Rochdale before the former Woking shot-stopper claimed his deliberate handball outside the box actually made contact with his chest as United held on for a 1-0 win. This is the only instance of him officiating Southend, although he has controlled 124 games, cautioning 405 players and sending 32 on their marching orders.
HEAD-TO-HEAD DARLINGTON v SOUTHEND UNITED
Stats by www.soccer-stats.co.uk
RESULTS RECORD
Southend United - 11
Darlington - 6
Draw - 9
|
