Northampton Town vs. Southend United – Preview

Last updated : 16 April 2004 By Robert Craven

Kevin Maher aptly returns from suspension against the side he was dismissed against in November
The Cobblers still played at the County Ground, Wantage Road when the Shrimpers last emerged victorious from Northamptonshire in March 1985. Since then, of course, they have moved to the rather more plush surrounds of Sixfields, a large Borough Council funded retail and leisure park just a few minutes walk from the M1.


It is at the 8,500-capacity all-seater stadium that the Seasiders will hope to make sure that they will be playing in the Coca-Cola League Third Division in four months’ time, and in order to do so they require just two results to go their way. The first is three points themselves, which would take them to 54 points and out of the clutches of Carlisle United, who would only be able to muster 53 should they win themselves at the weekend.


In addition to that, though, Blues’ fans may find themselves cheering on Leyton Orient as they take on strugglers Rochdale at the bottom of the Third Division. Southend just edge the O’s to the top spot of the second twelve teams in Division Three, but a win for the East London outfit would mean that ‘Dale too would be unable to surpass the Essex side’s total, and thus ensure that United finish at least 22nd in the table come May 8th.


With tough ties against automatic promotion hopefuls Hull City (Tuesday 20th April) and Torquay United, on that final day of the season, at Roots Hall, along with another home clash against play-off candidates Yeovil Town on the 24th of the month, having safety secured before the clash at Spotland between Blues and the Lancastrians on May 1st would be of great benefit.


But tomorrow’s encounter will not be easy in it’s own right. Town have managed to put together a run of 41 points since Boxing Day, which is second only to Huddersfield Town’s haul of 42 in the same period. As many, I am sure, are aware, had the season started on New Year’s Day, then the Shrimpers themselves would be in the running for promotion such is the good work that Steve Tilson and Paul Brush have done, but former Tottenham Hotspur defender Colin Calderwood, who has pipped Tilson for Manager-of-the-Month in 2003/4 already, can claim to have surpassed it.


But Tilson is eager to go out with a bang in 2003/4 nonetheless. With a managerial contract up for grabs for next season, the Wickford-born 37-year-old told the Southend Evening Echo, “We’ve got five games to go and there will be no letting up. The lads will not be getting complacent as we want top get as many points as possible to get the best league position we can”.


Tomorrow’s match will not be any the easier with hot-shot striker Lawrie Dudfield. The former Leicester City man, the closest the Seasiders have to a ‘fox in the box’ with five goals from nine starts in his fledgling Shrimpers career, has now recovered from the viral infection that has kept him from playing in the past three weeks, but a clause in his contract from when he signed from the Cobblers means that he will sit this one out as well.


That means that Leon Constantine, Drewe Broughton and Tesfaye Bramble will again fight it out for the starting berths up front. Broughton and Bramble were Tilson’s first-choice on Bank Holiday Monday as United came back from 2-0 down at half-time to defeat relegation-haunted Darlington. Constantine, though, was the only man of the three to score, despite playing on the right wing, as he converted his 23rd goal of the season from the penalty spot.


Tilson is likely to field the same side that ended, and started for that matter, the clash against the Quakers, which means that Constantine will have to be content to begin on the wing. Michael Husbands has recovered from a back injury, but poor form in the reserve team means that he is unlikely to be considered, whilst Jimmy Corbett is still out with the groin strain.


Constantine’s inclusion in midfield eases the pressure on Tilson to find players in that position, and he is also aided by the return from suspension of club captain Kevin Maher. The Ilford-born Irishman is favoured to supersede defender Mark Warren as the skipper whilst also coming back to partner Mark Bentley in the centre of the park.


With Carl Pettefer now definitely out for the rest of the current campaign with a fractured fibula, Mark Gower will line-up on the left-hand side of midfield once again. Lewis Hunt will drop to the substitutes’ bench to join Steven Clark as those who can fill positions in the centre of the park, whilst Jay Smith and Leke Odunsi continue to work with John Stannard on the physio’s couch.


Mark Warren relinquishes the captaincy to Maher
Tilson and Brush are likely to keep faith with the same defensive pairings as played over the Easter weekend, despite the Shrimpers conceding three goals over the two matches. Leon Cort and Mark Warren have built up a decent understanding, whilst Nicky Nicolau and Duncan Jupp are both rampaging full-backs.


Speculation over Jupp’s happiness at Roots Hall could be unfounded, and at any case he represents a better bet than Che Wilson at right-back. Derby County man Hunt is another option there whilst Jamie Stuart and Neil Jenkins both vie for the left-back position with Arsenal loanee Nicolau. Dave McSweeney continues his loan spell with Nationwide Conference side Welling United.


With Carl Emberson having been released by mutual consent on Wednesday, the path is now clear for 21-year-old Ryan Robinson to deputise for Darryl Flahavan and win a contract for next season. For his part, Flahavan himself has been very vocal on the subject himself over the past few days, telling the Echo, “It’s looking very good for next season and of course I’d like to be a part of that. It’s difficult for me to say much more at the moment as the club have not approached me yet about a new contract but I would definitely be interested in staying here”.

Cobblers chief Colin Calderwood is also looking forward to the next campaign, which he hopes will be in Division Two. He told the official Northampton Town website, www.ntfc.co.uk, “It was against Southend that I got my first win as manager and that was very enjoyable. Southend have been on very good form since Christmas”.


And as he continued his preview, he praised Shrimpers gaffer Tilson, “Steve Tilson has done a very good job with Southend, and he is another young manager like myself and Martin Ling at Leyton Orient. Southend did very well to get to the LDV Vans Trophy final and they will prove very difficult opposition for us on Saturday”.


The former Swindon Town blocker continued with a message for his own supporters, “Anyone who comes here believing we should win the game just because they are not above us in the table is very much mistaken. We have got to make the players aware of their recent good record and they are probably a different proposition now to when we played them earlier in the season”.


Northampton are currently unbeaten in eight games, and the Shrimpers will be hoping to end the run at just that figure as Huddersfield Town did to them at the Alfred McAlpine Stadium a week earlier. The Cobblers are likely to name an almost identical line-up to the one that drew 1-1 with Lincoln City on Bank Holiday Monday, which Chris Hargreaves and Marc Richards expected to pose the biggest attacking threat.


The match kicks off, as ever, at three o’clock, and its designation as a Family Day at Sixfields means that a full house is expected. As a result the seats allocated to Southend United supporters in the Family Enclosure have been returned, and anyone who has still to swap for a South Stand ticket can do so at the Box Office in front of the main entrance to the arena. Northampton Town are asking all fans to get to the ground as soon as possible to avoid congestion, and that includes away supporters.


TEAM DETAILS


Likely Squads

Northampton Town

Southend United

4-4-2
Lee Harper
Rob Ullathorne
Ian Sampson
Paul Reid
Ashley Westwood
Josh Low
Chris Hargreaves
Paul Trollope
Martin Smith
Marc Richards
John Taylor
---
Chris Willmott

Tom Youngs

Derek Asamoah

Des Lyttle

Eric Sabin
---

Starting Line-Ups
GK
DR

DL
DC
DC
MR
MC
MC
ML
FC
FC
Substitutes
1
2
3
4
5
Also Available
*

4-4-2
Darryl Flahavan
Duncan Jupp
Nicky Nicolau
Leon Cort
Mark Warren
Leon Constantine
Mark Bentley
Kevin Maher
Mark Gower
Drewe Broughton
Tesfaye Bramble
---
Ryan Robinson
Jamie Stuart
Che Wilson

Neil Jenkins

Lewis Hunt
---
Michael Husbands


Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com