Hartlepool United vs Southend United - team news

Player/Manager Rob Newman will again stick to his policy of naming the side just before the kick-off for Saturday afternoon’s game at the Victoria ground against promotion chasing tenth placed Hartlepool United, Newman has taken a seventeen man squad, which travelled to the North-east on Friday morning.

Blues squad: Darryl Flahavan, Daniel Gay, Stephen Broad, Damon Searle, Danny Kerrigan, Leon Cort, Phil Whelan, Rob Newman, Leon Johnson, Marek Szmid, Brian Barry-Murphy, Ian Selley, Stuart Thurgood, Scott Forbes, Barrington Belgrave, Tes Bramble and Mark Rawle.

Darryl Flahavan - five games without a clean sheet

Rob Newman is expected to name an unchanged starting line-up after gaining a point at Cheltenham Town on Tuesday night. Irish born left-sided midfielder Brian Barry-Murphy on loan from Preston North End, will continue in midfield alongside the other loanee Ian Selley,

Kevin Maher, who is still considering whether to sign a new one –year deal with the Blues or switch to Leyton Orient on an eighteen month contract on better terms, is still out with his injured toe but is back in light training. Right winger Steven Clark is still suffering from his knee injury and could still be out of action for another two to three weeks therefore the right midfield position will be filled by Stuart Thurgood.

Mark Beard who was sent-off on his return to action at Roots Hall against York City starts a three match ban for violent conduct at Hartlepool, then misses the home games against Bristol Rovers and Oxford United.

The worry up-front is still the lack of goals for the Blues strikers, Tes Bramble has not scored for seven games now and his likely strike partner Mark Rawle was the last Blues striker to score when he netted the first goal in Blues last victory the 2-0 victory at Roots Hall over Hull City which was six games ago.

Barrington Belgrave has gone five matches without a strike and was disappointing for the reserves on Wednesday against Cambridge United, but with Tony Richards out with an injured back Belgrave should find a place on the bench.

The defence will be the five of Darryl Flahavan, Stephen Broad, Damon Searle, Leon Cort, Skipper Phil Whelan and Rob Newman.

Probable side: Flahavan, Broad, Searle, Whelan, Newman, Cort, Selley, Thurgood, Barry-Murphy, Rawle and Bramble.

Subs: Gay, Johnson, Szmid, Belgrave and Forbes or Kerrigan.


Meanwhile Hartlepool United thanks to Teamtalk have the following news

Micky Barron, Mark Tinkler (right) and Chris Westwood have all

Mark Tinkler - ex Blues midfielder

shrugged off niggling injuries to report fit for tomorrow's home game against Southend.

Pool boss Chris Turner was concerned both Barron and Westwood had suffered groin damage in Tuesday night's 1-1 draw at Darlington but those fears were allayed by their safe return to training yesterday.

Tinkler also finished the game at Feethams with an injury worry - a tight hamstring - but he is fine for the visit of The Shrimpers.

Ritchie Humphreys will continue up front tomorrow at the expense of Kevin Henderson, while Paul Stephenson will battle it out with Darrell Clarke for a midfield berth.

Pool (probable): Williams, Barron, Lee, Westwood, Robinson, Tinkler, Stephenson/Clarke, Smith, Coppinger, Humphreys, Boyd.

Steve Connolly
www.thelittlegazete.com