With Freddy Eastwood suspended for a further two matches and Wayne Gray doubtful for Sunday afternoon’s clash with Oldham Athletic having been injured in the 3-1 derby day win over Colchester United, Bermudan international Shaun Goater and untried James Lawson are the only two forwards fully fit and available for the weekend fixture.
As a result, and with four front line strikers a pre-requisite for maintaining Coca-Cola League One status at the end of 2005/6, Tilson, who was supported by chairman Ron Martin, first tabled a bid for Neil Harris, the Rayleigh-born hit man, and then Junior Agogo, the latter just hours before the closure of the Football League window at five o’clock this afternoon.
Harris, the former Millwall forward, has been a long-term target for the Shrimpers since the summer, and had expressed a desire to join up with his hometown side after the Lions pre-season friendly against Blues in July 2004. According to the Southend Evening Echo, United made an attempt to bring the Nottingham Forest striker to southeast Essex before he joined League One rivals Gillingham on a season-long loan deal.
The Nottingham Forest player even got as far as to agree terms with the Seasiders, before the Reds’ boss, Gary Megson, blocked the move at the eleventh hour. He was not allowed to play in the 3-1 Priestfield defeat to Forest, but made his debut on Bank Holiday Monday, scoring his 100th League goal in a 1-1 draw at promotion favourites Brentford.
Agogo is another player who has been linked with Blues for a considerable period of time, not least when he caused Roots Hall hearts to flutter with a sensational LDV Vans Trophy strike in the 4-3 aggregate Southend win last season. Despite having rumours about an alleged rape on a schoolgirl quashed, Agogo would have carried baggage, but would doubtless have impressed, having scored goals for fun at Rovers and in the Nationwide Conference for Barnet.
Oxford United made a £125,000 bid for Agogo on Tuesday, and whilst that was turned away, the Echo reports that the Shrimpers offered just £75,000 up front, with a further £25,000 to follow. Ron Martin is quoted as stating that, “We made a bid for Junior and it was a substantial bid too.”
However, the United supremo added cryptically, “Maybe there will be more developments today, we will have to wait and see, but we are after two players, and Junior is not our number one target.” With no news yet on the club’s official website, it appears that a late deal has yet to be struck, and United’s 19-man squad will soldier on.
Another target, Darren Campbell, scored a goal for Reading reserves this afternoon in a Pontin’s Holidays Cup win over Millwall, but whether he is allowed to join the Shrimpers on loan until the end of the season will be decided by the Football League. They have to sanction any temporary deals between clubs after the transfer window closes.
Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com