Southend United vs. Bristol Rovers – Preview

Few Southend fans will ever forget Martin Carruthers’ miss at Griffin Park which arguably meant that Blues failed to reach the final of the competition three seasons ago. The striker may have netted numerous goals and been the Shrimpers last proven goalscorer, but many never forgive him, despite the fact that the result was eventually 4-2 on aggregate to Brentford; the Second Division outfit winning both evenly-contested legs by two goals to one.

Last season was an even less happy occasion as the Seasiders travelled to the County Ground in Swindon to tackle the Robins, falling to a crushing 6-1 defeat, with Graeme Jones the only scorer. And the year before a first round victory over Conference side Stevenage Borough was followed by a much less satisfactory home reverse at the hands of last season’s winners, Bristol City. This time around, Wignall, who led Colchester United a final against Carlisle United, will be hoping to guide his team through a tricky looking fixture against Bristol Rovers.

But as he aims to do so, he is hampered by a number of injury concerns which leave the squad looking extremely bare. Hardest hit has been the centre of defence, where both Leon Cort and Mark Warren, who had to be taken off limping with eleven minutes remaining of the triumph over Kidderminster Harriers three days ago, will miss out tonight. This leaves boss Wignall in a quandary – right-back Stuart Williams could make his senior debut with Duncan Jupp, who is also carrying a knock, on the left, and Dave McSweeney and Jamie Stuart, both certainties to start, in the middle. Another option would be to leave Jupp on the right and hand Neil Jenkins a first start of the season, but he may be required elsewhere.

For the midfield is also looking extremely threadbare. Wignall is likely to have to switch to a 4-4-2 formation rather than the 4-5-1 that has been employed, simply out of necessity. Leke Odunsi is a long-term victim, whilst Jay Smith, who has only just recovering from a substantial period out, took a tackle on Saturday, and will not be risked. That leaves Kevin Maher and Jamie Fullarton as the only two fit and experienced central midfielders, and means that either Neil Jenkins or teenage star Michael Kightly will be handed starts on the left-hand side. Mark Gower will play on the right.

Leon Constantine looks set for at least a withdrawn strikers’ role, with Tesfaye Bramble, who bagged the dramatic winner at Aggborough to give the Shrimpers a first away win in 16 attempts, recovering from a slight head injury to start alongside him. Drewe Broughton should be relegated to the bench, where he will join Michael Husbands and Che Wilson, both lacking match practice. Darryl Flahavan will continue in goal, with Ryan Robinson his deputy, with one of the aforementioned youngsters completing the set.

With the Pirates having just five wins in forty matches in southeast Essex, history favours the Shrimpers. Recent form is on a par as well, with Rovers having been thrashed twice in recent weeks, although they did deal out a 4-0 win over Darlington in Division Three last weekend. Andy Rammell netted a brace as a substitute, and he may be in line for a first start of the season alongside Lewis Haldane, who has scored two in two, once from the bench. Junior Agogo has just undergone surgery and misses out, but other than that, experienced manager Ray Graydon has a full squad to choose from.

Tonight’s match will be amongst the first ever to be deemed ‘silver goal’ should the scores be level after ninety minutes. Under the innovative new rules, first used in last season’s Champions League and UEFA Cup final stages, if a goal is scored without reply in the first half of extra time, then that side wins the tie. If the opposition net an equaliser before the turn-around, another full fifteen minutes is played before a penalty shoot-out. Should Blues prevail tonight, the draw for the Second Round of the regionalised competition will be made on Sky Sports’ Soccer AM on Saturday morning.

TEAM DETAILS

Likely Squads

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Phil Crossley (Kent)

Assistant Referees: Chris Francis (Cambridgeshire), Ian Gosling (Kent)

Crossley is in his second season as a Football League official, having been a Conference referee for two years before that, and has already taken charge of two cup ties this time around – Ipswich’s 1-0 win over Kidderminster in the Carling Cup first round and Bristol City’s similar triumph in the next round of the same competition. His last Shrimpers match was the 1-1 draw at the Abbey Stadium against Cambridge United on Boxing Day last season, when he did well not to send off Dave McSweeney. McSweeney and Kevin Maher were booked though, and he only boked one player as Blues beat Macclesfield 1-0 earlier in the 2002/3 campaign.

LDV VANS TROPHY FIVE-YEAR HISTORY

Southend United

2002/3

First Round – lost to Swindon Town (away) 1-6 [Jones 23]

2001/2

First Round – beat Stevenage Borough (away) 4-1 [Bramble 13, Rawle 22, Hutchings 26, Webb 86]

Second Round – lost to Bristol City (home) 0-2

2000/1

First Round – beat Cheltenham Town (home) 2-0 [Carruthers 8, Abbey 25]

Second Round – beat Cambridge United (home) 3-1 [Lee 25, Williamson 33, Lee 75]

Southern Quarter-Final – beat Bristol Rovers (home) 1-0 [Carruthers 41]

Southern Semi-Final – beat Swindon Town (home) 2-1 after golden goal extra time [Carruthers 57, Roget 110]

Southern Final first leg – lost to Brentford (home) 1-2 [Whelan 57]

Southern Final second leg – lost to Brentford (away) 1-2 [Searle 26] (agg: 2-4)

1999/2000

First Round – lost to Cheltenham Town (home) 0-1

1998/9

First Round – bye

Second Round – lost to Exeter City (away) 1-3 [Maher 87]

Bristol Rovers

2002/3

First Round – lost to Exeter City (away) 0-1

2001/2

First Round – bye

Second Round – beat Yeovil Town (home) 5-4 on penalties after 1-1 draw [Cameron 69 (pen)]

Southern Quarter-Final – beat Dagenham & Redbridge (home) 4-1 [Hogg 29, Ellington 30, 75, Quinn 85]

Southern Semi-Final – lost to Bristol City (away) 0-3

2000/1

First Round – beat Torquay United (away) 2-0 [Ellington 52, Evans 90]

Second Round – beat Plymouth Argyle (home) 3-0 [Astafjevs 8, 82, Evans 87 (pen)]

Southern Quarter-Final – lost to Southend United (away) 0-1

1999/2000

First Round – bye

Second Round – beat Northampton Town (away) 5-3 on penalties after 0-0 draw

Southern Quarter-Final – lost to Reading (home) 1-2 [Cureton 54 (pen)]

1998/9

First Round – lost to Walsall (away) 5-4 on penalties after 2-2 draw [Cureton 53, Shore 62]

TEAM FORM

Last Matches

Saturday 11^th October 2003 – Nationwide League Division Three @ Aggborough

Kidderminster Harriers 1 (JJ Melligan 84) Southend United 2 (Mark Warren 44, Tesfaye Bramble 90+3) [attendance: 2,429]. Southend United line-up (4-5-1): Darryl Flahavan; Duncan Jupp, Leon Cort, Mark Warren (Dave McSweeney 79), Jamie Stuart; Mark Gower, Jay Smith, Kevin Maher, Jamie Fullarton, Leon Constantine; Drewe Broughton (Tesfaye Bramble 89). Subs not used: Ryan Robinson, Michael Husbands, Neil Jenkins).

Saturday 11^th October 2003 – Nationwide League Division Three @ the Reynolds Arena

Darlington 0 Bristol Rovers 4 (Lewis Haldane 38, Dave Savage 64, Andy Rammell 77, 90) [attendance: 4,268]. Bristol Rovers line-up (4-4-2): Kevin Miller; Danny Boxall, Adam Barrett, Christian Edwards, Ijah Anderson; Rob Quinn, Dave Savage, Graham Hyde (Kevin Austin 78), Wayne Carlisle; Paul Tait (Andy Rammell 73), Lewis Haldane (Kevin Street 88). Subs not used: Anwar Uddin, Sonny Parker.

Last Five Matches

Southend United

W2-1 (away; Kidderminster Harriers; League Division Three; Mark Warren, Tesfaye Bramble)

L1-2 (home; Huddersfield Town; League Division Three; Leke Odunsi)

D0-0 (away; Darlington; League Division Three)

D1-1 (away; Scunthorpe United; League Division Three; Leon Constantine)

D2-2 (home; Carlisle United; League Division Three; Dave McSweeney, Leon Constantine)

Bristol Rovers

W4-0 (away; Darlington; League Division Three; Lewis Haldane, Dave Savage, Andy Rammell 2)

L1-5 (away; Doncaster Rovers; League Division Three; Lewis Haldane)

L1-3 (home; Mansfield Town; League Division Three; Paul Tait [pen])

W2-0 (home; Cheltenham Town; League Division Three; Paul Tait, Wayne Carlisle [pen])

L1-2 (away; York City; League Division Three; Junior Agogo)

Southend United home form

L1-2 (League Division Three; Huddersfield Town; Leke Odunsi)

D2-2 (League Division Three; Carlisle United; Dave McSweeney, Leon Constantine)

L0-2 (League Division Three; Lincoln City)

W1-0 (League Division Three; Bury; Leon Constantine)

L0-3 (League Division Three; Mansfield Town)

Bristol Rovers away form

W4-0 (League Division Three; Darlington; Lewis Haldane, Dave Savage, Andy Rammell 2)

L1-5 (League Division Three; Doncaster Rovers; Lewis Haldane)

L1-2 (League Division Three; York City; Junior Agogo)

L1-2 (League Division Three; Torquay United; Kevin Street)

L1-2 (League Division Three; Huddersfield Town; Paul Tait)

2003/4 SEASON

Southend United

Nationwide League Division Three (overall [home])

Played: 13 [6]

Won: 3 [2]

Drawn: 3 [1]

Lost: 7 [3]

Scored: 11 [6]

Conceded: 20 [9]

Goal Difference: -9 [-3]

Points: 12 [7]

Position: 22^nd [22^nd]

F.A. Cup

First Round: draw to be made on Saturday 25^th October 2003

Carling Cup

First Round: lost to Swindon Town (home) 2-3

LDV Vans Trophy

First Round: vs. Bristol Rovers (home) this evening

Bristol Rovers

Nationwide League Division Three (overall [away])

Played: 13 [7]

Won: 6 [3]

Drawn: 2 [0]

Lost: 5 [4]

Scored: 20 [12]

Conceded: 17 [12]

Goal Difference: +3 [0]

Points: 20 [9]

Position: 9^th [7^th]

F.A. Cup

First Round: draw to be made on Saturday 25^th October 2003

Carling Cup

First Round: lost to Brighton & Hove Albion (home) 0-1

LDV Vans Trophy

First Round: vs. Southend United (away) this evening

THE HISTORY

Last Match

Last Five Meetings

8^th February 2003 – Southend United 2 (Barrington Belgrave 36, Kevin Maher 76) Bristol Rovers 2 (Adam Barrett 51, Kevin Street 56) – League Division Three

9^th November 2002 - Bristol Rovers 0 Southend United 1 (Tesfaye Bramble 81) – League Division Three
26^th February 2002 - Southend United 2 (Tesfaye Bramble 45[pen], 57) Bristol Rovers 1 (Nathan Ellington 36) – League Division Three
18^th September 2001 - Bristol Rovers 2 (Mark Foran 40, Andy Thomson 90) Southend United 1 (Leon Johnson 29) - Division Three
15^th January 2001 - Southend United 1 (Martin Carruthers 41) Bristol Rovers 0 - LDV Vans Trophy Area Quarter-Final

The Complete Head-to-Head Record

2002/3 –H2-2 A1-0 (League)
2001/2 –H2-1, A1-2 (League)
2000/1 –H1-0 (LDV Vans Trophy)
1997/8 – H1-1, A0-2 (League)
1992/3 – H3-0, A2-0 (League)
1991/2 – H2-0, A1-4 (League)
1988/9 – H2-2, A1-1 (League)
1987/8 – H4-2, A0-0 (League)
1983/4 – H1-2, A1-2 (League)
1982/3 – H1-0, A2-2 (League)
1981/2 – H1-0, A1-2 (League)
1973/4 – H0-0, A0-4 (League)
1972/3 – H0-0, A2-1 (League)
1965/6 – H2-0, A1-3 (League)
1964/5 – H6-2, A2-2 (League)
1963/4 – H3-4, A1-3 (League)
1962/3 – H3-2, A2-1 (League)
1952/3 – H2-1, A1-2 (League)
1951/2 – H2-1, A0-2 (League), H2-1 (F.A. Cup)
1950/1 – H1-1, A1-4 (League_
1949/50 – H3-1, A1-1 (League)
1948/9 – H0-0, A0-1 (League)
1947/8 – H1-0, A2-1 (League)
1946/7 – H2-3, A3-1 (League)
1938/9 – H3-2, A1-4 (League)
1937/8 – H1-1, A1-2 (League)
1936/7 – H2-3, H2-1 (League)
1935/6 – H1-1, A2-3 (League)
1934/5 – H5-1, A1-2 (League)
1933/4 – H2-2, A1-3 (League)
1932/3 – H2-2, A1-3 (League)
1931/2 – H4-1, A0-0 (League)
1930/1 – H4-0, A3-2 (League)
1929/30 – H6-0, A2-4 (League)
1928/9 – H1-0, A1-4 (League)
1927/8 – H2-1, A3-1 (League)
1926/7 – H2-1, A1-5 (League)
1925/6 – H3-1, A0-2 (League)
1924/5 – H2-1, A3-1 (League)
1923/4 – H1-0, A1-3 (League)
1922/3 – H0-0, A0-2 (League)
1921/2 – H3-0, A0-1 (League)
1920/1 – H1-0, A1-2 (League)
1914/5 – H3-0, A0-0 (F.A. Cup)

Summary

Overall (88 matches)
Southend United 39
Bristol Rovers 30
Draws 19

At Roots Hall (43 matches)
Southend United 28
Bristol Rovers 4
Draws 11

In the LDV Vans Trophy (1 match)

Southend United 1

Bristol Rovers 0

Draws 0

Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com