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The LDV Vans Trophy is often seen as an inferior competition, and although it offers a realistic chance of silverware for clubs below the First Division, many clubs do not take it seriously. Until this stage; QPR boss Ian Holloway has declared his intentions to triumph in this year’s trophy, and Tilson will no doubt have waved the carrot of a prospective area final against local rivals Colchester United in the faces of the current squad.
If the side play as they have in previous rounds of this season’s competition, then they should have no problems in giving the
One of the problems that Tilson and Brush will have to counter is the injury crisis that has swept southeast
The management duo will be buoyed by the fact that three players are ready to return from suspension. Dave McSweeney did not feature, perhaps a little strangely having completed four matches out of the first-team fray for his second sending off at
All of which means that Blues will once again have to rely on a number of players already carrying knocks to get them through the game. Darryl Flahavan struggled through the fixture against
Defensively United should remain much the same as they looked at the weekend. Flahavan is expected to be passed fit to start, with Mark Warren, relinquishing captaincy duties back to Maher, and Leon Cort directly in front of him. The full-backs, Duncan Jupp and Jamie Stuart, have both failed to impress in the last couple of clashes, but should retain their places ahead of McSweeney and Neil Jenkins respectively.
Former Wimbledon full-back Jenkins has looked particularly jaded in recent weeks, and may again sit out the fixture, although he could be called into the midfield positions with Mark Bentley cup-tied having played, and scored twice, for Dagenham & Redbridge, already in the competition. Mark Gower is another to have been tired since the New Year, and he could do with a rest – Steven Clark and Michael Kightly are viable replacements as Maher and the effervescent Jay Smith take the central positions.
Up front, top scorer Leon Constantine stretched his goalless run to five matches against
QPR have injury problems, but with defenders like Clarke Carlisle and Danny Shittu and forwards of the calibre of Kevin Gallen and Paul Furlong, they barely notice compared to the Shrimpers. Marcus Bean limped out of action at the weekend and will certainly miss out, with Tony Thorpe not expected to return until the weekend, as is Kevin McLeod. Gareth Ainsworth and Richard Edgehill, both players with top-flight experience, are longer-term concerns.
The last time the two sides met, Rangers prevailed 1-0 at Roots Hall in March 1997 – a Leo Roget own goal proving to be the difference between the two sides. A reasonably large crowd is expected tonight, with Rangers selling out their allocation. Let’s encourage the home side onto their first win of 2004 and a place in that potentially dream area final from the team up the A12.
MATCH DETAILS
Likely Squads
Southend United | Queen’s Park Rangers | |
Darryl Flahavan Duncan Jupp Jamie Stuart Leon Cort Mark Warren Mark Gower Kevin Maher Jay Smith Michael Kightly Leon Constantine Drewe Broughton --- Carl Emberson Steven Clark Che Wilson Neil Jenkins --- Anthony Clark Stuart Williams Steve Tilson | Starting Line-Ups GK DR DL DC DC MR MC MC ML FC FC Substitutes 1 2 3 4 5 Also Available * * * | Chris Day Terrell Forbes Gina Padula Clarke Danny Shittu Dean Marney Matthew Rose Marc Bircham Martin Rowlands Paul Furlong Kevin Gallen --- Nicky Culkin Steve Palmer Eric Sabin Dennis Oli Jake Cole --- John Fletcher |
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Richard Beeby (Northamptonshire)
Assistant Referees: Darren Cann (
Beeby has spent much of this season officiating in the First Division, and this will be his first LDV Vans Trophy match of the campaign, having booked 62 and sent off eight this year in 21 matches, including Leyton Orient goalkeeper Glenn Morris in the O’s 4-1 hoem defeat to
TEAM FORM
Last Matches
Saturday 17th January 2004
Southend United 0 Doncaster Rovers 2 (Leo Fortune-West 3, Michael McIndoe 7) [attendance: 4,308]. Southend United line-up (4-4-2): Darryl Flahavan; Duncan Jupp, Leon Cort, Mark Warren, Jamie Stuart; Mark Bentley, Lewis Hunt (Steven Clark half-time), Jay Smith, Mark Gower; Tesfaye Bramble (Michael Kightly 41), Leon Constantine. Subs not used: Carl Emberson, Che Wilson, Neil Jenkins.
Saturday 17th January 2004
Queen’s Park Rangers 2 (Martin Rowlands 20, Kevin Gallen 43) Brighton & Hove Albion 1 (Danny Cullip 45) [attendance: 17,839]. Queen’s Park Rangers line-up (4-4-2): Chris Day; Terrell Forbes, Clarke Carlisle, Danny Shittu, Gino Padula; Marc Bircham, Matthew Rose (Dean Marney 75), Marcus Bean (Steve Palmer 19), Martin Rowlands; Kevin Gallen, Paul Furlong. Subs not used: Nicky Culkin, Eric Sabin, Dennis Oli.
Last Five Matches
Southend United
L0-2 (home; Doncaster Rovers; League Division Three)
L0-1 (away;
D1-1 (away;
D1-1 (home;
L0-1 (home; Oxford United; League Division Three)
Queen’s Park Rangers
W2-1 (home; Brighton & Hove Albion; League Division Two; Martin Rowlands, Kevin Gallen)
W1-0 (away;
W1-0 (home; Rushden & Diamonds; League Division Two; Kevin Gallen)
W2-0 (home; Colchester United; League Division Two; Kevin Gallen, Tony Thorpe)
D3-3 (away;
Southend United home form
L0-2 (League Division Three;
D1-1 (F.A. Cup;
L0-1 (League Division Three;
L0-1 (League Division Three;
W3-0 (LDV Vans Trophy;
Queen’s Park Rangers away form
W1-0 (League Division Two;
D3-3 (League Division Two;
L1-2 (League Division Two;
D1-1 (League Division Two;
L0-1 (F.A. Cup;
2003/4 SEASON
Southend United
Nationwide League Division Three (overall [home])
Played: 26 [13]
Won: 7 [3]
Drawn: 4 [1]
Lost: 15 [9]
Scored: 23 [11]
Conceded: 40 [18]
Goal Difference: -17 [-7]
Points: 25 [10]
Position: 22nd [23rd]
F.A. Cup
First Round: beat
Second Round: beat
Third Round: lost to
Carling Cup
First Round: lost to
LDV Vans Trophy
First Round: beat Bristol Rovers (home) 2-1 after silver goal extra time
Second Round: beat
Southern Section Quarter-Final: beat
Southern Section Semi-Final: vs. Queen’s Park Rangers (home) on
Queen’s Park Rangers
Nationwide League Division Two (overall [away])
Played: 27 [13]
Won: 15 [4]
Drawn: 9 [6]
Lost: 3 [3]
Scored: 49 [18]
Conceded: 21[17]
Goal Difference: +28 [+1]
Points: 54 [18]
Position: 2nd [4th]
F.A. Cup
First Round: lost to
Carling Cup
First Round: beat
Second Round: beat Sheffield United (away) 2-0
Third Round: lost to
LDV Vans Trophy
First Round: beat Kidderminster Harriers (home) 2-0
Second Round: beat Dagenham & Redbridge (home) 2-1
Southern Section Quarter-Final: beat
Southern Section Semi-Final: vs. Southend United (away) on
THE HISTORY
Last Match
Southend United | 0-1 | Queen’s Park Rangers |
League Division One @ Roots Hall, | Leo Roget [o.g.] 82 |
Simon Royce Andy Harris Keith Dublin Mark McNally Leo Roget Mike Lapper Mike Marsh Paul Byrne Andy Rammell Andy Thomson Julian Hails | - - - - - - - - - - -(83) | Juergen Sommer Danny Maddix Rufus Brevett Simon Barker Alan McDonald Karl Ready John Spencer Gavin Peacock Danny Dichio Andy Impey Trevor Sinclair | - - - - - - - - - - - |
John Neilson Paul Williams Mark Stimson | - -(83) - | Andy McDermott Steve Slade Paul Murray | - - - |
Last Five Meetings
15th March 1997
1974 – Queen’s Park Rangers 2 Southend United 0 – F.A. Cup
1974 – Southend United 2 Queen’s Park Rangers 2 – F.A. Cup
The Complete Head-to-Head Record
1996/7 – H0-1 A0-4 (League)
1974/5 – H2-2 A0-2 (F.A. Cup)
1965/6 – H1-3 A1-2 (League)
1964/5 – H0-0 A0-2 (League)
1963/4 – H1-3 A5-4 (League)
1962/3 – H1-3 A0-1 (League)
1961/2 – H2-3 A3-5 (League)
1960/1 – H0-0 A1-2 (League)
1959/60 – H3-2 A0-0 (League)
1958/9 – H4-0 A3-1 (League)
1957/8 – H6-0 A1-1 (League)
1956/7 – H3-0 A0-3 (League)
1955/6 – H5-1 A2-1 (League), H2-0 (F.A. Cup)
1954/5 – H2-2 A1-1 (League)
1953/4 – H4-1 A0-1 (League)
1952/3 – H2-0 A2-3 (League)
1947/8 – H0-0 A2-3 (League)
1946/7 – H1-3 A0-1 (League)
1938/9 – H2-1 A1-1 (League)
1937/8 – H2-1 A0-1 (League)
1936/7 – H3-2 A2-7 (League)
1935/6 – H0-1 A1-2 (League)
1934/5 – H2-0 A1-1 (League)
1933/4 – H0-2 A0-4 (League)
1932/3 – H0-1 A1-6 (League)
1931/2 – H0-0 A1-2 (League)
1930/1 – H2-0 A2-0 (League)
1929/30 – H1-0 A5-2 (League)
1928/9 – H0-3 A1-3 (League)
1927/8 – H7-0 A2-3 (League)
1926/7 – H0-3 A2-3 (League)
1925/6 – H2-1 A2-2 (League)
1924/5 – H1-0 A1-3 (League)
1923/4 – H4-2 A0-0 (League)
1922/3 – H2-0 A0-1 (League)
1921/2 – H1-2 A0-1 (League)
1920/1 – H1-0 A0-2 (League)
1909/10 – H0-0 A2-3 (F.A. Cup)
Summary
Overall (77 matches)
Southend United 25
Queen’s Park Rangers 38
Draws 14
At Southend United (39 matches)
Southend United 20
Queen’s Park Rangers 12
Draws 7
In cup competitions (5 matches)
Southend United 1
Queen’s Park Rangers 2
Draws 2
Robert Craven