Southend United vs. Hull City – Preview

Recent results at home to the Tigers have been very good, and as such the thirteenth-placed Shrimpers, who can conceivably only move up one place this evening with their one game in hand, can be confident of emerging from this evening’s encounter with all three points. An unbeaten record of nine games at the home of football in Essex only adds to that.

Last year Blues ran out 3-0 winners over a Tigers side that capitulated under constant pressure from Tesfaye Bramble and Mark Rawle up front. Jay Smith netted twice as well as the now-departed Oxford United forward, including once from the penalty spot after Bramble was sent off for an altercation with Damien Delaney. That dismissal put paid to any hopes of scoring more goals in the second period, but it also ended any hopes for the visitors of reaching the play-offs.

It was the second year in succession that City had returned to Humberside with their tails between their legs, and it was a disappointing for once-again returning ex-Shrimper Peter Taylor as their manager. Taylor was is home-grown lad (born in Rochford), who still retains an immense respect and affinity with his first club, despite going on to collect England caps and manage the national side’s highly-successful Under-21 team.

United supporters will not begrudge Taylor’s men winning promotion to Nationwide League Division Two come the end of the campaign, but they would rather that it did not happen tonight, when a Hull win would see them all but promoted, being nine points clear of Torquay United and with a highly-superior goal difference.

Indeed, a repeat of the Easter Monday extravaganza would be high reward for the 750-or-so fans who turned up at Northampton Town’s Sixfields Stadium on Saturday, and the expected masses, which should top five-and-a-half thousand again, tonight. The Tigers are expected to bring in excess of one-and-a-half thousand supporters as they seek to reach what for them is a long-awaited promised land.

For Southend chief Steve Tilson, tonight will be the first occasion on which he has faced former gaffer Taylor as a manager. Between 1993 and 1995 the 37-year-old played under former Leicester City boss Taylor, and that has led to a great deal of acquiescence: “I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for Peter and what he has achieved there, but we are aiming to build on Saturday’s excellent performance at Northampton”, the Wickford-born Shrimpers legend is quoted on the official Hull City website, www.hullcityafc.co.uk.

And that would, of course, mean spoiling Taylor’s party, “We don’t want to be the club where Hull come to and win promotion”, he promised. If the Seasiders continue in the same vein as they did against the Cobblers, then there should be few problems: “All of them showed great team spirit and worked really hard for each other. It was a point gained as far as I am concerned and it is up to us now to push on and get as many points as we can in the run-up to the end of the season.”

Indeed, a victory for Southend would finally end any lingering doubts over relegation, with 55 points making it impossible (save for York winning all four of their remaining games by a large margin) for United to be surpassed, and it would also carry the Essex side into the top half of the table again, out of tenth position only by virtue of an inferior goal difference.

The 3-2 win over Darlington just eight days ago signified the fighting spirit in the camp, having trailed by two goals at the break. And that is something that Kevin Maher has earmarked as important in an interview with the Southend Evening Echo: “We’ve came away from Northampton – who are flying right now – and we’re diappointed to get just a point. Earlier on in the season that would have been unthinkable, but it just shows how much we’ve improved and how much progress we’ve been making”.

The Shrimpers could have been even higher in the table had it not been for a succession of late goals – the latest of which came on the road three days ago – conceded in the final ten minutes of matches. Maher commented, “Northampton scored late on and we’ve let in a few goals in the final few minutes lately. It happened at Bury and Lincoln as well and maybe it’s down to a lack in concentration”.

That lack of concentration will have to be eradicated this evening as Tilson and Brush select from an ever-dwindling number of players who are fit to participate. The past seven days have seen a number of talents fall by the wayside, and incredibly they have all been the victims of ankle knocks.

Drewe Broughton was first to fall, in training last Wednesday, and as he embarks on a period of rehabiliation work, getting movement back into the joint, he will be unavailable this evening. Defender Mark Warren joined him on the treatment table in the build-up to the fixture at Northampton, and he is also likely to miss the home tie with Yeovil Town as well as this evening’s game. And 35 minutes into the Cobblers’ game Tesfaye Bramble joined the pair on the sidelines for a week.

All of which means that Tilson and Brush have a striking selection headache ahead of the game. 24-goal top scorer Leon Constantine is a certainty as he chases the two goals he requires to surpass Scunthorpe United man Steven MacLean at the top of the overall Division Three charts. Constantine added to his tally with his fifth penalty from six attempts against Northampton at the weekend.

Alongside him, former £210,000 Hull City signing Lawrie Dudfield could make his first start since the 2-2 draw with Lincoln City with Bramble, Broughton and Jimmy Corbett, who is still recovering from a groin strain, all out. Dudfield has fully recovered from a viral infection, but may not be able to complete a full ninety minutes. That could have Michael Husbands, out of the side since August to all intents and purposes, a chance to get back into the team.

Midfield is another problem with Carl Pettefer, Jay Smith and Leke Odunsi all sitting out the remainder of the 2003/4 campaign. Club captain Kevin Maher makes his first home start since the 4-2 win over Scunthorpe United as he plays his second match since coming back from suspension, but with the series of injuries, Tilson is unlikely to make many changes from the team that ended the fixture at the weekend.

That would mean that Neil Jenkins could be handed a starting berth on the left wing, with Mark Gower possibly undergoing surgery shortly on a troublesome knee injury. That would mean retaining Mark Bentley on the right-hand side of midfield, in an unaccustomned position, similar to Lewis Hunt, who would partner Maher in the middle.

At the back, it is likely to be as you were. Dave McSweeney has not been recalled from his loan spell at Welling United, thereby Jamie Stuart could start again in the middle of defence. Another switch could see the left-sided defender play in that position, with Hunt at the back alongside Leon Cort and Arsenal loanee Nicky Nicolau transferring to the left flank.

Two players highly unlikely to be mopved around or, for that matter, dropped, are Duncan Jupp at right-back and Darryl Flahavan in goal. Ryan Robinson may be handed a spot on the substitutes’ bench, whilst Che Wilson would be the only logical replacement for Jupp at right-back. Steven Clark completes the options for the matchday squad.

The Humberside outfit will only see defender Justin Whittle absent from their ranks as they name an almost full-strength squad for the trip southwards. The Tigers contain a huge number of quality strikers, with Stuart Elliott, Ben Burgess, Danny Allsopp and Jon Walters are likely to be named in an around the starting line-up.

In goal should be Aston Villa shotstopper Boaz Myhill, whilst the likes of Alton Thelwell (formerly of Tottenham Hotspur) and cultured left-footer Andy Dawson (who bagged a fine free-kick in the 3-2 City win at the Kingston Communications Stadium in September) amongst their number in defence. Hull drew 1-1 at the weekend with Macclesfield Town as they get jittery in the run-in to their expected promotion party.

TEAM DETAILS

Likely Squads

Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com

**We at TLG apologise for the lack of statistical information in the build-up to this match; rest assured it will return for the first ever League visit of Yeovil Town to Roots Hall this coming Saturday**