Whilst the Shrimpers are battling for an automatic promotion spot, Cambridge are also battling - to stay in the league. The U's will be looking out for Kidderminster and Rushden's results, hoping that they can gain some vital points in order to climb off of the bottom of the table and rise out of the relegation zone. Avoiding relegation is vital for Cambridge as they are in a terrible financial situation and dropping into the conference could mean that the club may exist for much longer. Southend on the other hand will be hoping to grab all three points and hope that Yeovil, Scunthorpe, Macclesfield and Swansea can all drop points to boost the chances of automatic promotion.
The two sides last met towards the end of August at the start of this season and a crowd of just under 4,000 witnessed a boring 0-0 draw. The draw took Southend into the relegation zone, sitting in 23rd position without a win all season but Cambridge weren't doing much better - the draw taking them three places higher than the Shrimpers.
On current form, Southend are the best side in the league having won three and drawn three from their last six matches. The Blues have also got the same record from their last six home matches, scoring eight goals and conceding just three. Away from home the form is still all good for Southend, and yet again from six matches there have been three victories and three stalemates. Cambridge have been doing superbly well of late considering their league position, having lost just once from their last six, with three other matches ending in a win for the Abbey Stadium outfit. At home Cambridge have had mixed fortunes - winning three and losing two from their last six matches.
In meetings between the two sides, Southend are by far the stronger having recorded fourteen wins from the total 29 mathces contested between the two sides. At the Abbey Stadium, the Shrimpers have won seven times from thirteen meetings with the U's only winning four times. At Roots Hall there is not much of a change, with the Blues again winning seven times whilst Cambridge have won three games from the total of sixteen.
Shane Tudor is the only player that Cambridge currently possess that has scored more than two goals and is not injured. Tudor has started 24 games, coming off of the substitutes bench three times and has scored seven goals - and he isn't even a striker. The 5ft 7inchs tall midfielder has played 145 times for Cambridge in four years having joined the club from his home town team Wolves, having only played once for the Midlands based club. Iwan Roberts has recently been drafted in on loan from Gillingham due to a lack of strikers at the club and is most famous for his goalscoring days at Norwich as well as his nine caps for the Wales national side. When he was with Norwich, who he left at the end of last season, he played 212 games and scored 48 goals, and so far for Cambridge he has linked up with current loanee from the Blues Tes Bramble to score two goals in four games.
|
Possible Teams:
Cambridge United:
Ruddy, Newey, Tann, Duncan, Gleeson, Nicholls, Walker, Somner, Tudor, Toner Roberts. Subs: Latte-Yedo, Quinton, Blakcburn, Davies, FullerSouthend United:
Flahavan, Jupp, Prior, Barrett, Wilson, Bentley, Maher, McCormack, Pettefer, Eastwood, Gray. Subs: Nicolau, Holloway, Pettefer, Gower, Dudfield.Referee:
Richard Beeby (Northamptonshire)