Mark Gower netted a superb strike when the sides met in the LDV

Martin had once again been expected to have made an announcement before tomorrow’s three o’clock kick-off, but despite increasing speculation over the possibility of former Chesterfield and Bradford City boss Nicky Law taking over the reigns, no appointment has been made yet, and it seems that the duo of ex-Shrimpers, Steve Tilson and Paul Brush, will be in charge for their sixth match, and the fourth at home.

As yet the pair hold a 100% record at Roots Hall, with wins over Rochdale (4-0) in Division Three, Lincoln City (3-0) in the F.A. Cup and Luton Town (3-0) in the LDV Vans Trophy at the home of football in southeast Essex. They then overturned an unsteady period away with an extraordinary 3-2 triumph over Swansea City at the Vetch Field last Saturday, Blues’ first Third Division victory away from the Hall in over a month being all the more incredible since they completed the match (and scored the vital third goal) with only eight men on the pitch and Brush sent to the stands.

Hopefully disciplinary problems will not beset United tomorrow, with any bans picked up against the Pirates meaning that the offending Shrimpers will join Dave McSweeney in missing the F.A. Cup third round clash against Scarborough on January 3^rd. Mark Gower, Jay Smith and Tesfaye Bramble will all sit out the encounter with table-topping Oxford United on December 28^th at Roots Hall, with Brush in the directors box as well. However, tomorrow afternoon, Steve Tilson is clear of suspensions, meaning a strong squad to select from.

Carl Emberson once again showed that he is more than capable of taking up the goalkeepers’ gloves from Darryl Flahavan after an inspirational spell of saves in the Essex Senior Cup that would have graced any competition in the world. Flahavan though has also been in fine form in recent weeks, with three clean sheets in five games, and former Blackburn Rovers shotstopper Ryan Robinson cannot get near to the first-team squad.

Jamie Stuart has returned to training, but he will not be ready to face Rovers tomorrow. He has been out of action for two months, and will require a further fortnight on the sidelines before coming back into the fray. As a result, Che Wilson and Neil Jenkins, who was an influential substitute against the Swans, will battle it out for the left-back position. McSweeney is likely to continue on the right, despite his misdemeanour last weekend meaning that this is his penultimate match before a four-game ban.

In the middle, Lewis Hunt will hope to continue the form that saw him hack two goalline clearances away against City alongside a rejuvenated Leon Cort. The pair have been in decent touch lately, and have meant that Mark Warren has been relegated to the reserves and the substitutes’ bench, although was in fine fettle on Tuesday evening, sharing a joke with the crowd at the Rush Green Bowl and antagonising the opposition. It was he, of course, who stabbed home from twenty yards six days ago to send the Blues’ travelling support into delirium.

Jamie Fullarton was another to return to Boots & Laces this week, but he will not be considered for the visit of Rovers. The ex-Brentford and Crystal Palace man is expected to be ready around the time of the Oxford match, something that will be vitally important with both Smith and Gower out of the picture. Former Aston Villa midfielder Smith is likely to start alongside club captain Kevin Maher again tomorrow, whilst Gower will be hoping to recreate his wonder goal in the LDV Vans Trophy tie between the two teams. Michael Kightly should start again on the right, having been unfortunately sacrificed last weekend.

Up front, it should be the tried and tested partnership of Tesfaye Bramble and Leon Constantine, who have now netted seventeen goals between them this term. Constantine has managed strikes on both of his last two outings, whilst Bramble has three in three under Tilson and Brush at home. Drewe Broughton and Michael Husbands, who set up two of the goals in midweek, are likely to undertake bench-warming duties again with James Corbett out until the New Year.

Pirates manager Ray Graydon has only just been able to gather together sixteen players for the trip to Essex tomorrow. The former Walsall gaffer revealed today that ex-Shrimper Andy Rammell is not fit to travel, and joins Paul Tait and another former Blues star Lee Hodges on the sidelines with a knee injury. Transfer-listed striker Dave Gilroy has been called up, along with youngsters Shane Hobbs and Neil Arndale, with the rest of the youth team put on standby for the journey.

The last meeting between the two sides occurred in October, when the Seasiders won through in silver goal extra time in the first round on the LDV Vans Trophy. Back then the Pirates were riding high in a Third Division play-off place, but since then results have tailed off, and the side now find themselves in the bottom half of the table, just six points ahead of Blues. Very rarely do the Bristolians win in Southend, with the last victory coming way back in 1983/4. Let’s hope that run continues.

TEAM DETAILS

Likely Squads

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Keith Hill (Hertfordshire)

Assistant Referees: John Hayto (Essex), Mark John (Surrey)

Keith Hill. The name rolls off the tongue as freely as Colchester United or Canvey Island amongst Southend United fans’ most hated people. The man affectionately known as ‘Flipper’ due to his disability. Normally a man with such a problem would be looked upon with respect and sympathy – but not Hill. No, this referee is ridiculed and berated as he moves from one incompetent decision to another shambolic one. The buffoon from Royston has so far managed to get through this season without showing a red card, cautioning 43 in sixteen matches. Last season both of his matches involving Blues passed relatively quietly – five bookings as the Shrimpers beat Boston and lost to Hartlepool. Unfortunately we still had to live with the nightmare decisions he made throughout the opening day match against Darlington the year before, and memories of the F.A. Cup defeat to Kingstonian seven months earlier when he became the K’s twelfth man. Ah, Keith Hill!

TEAM FORM

Last Matches

Saturday 13^th December 2003 – Nationwide League Division Three @ the Vetch Field

Swansea City 2 (James Thomas 14, 90+5) Southend United 3 (Leon Constantine 17, Mark Gower 45+1, Mark Warren 90+2) [attendance: 5,439]. Southend United line-up (4-4-2): Darryl Flahavan; Dave McSweeney, Lewis Hunt, Leon Cort, Che Wilson; Michael Kightly (Neil Jenkins 23), Kevin Maher, Jay Smith, Mark Gower; Leon Constantine (Mark Warren 89), Tesfaye Bramble (Drewe Broughton 67). Subs not used: Carl Emberson, Michael Husbands.

Saturday 13^th December 2003 – Nationwide League Division Three @ the Memorial Ground

Bristol Rovers 0 Yeovil Town 1 (Nick Crittenden 43) [attendance: 9,812]. Bristol Rovers line-up (4-4-2): Kevin Miller; Sonny Parker, Christian Edwards, Adam Barrett, Ijah Anderson; Wayne Carlisle, Dave Savage, Graham Hyde, Ryan Williams; Lewis Haldane (Andy Rammell 71), Junior Agogo. Subs not used: Ryan Clarke, Danny Boxall, Kevin Austin, Rob Quinn.

Last Five Matches

Southend United

W3-2 (away; Swansea City; League Division Three; Leon Constantine, Mark Gower, Mark Warren)

W3-0 (home; Luton Town; LDV Vans Trophy; Leon Constantine, Michael Kightly, Drewe Broughton)

W3-0 (home; Lincoln City; F.A. Cup; Tesfaye Bramble, Mark Gower, James Corbett)

L0-3 (away; Torquay United; League Division Three)

W4-0 (home; Rochdale; League Division Three; Tesfaye Bramble 2, James Corbett [pen], Leon Constantine)

Bristol Rovers

L0-1 (home; Yeovil Town; League Division Three)

W2-1 (home; Hull City; League Division Three; Ryan Williams, Junior Agogo)

L1-3 (away; Lincoln City; League Division Three; Wayne Carlisle)

L1-2 (home; Bury; League Division Three; Lewis Haldane)

L0-1 (away; AFC Bournemouth; F.A. Cup)

Southend United home form

W3-0 (LDV Vans Trophy; Luton Town; Leon Constantine, Michael Kightly, Drewe Broughton)

W3-0 (F.A. Cup; Lincoln City; Tesfaye Bramble, Mark Gower, James Corbett)

W4-0 (League Division Three; Rochdale; Tesfaye Bramble 2, James Corbett [pen], Leon Constantine)

D1-1 (F.A. Cup; Canvey Island; Mark Gower)

L0-1 (League Division Three; Northampton Town)

Bristol Rovers away form

L1-3 (League Division Three; Lincoln City; Wayne Carlisle)

L0-1 (F.A. Cup; AFC Bournemouth)

D0-0 (League Division Three; Swansea City)

D0-0 (League Division Three; Oxford United)

L1-2 [aet] (LDV Vans Trophy; Southend United; Lewis Haldane)

2003/4 SEASON

Southend United

Nationwide League Division Three (overall [home])

Played: 21 [10]

Won: 6 [3]

Drawn: 3 [1]

Lost: 12 [6]

Scored: 21 [11]

Conceded: 35 [14]

Goal Difference: -14 [-3]

Points: 21 [10]

Position: 22^nd [21^st]

F.A. Cup

First Round: beat Canvey Island (away) 3-2 in replay after 1-1 draw at home

Second Round: beat Lincoln City (home) 3-0

Third Round: vs. Scarborough (home) on Saturday 3^rd January 2004

Carling Cup

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

LDV Vans Trophy

First Round: beat Bristol Rovers (home) 2-1 after silver goal extra time

Second Round: beat Swansea City (away) 2-1

Southern Section Quarter-Final: beat Luton Town (home) 3-0

Southern Section Semi-Final: vs. Queens Park Rangers (home) on Tuesday 20^th January 2004

Bristol Rovers

Nationwide League Division Three (overall [away])

Played: 21 [10]

Won: 7 [3]

Drawn: 5 [2]

Lost: 9 [5]

Scored: 25 [13]

Conceded: 27 [15]

Goal Difference: -2 [-2]

Points: 26 [11]

Position: 13^th [14^th]

F.A. Cup

First Round: lost to AFC Bournemouth (away) 0-1

Carling Cup

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

LDV Vans Trophy

First Round: lost to Southend United (home) 1-2 after silver goal extra time

THE HISTORY

Last Match

Last Five Meetings

14^th October 2003 – Southend United 2 (Leon Constantine 39, Mark Gower 110) Bristol Rovers 1 (Lewis Haldane 36) – LDV Vans Trophy first round

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

The Complete Head-to-Head Record

2003/4 – H2-1 (LDV Vans Trophy)

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 (89 matches)
Southend United 40
Bristol Rovers 30
Draws 19

At Roots Hall (44 matches)
Southend United 29

Bristol Rovers 4
Draws 11

In the League (84 matches)

Southend United 36

Bristol Rovers 30

Draws 18

Robert Craven

www.thelittlegazette.com