Last season the Shrimpers managed to reach the semi-final stage, but without the inclusion of Colchester United, who again failed to register a side, the county’s only Football League representative will be unhappy not to have gone one stage further and appeared at their home ground for the first time in the competition in the final. As it was, it was left to Blues’ conquerors,
The Seasiders usually field a reserve side in the Essex Senior Cup, and in many ways it is considered a second-rate competition. However, we at The Little Gazette certainly don’t think that to be true, and neither will the club’s coaching staff of Steve Wignall and Steve Tilson. They will be hoping to overcome the challenge tonight of Ford United, who progressed to the first round proper of the F.A. Cup at the weekend for only the second time in their history after beating Cambridge City by three goals to two in East Anglia.
Southend manager Wignall is set to name a very strong looking side, especially considering that Jamie Fullarton and Leke Odunsi are both out injured, and most of the rest of the side have been playing regularly for the first team. Between the sticks, Carl Emberson makes a welcome first return to the side since sustaining a calf injury in the September 6th Third Division encounter with Oxford United. With Ryan Robinson out on loan at
In front of him should be a back four almost exclusively made up of youth-teamers. With Mark Warren still looking doubtful following scans last week, Under-19s captain Jamie Gray looks set to be partnered by Ben Price at the back, unless Che Wilson is employed there. Stuart Williams, who has first-team squad experience, and Kurt Husnu are favourites to fill the full-back positions.
Elsewhere in the side there is a decent amount of experience. In midfield, Jimmy Corbett will return to the wide positions, interchanging with 17-year-old wonderkid Michael Kightly on the opposite flank. In the middle,
Up front, the partnership that started 2003/4 in the first team will both be ulitised. Michael Husbands had been suffering with a medial ligament problem, but in a couple of brief first-team sub appearances appears to have recovered, and he will start the match in a striking role. Drewe Broughton, who has managed just oen goal in sixteen first team games, will look to find some form alongside him, with the likes of Steven Bourne on the bench.
Ford will incluse a number of ex-Shrimpers in their side, including the Perkins’ Declan and Chris, Jamie Lunan and manager Criag Edwards’ son, also named Craig. Loan signing from
Southend United (probable; 4-4-2): Carl Emberson; Stuart Williams, Jamie Gray, Ben Price, Kurt Husnu; Michael Kightly, Che Wilson, Anthony Clark, James Corbett; Michael Husbands, Drewe Broughton. Subs (from): Nick Morgan (GK), Phil Anderson, Luke Moore, Dave Bryan, James Lawson, Steven Bourne, Joe Ilett.
Robert Craven
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