Northampton Town vs Southend United- Preview

It will be 7^th versus 6^th in game between Northampton Town and Southend United with Southend having a two point advantage but with Northampton having one more game to catch up their Essex rivals. So as you can imagine, it is a massive game for both teams and the Southend supporters certainly think so. The club’s official website has today reported that almost 1000 tickets have been sold. After bringing 770 to Bristol Rovers in midweek, Southend fans are showing their commitment to the season which appears to be growing in success.

Suffolk’s Mike Thorpe will be taking control of the top of the table clash and hopefully he will have a better performance than Matt Messias did in this fixture last season. Messias that day appeared to want to be the centre of attention and refereed poorly on that occasion. Thorpe’s last occasion of refereeing Southend was when Southend lost 2-0 to Lincoln in the Wignall era. He awarded a penalty that night, Duncan Jupp missed and Lincoln went up the other end to score a second. Southend are a lot better off now, with a lot better manager and hopefully the referee will be rising to these standards. Joining Thorpe will be assistants Darren Deadman from Cambridgeshire and Martin Dexter from Leicestershire.

Southend are expected to name a similar side that appeared against Bristol on Tuesday evening at the Memorial Stadium. Despite Craig Holloway having a respectably good run out in the reserves it is expected that Darryl

Flahavan will make another appearance whilst Bart Griemink sits out again through injury. Flahavan has played very well since returning to the Southend side and in six games Darryl has conceded only three goals. Flahavan also has good memories of the previous league match up between the two sides having saved a penalty from Martin Smith at Roots Hall earlier this season to keep the game at 1-0 to Southend. Southend won the game 2-1.

Southend’s ever reliable back four is set to stay the same. Lewis Hunt, Adam Barrett, Spencer Prior and Che Wilson may be four names that role of the tongue in years to come if the Shrimper’s season is as successful as some fans are beginning to suggest. Hunt has been a sensation of late at right back and if he and the rest of the defence play to their full capabilities then I feel that Cobblers will struggle to score goals against the Blues.

Many fans are voting Petts as the PFA Player of the Month

Tilson also faces nice selection problems in the forward line. Most likely to start on the substitutes bench is Tesfaye Bramble after failing to show his full potential when given his chance on Tuesday night. Bramble will feel that he is not match fit and will therefore be looking to show his best if he is given the chance from the substitutes bench. The other three forwards will all be fighting for places. Wayne Gray recently scored against Swansea, whilst Lawrie Dudfield also had success in the Southwest of the country when he scored in midweek against Bristol Rovers. Whilst Freddy Eastwood does not have the best recent form, he does have the advantage of being the top goalscorer as well as being fresh after not featuring in the first team on Tuesday. Despite this I expect the in form Lawrie Dudfield and Wayne Gray who can hold the ball up for Dudfield. It is harsh on Eastwood not to be given a start but with Dudfield playing so well it is hard for him to begin the game as he does not play particularly well with Dudfield.

Northampton Town’s manager Colin Calderwood is set to name the same side as he sent out for the goalless draw with Notts County in midweek. This will come despite the fact that he told the official website those nobody’s places is guaranteed in the side.

The former Tottenham Hotspur centre-half, faces his main selection problems in the Northampton Town attack. Whilst former Colchester United striker Scott McGleish and Eric Sabin are set to start the game new arrivals Danny Crow and Stuart Noble will be pushing them hard for their place. Crow has recently joined from Norwich where as Noble is on loan from Fulham having returned from a loan spell at Torquay earlier in the season. The starting strike paring for Northampton are likely to get some stick from Southend supporters, with McGleish being a ‘Col Ewe reject’ and Sabin having a reputation of diving in games involving Southend. He has successfully won two penalties in the last two league meetings between the two clubs. Sabin did however play for Queens Park Rangers when Southend beat the Hoops by four goals to nil.

The midfield is set to stay the same for Northampton with the right sided Lee Williamson set to make his third appearance against Southend this season having been involved in both the occasions the Shrimpers have inflicted defeat on their League 2 rivals. Scottish born midfielder David Rowson and former Sunderland striker Martin Smith who has been converted into a midfield player will partner each other in the centre of midfield in what is set to be an interesting battle with Mark Bentley and Kevin Maher. Loaned from Millwall, Charlie Hearn who was named, in 2000, as one of the Sun’s most promising sportsmen of the new Millennium will play of the left side of the midfield.

The defensive five will also stay the same for Northampton unless Ashley Westwood passes his fitness test in time to play in one of the central defensive positions. However it is expected that Westwood will start on the bench after the back four kept a clean sheet in midweek. Christopher Willmot, Tommy Jaszczun, Luke Chambers and Fred Murray will make up the back four with Lee Harper between the sticks having kept seven clean sheets this season.