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Ian Selley is still unfit with his foot problem whilst David McSweeney is of course a long term absentee. The squad that travels up to Nene Park is precisely the same one that travelled to Spotland and this means that youngster Anthony Clark is once again given a day out with the first teamers.
Damon Searle's 75th minute goal proved the difference between the two sides last season as United won at Rushden exactly a year ago this weekend, and back at Roots Hall on Boxing Day, in what were bitterly cold conditions Diamonds raced into a two goal half time lead thanks to Scott Partridge and Garry Butterworth strikes before Roots Hall warmed up in the second period as a Barrington Belgrave brace on his return to the side aswell as strikes from Leon Cort and Tes Bramble saw United clinch victory with four goals after half time, and of course these are the only two occasions that the two sides have met in competitive football, with Diamonds only winning promotion into the League in time for last season.
Whilst former Shrimper Ritchie Hanlon is a long term injury victim, Marcus Bignot is struggling to be fit for Brian Talbot's side who were defeated 3-1 by Cheltenham Town in last season's play-off final in Cardiff, but other than that we'll be seeing a full strength Diamonds tomorrow, with huge striker Onandi Lowe by far the biggest threat. Lowe joined the Nene Park side from the American Major League last season where he'd been plying his trade with Kansas City Wizards.
Diamonds crashed to a surprise 4-1 reverse at the Abbey Stadium last Saturday, former Queens Park Rangers favourite Stewart Wardley grabbing a consolation, before a confidance boosting 12-1 friendly victory against Newquay at Mount Pleasant in midweek.
Last Matches:-
Rochdale 1 (Griffiths 84) Southend United 2 (Rawle 36, Bramble 83), Line-up - Flahavan, Beard, Searle, Broad, Cort, Maher, Smith, Bramble, Jenkins, Jones (Thurgood 89), Rawle. Unused - Whelan, Steven Clark, Maye, Gay.
Cambridge United 4 (Youngs 21, 77, Riza 63, Kitson 90) Rushden & Diamonds 1 (Wardley 83), Line-up - Turley, Mustafa, Underwood, Hunter, Tillson, Burgess (Talbot 77), Gray (Wardley 64), Mills, Hall, Lowe, Darby (Partridge 64). Unused - Peters, Sollitt.
Previous Meetings:-
December 26th, 2001 - Southend United (0) 4 (Cort, Belgrave 2, Bramble) Rushden & Diamonds (2) 2 - Division Three
September 8th, 2001 - Rushden & Diamonds (0) 0 Southend United (0) 1 (Searle) - Division Three
SOUTHEND (from):- Darryl Flahavan, Daniel Gay, Mark Beard, Neil Jenkins, Damon Searle, Leon Cort, Stephen Broad, Phil Whelan, Kevin Maher, Jay Smith, Stuart Thurgood, Anthony Clark, Steven Clark, Danny Maye, Tesfaye Bramble, Graeme Jones, Mark Rawle, Barrington Belgrave.
Mark Wallis
www.thelittlegazette.com