Southend United vs Port Vale - Preview

A new season always brings new optimism but there is real feeling at Roots Hall that the optimism from the back end of last season will just roll over into this. With the exception of losing Nicky Nicolau, Tes Bramble and Lawrie Dudfield and gaining Mitchell Cole and Shaun Goater the squad is the same as the one that managed promotion at the Millennium Stadium.

Whilst the season looks as if it could be a real corker for Southend fans with the Blues already appearing live on SKY Sports on two occasions, there will be others who think that it could be a real struggle for the Seasiders. The club’s preseason advertising campaign claimed that it was ‘More Fun in Coca Cola League One’ although I am sure there will be a few cold winter afternoons when the Southend faithful will be questioning this! However few can forget the last competitive game that Southend played in and it is because of that dramatic afternoon in late May that the Shrimpers now compete in League One.

I put this one in to bring a smile to your face!

The midfield will have proven a real headache for Tilly and Brush as there are so many different combinations of players. Gower, Bentley, Pettefer and Maher are all recognised names whilst Guttridge and new signing Cole have forced there way into the frame with good preseason performances. Although Bentley and Maher will almost certainly begin the game in the middle of midfield Gower and Pettefer may have to give way in the wide areas. If Pettefer is dropped it will be very harsh due to the fact that he did not miss a game all last season. There will be even more competition in a few weeks time when tenacious midfielder Jay Smith completes his return from injury.

Feed the Gray and he will score?

Meanwhile the opposition, Port Vale seem to have no such competition in the forward line where number nine and number ten will line up for the beginning of a new campaign. Whilst former Wrexham striker, Hector Sam, who incidentally missed out on last years LDV Vans Final sits on the bench it appears as if two strikers from last years squad will take the field. Experienced journeyman Nathan Lowndes will partner Billy Paynter who has progressed through the Vale youth setup. Manager Martin Foyle still has striker Lee Matthews to return from injury.

Moving onto the midfield which appears to be the Vale’s strength. In the middle of the park they have two players with Premiership experience, Tony Dinning and Danny Sonner. Dinning played with Wolves where as Sonner played at Sheffield Wednesday in David Pleat’s flamboyant team. A player familiar with Port Vale fills the wide right position. Micky Cummins will now be in his seventh season with the Valiants since moving from Middlesborough in 2000. In this process he has racked up over 200 appearances where as his teammate, Mark Innes has made only 5. Innes made a move from Chesterfield in the latter part of last season and will play on the left side of midfield.

George Pilkington battles against Tranmere's Iain Hume last term

In between the sticks for Vale will be Mark Goodlad who has been the number one since 2001. His opposite number will of course be Darryl Flahavan who has fought of the pre-season competition from Bart Griemink. This is despite Flavs error at Grays Athletic in preseason.

The referee for the season opener will be Carl Boyeson. Boyeson has refereed Southend on two occasions in the past. Last season’s away match to Shrewsbury Town where the two sides drew one goal a piece as well as Southend’s away victory to Rochdale in 2002. Duncan Jupp got in Boyeson’s bad books against Shrewsbury whilst three players who will not play on Saturday, Mark Beard, Graham Jones and Jay Smith were guilty parties at Deepdale.

Southend will be looking forward to the new season after the great promotion last May. It will be interesting to see how many Southend fans turn out after the promotion however early season summer holidays and other summer activities may get in the way of a big crowd. Not matter what the attendance is three points to kick the season off would be great although as the Shrimpers found out last year the first game cannot be read into.