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There is no doubt that Southend have a score to settle tonight for Orient beat United 2-1 twice last season, both at Roots Hall in September and at Brisbane Road in March following the postponement of the New Year's Day fixture.
However, Southend do have a tendancy to win at Brisbane Road, whilst strangely the Shrimpers seem to recipriate the favour, often losing to the O's at Roots Hall! United last won in the East End in late January 2000, a superb quick-fire second half brace by Ben Abbey earning United a 2-0 victory. Playing alongside Phil Whelan that day in what was a rock solid defence was Carl Hutchings. Of course Hutchings is now an Orient player having snubbed Blues last February. It seems likely however that the dreadlocked player - who usually plys his trade in midfield - will sit out this time with a hamstring injury.
Another hamstring victim is United striker Tesfaye Bramble who left the action at half time against Hartlepool United on Friday having suffered a reoccurance of the problem which kept him out of the clash at Swansea City. Blues boss Rob Newman has revealed that the trouble stems from sciatic nerve in Bramble's back and it is something that new physiotherapist John Stannard will try and strengthen. Bramble faces a fitness test this afternoon.
Should Bramble not make the starting line-up, it will be Mark Rawle who will partner Graeme Jones up front. Meanwhile Phil Whelan plays his last match before missing Saturday's game with Wrexham having been suspended after picking up five bookings so far this season.
There will be somewhat of a re-union on the bench this evening, with United's joint assistant managers David Crown and Steve Tilson having both played in the same Southend side as current Orient boss Paul Brush, but Brush won't be holding anything back against his former team mates; "This is a local derby so it'll be a different sort of game" said Brush, continuing, "They'll be plenty of passion and the form book goes right out of the window". And United, for sure, will be hoping that the form book is turned upside down, having lost their last three matches. United have been defeated by both Swansea and Hartlepool in the League, both 1-0, aswell as a crushing 6-1 defeat at Swindon Town in the LDV Vans Trophy.
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"We've had three bad results on the trot" admitted Shrimpers chief Newman, "but they haven't all been bad performances - only the Swindon one really" he added. And Newman knows that it's in front of goal that his side must improve; "On Friday we started inh a sloppy fashion but for the remaining eighty-nine minutes our commitment was excellent - we just didn't finish off our chances" he explained.
Of course, with United looking to get back with the leading pack in Division Three, tonight's encounter becomes a tense and crucial one, and undoubtedly supporters will be travelling along the A13 in numbers. United have 3,000 spaces on the North Terrace, priced £12. Unfortunately this is uncovered standing and no seating is available to visiting supporters.
Last Matches:-
Southend United 0 Hartlepool United 1 (Williams 1), Line-up - Flahavan, Beard, Cort, Broad (Steven Clark 65), Whelan, Jenkins, Maher, Smith, Seleey (Searle 65), Bramble (Rawle 46), Jones. Unused - Belgrave, Gay.
Bristol Rovers 1 (Coote 54) Leyton Orient 2 (Campbell-Ryce 57, Nugent 67), Line-up - Morris, Harris, Toner (Canham 78), Nugent (Watts 84), Martin, Campbell-Ryce (Hatcher 88), Miller, Iriekpen, Lockwood, Smith, Barnard. Unsed - Jones, Barratt.
LAST FIVE MEETINGS:-
12th Mar, 2002 - Leyton Orient 2 (Nugent 12, Christie 31) Southend United 1 (Barry-Murphy 63) - Division Three
1st Sep, 2001 - Southend United 1 (Whelan 48) Leyton Orient 2 (Constantine 2, Smith 79)- Division Three
20th Jan, 2001 - Leyton Orient 0 Southend United 2 (Abbey 60, 63) - Division Three
26th Dec, 2000 - Southend United 0 Leyton Orient 1 (Flahavan og 90) - Division Three
5th Feb, 2000 - Leyton Orient 2 (Watts 15, Brkovic 69) Southend United 1(Tolson 26) - Division Three
SOUTHEND (from):- Darryl Flahavan, Daniel Gay, Mark Beard, Damon Searle, Leon Cort, Stephen Broad, Tom Jordan, Phil Whelan, Kevin Maher, Jay Smith, Stuart Thurgood, Steven Clark, Neil Jenkins, Graeme Jones, Mark Salter, Barrington Belgrave, Mark Rawle, Tesfaye Bramble.
Leyton Orient squad unavailable at time of writing.
Referee - Lee Cable (Woking)
Lee last refereed United in late March in the 2-0 home victory over Scunthorpe United. He sent-off Steven Clark in the final minute for an alleged head-butt.
Mark Wallis
www.thelittlegazette.com
HEAD-TO-HEAD LEYTON ORIENT v SOUTHEND UNITED
Stats by www.soccer-stats.co.uk
RESULTS RECORD
Southend United - 18
Leyton Orient - 23
Draw - 17
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