Symmetry is a recurrence in football, and the fixture compilers must have had a laugh when Colchester United were pulled out of the hat for the first round of the LDV Vans Trophy and Southend United followed them into the tray. For, just seven months ago, the southern area final of the very same competition pitted the Essex rivals against each other, and who should fall in between the away and subsequent home legs, but Kidderminster Harriers.
Now, as a much less important clash in the opening stage of that trophy awaits in some five days time for the chance for the U’s to inflict some kind of revenge on the Shrimpers – though with a much less rewarding encounter in round two than Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium – Kiddie wait again in what is yet another key Southend fixture.
This time around, local pride is all that is genuinely at stake as Colchester hosts the Seasiders from down the A12, and a repeat of the 1-1 scoreline that followed the Harriers match last year would see the two sides locked in an extra-time battle and possible penalty shoot-out. Much more important is that Blues recapture the form that saw them comfortably defeat their visitors tomorrow by three goals to nil.
One man desperate to claw his way back into the Roots Hall reckoning is Drewe Broughton, the hero of that 4-3 aggregate win over Colchester with goals in both legs, and a red card in the clash at Layer Road. Broughton could be termed an LDV specialist with five of his eight career goals for United having come in that competition, but for the mean time he is concentrating on trying to get a substantial run in the side against his former employers.
The Hitchin-born forward scored 23 goals in 103 games for the Worcestershire outfit before moving to southeast Essex in June 2003, but has yet to find the net in eight appearances for the first-team this year, and has drawn blanks in his three reserve team matches (including Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat to Hornchurch in a behind-closed-doors friendly) to date.
Broughton said to the Southend Evening Echo ahead of this weekend’s meeting, “It’s up to the gaffer what role I play but it would be nice to start against my former side I must admit”. The honest front-runner added frankly, “It’s obviously been frustrating for me but I have to hold my hands up and say my first three or four games of this season were well below the standards I set myself from Christmas onwards last year”.
The ex-Norwich City and Peterborough United talent had only netted two goals – in the Carling Cup against Swindon Town and the LDV at home to Luton Town – at the turn of the year, but recovered to hit half-a-dozen in sixteen games after finally breaking his League duck at Whaddon Road in a 1-1 draw with Cheltenham Town. Remembering his spell at Aggborough, Broughton reminisced, “I had a great time there. It helped me build up my reputation and I always had a good relationship with the fans”.
However, Broughton will be relying on Tesfaye Bramble not recovering from a slight bank niggle he picked up at Notts County in the 2-1 win over the Magpies, in which he was replaced just before the hour mark by Wayne Gray. Former Chelmsford City starlet Bramble is rated as good to retain his place in the starting line-up alongside Lawrie Dudfield, whose effort last season against Harriers got a massive deflection from the boot of Craig Hinton.
Both Dudfield, who has carved a niche as Southend’s premier forward after bagging a brace against Rushden & Diamonds three weeks ago, and Bramble should start if fit, but behind them Wayne Gray managed to get himself off of the mark for the second-string in that narrow defeat to the Urchins. The former Wimbledon player missed, like his strike partner, a couple of guilt-edged chances at Meadow Lane, but Paul Brush has insisted that a couple of goals with boost the former England sprinter’s confidence.
On the injury front, goalkeeper Bart Griemink still expects to be sidelined for a month before winning his place back in the Shrimpers squad. The 32-year-old spoke to the Echo, explaining, “Things are going well. I’m off the crutches, I can walk and bend the knee too now and it is feeling much better”.
The Dutchman, who was injured in the 4-1 win over the Diamonds, is set to have a scan on his sprained right knee in a fortnight, and providing that the fluid has cleared from the area, he should be passed fit to resume training, with a view to a return to first-team action two weeks after that. “Fingers crossed, it won’t be too long until I’m back”.
Darryl Flahavan has been relishing the opportunity to deputise for the former Swindon Town shotstopper, and the custodian is again unlikely to have any back-up on the bench. Southend United expect to clarify the goalkeeping situation on Blues TV before tomorrow’s game, but with Nick Morgan having the gloves for the reserves in midweek, it appears that Tilson and Brush are hoping that Flahavan can stay clear of injury and will continue their policy of going into games substitute ‘keeper-less.
In defence, there are not expected to be any changes to the back four of Duncan Jupp, Adam Barrett, Spencer Prior and Che Wilson. Barrett continued his goalscoring spree with a brace against County seven days ago, whilst Prior has started to look as though he is recapturing the form that persuaded Tilson to offer his a return to Roots Hall.
Head coach Brush commented after the reserve team clash that the defence were the most impressive aspect of that performance, in which United were unfortunate to go down to an offside goal. “The back four were excellent. Nicky Nicolau was outstanding and overall it was a really good performance”. Wilson has been consistent at left-back and Jupp has recovered his trademark solidity on the right, so Nicolau and Stuart Williams seem set to miss out again. Andy Edwards will be back-up to Barrett and Prior.
In midfield, Jay Smith is another on the mend from injury, but he remains a month away from challenging Mark Bentley and Kevin Maher for the central midfield berths. Speaking to the club’s official website, www.southendunited.co.uk, physiotherapist John Stannard appraised, “We are picking up his fitness work and he will start running again this Wednesday so we need to prepare him as much as possible for that”.
Lewis Hunt will be the substitute midfielder after playing in defence on Wednesday morning, but former Aston Villa terrier Smith should be around four weeks from making his own comeback in the reserve team. Stannard continued, “The fact that Jay managed to do his pre-season training will help the situation a lot”.
In the wide positions, Tilson and Brush again will stick with the men that have served them so well of late. Carl Pettefer was man-of-the-match in the last game at Roots Hall, despite Wycombe winning 2-1, and he will continue on the right-hand side. On the left flank, Mark Gower is the main man, having started to show glimpses of the form that made him the Players’ Player of the Year 2003/4.
One man that almost certainly will not be involved in the matchday squad is Michael Husbands after his public slating of Tilson in the Evening Echo earlier this week. The ex-Hereford United loanee was ostracised from the reserves in midweek, and instead James Corbett and Michael Kightly are the men who will vie for the right to sit on the subs’ bench tomorrow.
Kidderminster Harriers have managed to secure the services of Portsmouth defender Shaun Cooper ahead of tomorrow’s match. The 20-year-old was signed this morning, some three hours before the deadline, and the young right-back could be in line to make his debut against Blues, having previously played for Leyton Orient in a similar temporary capacity.
Rueben Hazell has still yet to play a game for Harriers after signing for the Worcestershire club in the summer from League One Torquay United, and Lee Jenkins and Chris McHale have been boss Jan Molby’s preferred choices to cover, but now the added quality of Cooper could see Jenkins slip to the bench. Molby himself committed to a new deal taking him to the end of the current campaign as Kiddie gaffer.
Another factor in Jenkins’ projected demotion is the medial ligament damage that he sustained in the 3-0 defeat to Swansea City a fortnight ago. Former Hull City man Dean Keates remains a doubt, whilst Micky Mellon continues to tussle with an Achilles heel problem. Iyseden Christie, Abdou Sall and Youssou Diop are also coming back from knocks.
Harriers are attempting to gain consecutive wins for the first time this season, lying 23rd after a torrid run of five successive losses in League Two. However, Richie Appelby’s penalty kick earned them a 1-0 win at home to Macclesfield Town seven days ago, and manager Molby will be keen to continue that hard work as they make the trip to the seaside.
LIKELY SQUADS
Southend United | Kidderminster Harriers | |
4-4-2 Darryl Flahavan Duncan Jupp Che Wilson Spencer Prior Adam Barrett Carl Pettefer Kevin Maher Mark Bentley Mark Gower Tesfaye Bramble Lawrie Dudfield --- Lewis Hunt Andy Edwards Drewe Broughton Wayne Gray James Corbett --- Michael Husbands Michael Kightly Stuart Williams | Starting Line-Ups GK DR DL DC DC MR MC MC ML FC FC Substitutes 1 2 3 4 5 Also Available * * * | 4-4-2 John Danby Shaun Cooper Steve Burton Wayne Hatswell Abdou Sall Richie Appelby Steve McMahon Dean Keates Kelvin Langmead Youssou Diop Ian Foster --- Daniel Lewis Lee Jenkins Iyseden Christie Jesper Christiansen Simon Brown --- Chris McHale |
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Grant Hegley (Hertfordshire)
Assistant Referees: Mr. R. Beevor and Mr. I. Bentley
Fourth Official: Mr. M. Bull
**For the full low-down on tomorrow’s match officials, purchase the official matchday programme ‘The Blues’ for TLG’s refereeing column**
Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com