Scunthorpe United are the visitors tonight (Friday, kick-off: 7:45p.m.) for what has now become something of an annual occasion – Friday night matches used to be popular in southeast Essex to allow people to take in a lower League game before the supposed big spectacles of viewing the likes of West Ham United, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur over the weekend.
That has now all changed, and some would state that it is for the better. Blues’ record on Friday nights is far from perfect, and last season there was just a single fixture on that day – Hartlepool United were the visitors in late October for an encounter that would see the victor move into the automatic promotion places, and predictably it was the Monkeyhangers that prevailed, thanks to Eifion Williams’ 57-second effort.
The year before saw a similar story – Blues lost 1-0 at home to Cheltenham Town thanks to Julian Alsop’s first-half strike, and to rub salt into the wound, they also failed the day before the weekend in February away to Swansea City. Indeed, the last time the Seasiders won on a Friday was away at Shrewsbury Town in December 2000, with Ben Abbey scoring the only goal of the game fourteen minutes from time.
The last time the Shrimpers won at Roots Hall on Friday night was the third of March 2000, when Martin Carruthers netted the solitary goal after only six minutes to hand Blues their first home win over the Silkmen in the first meeting between the sides in this county. Carruthers has, of course, since moved to the Cheshire outfit, via tonight’s opponents, Scunthorpe.
The front man often caused problems for United on his many trips down with the Iron, bagging a goal in his last visit with the Humberside team, in December last year during a 2-1 turnaround victory. He also netted one in the return fixture at Glanford Park as part of a 4-1 mauling that put an unfair complexion on the match as whole.
Steve Tilson, the manager, and his team coach, Paul Brush, have slight problems filling his position in their own side. Lawrie Dudfield remains out of contention with a viral infection that is likely to keep him out of the side for at least another fortnight, and we at TLG wish him the speediest of recoveries.
At Carlisle United, Leon Constantine more than suitably filled his role, and the Seasiders’ first twenty-goal-a-season man since Brett Angell in 1991/2 should, retain his starting position up front as opposed to the right flank. Constantine is sending out all the right signals regarding a new contract at the moment, telling the Southend Evening Echo, “I’m definitely be interested in staying at Southend next season. I’m enjoying it here – I get on really well with the lads and you couldn’t ask for a better set of supporters – they’ve been great to me”.
The worrying news is that the former Millwall and Brentford man has yet to commit himself to Southend for 2004/5 – although that is no fault of his own. “It’s been a good move for me”, he declared, “it’s a good club and they deserve to be a lot higher up the table. Nothing has been said about new contracts yet. Now that’s [the management side of things] sorted hopefully something will be done about contracts and we can sort something out quite soon”.
Alongside Constantine should be Drewe Broughton again, the hero of the LDV Vans Trophy, until the final at least when his white boots drew attention to an abject performance. Broughton was a nuisance at Carlisle as United won there for the first time in 41 years, aiding Constantine’s double strike.
Another man brought into the equation is Tesfaye Bramble after he scored for the reserve team’s inaugural victory over Norwich City on Tuesday afternoon. Tilson said to the official club website, www.southendunited.co.uk, after the game that both the former Cambridge City forward and another first-teamer did well: “Lewis Hunt and Tes Bramble paired up really well and worked hard between them”. Michael Husbands also played in that game, but Jimmy Corbett is out after injuring his groin whilst swimming.
In midfield, Mark Gower is set to continue having now fully recovered from the knee injury that threatened to keep him out of the LDV final a fortnight ago. The ex-Tottenham Hotspur trainee will have an operation on the long-term injury at the end of the current campaign. Carl Pettefer will start again on the right flank, having grown into his role during the last few matches to start to impress. Steven Clark could miss out having failed to appear for the second-string, whilst Michael Kightly and Anthony Clark are both carrying injuries which look set to keep them from playing for another couple of weeks.
In the centre, club captain Kevin Maher plays his last game before a two-match suspension over the East Weekend rules his out of the fixtures against Huddersfield Town at the Alfred McAlpine Stadium and Darlington at Roots Hall. He has been influential in the recent recovery at the bottom of Division Three, alongside Mark Bentley, who has kept Hunt out of the side. Jay Smith, definitely, and Leke Odunsi, maybe, will miss the rest of the season.
At the back, Nicky Nicolau is set to make his home debut after being named in the Nationwide team of the week for the Third Division after his display at Brunton Park. The Arsenal youngster is sure to get a keen reception from the Roots Hall faithful as he looks to impress before the end of the current campaign, when his contract at Highbury expires.
Nicolau will keep Che Wilson, Jamie Stuart and Neil Jenkins out of the starting line-up, with the latter duo likely to be named as substitutes again. Jenkins, in particular, could get the call late in the game after appearing in both of the last two matches. On the opposite side, Duncan Jupp continues at right full-back.
Leon Cort will be searching for a goal again having netted against the Iron just over a year ago at the same venue. Cort has been without a goal all year, except when he put through his own goal against Cheltenham Town at Whaddon Road in the first League game of 2004, although more notably he has also failed to pick up a caution as yet. Mark Warren is set to fend off Hunt for the second central role, with Dave McSweeney having joined Welling on loan to the end of 2003/4.
Darryl Flahavan, who made his comeback for the Shrimpers after being reinstated by Steve Wignall just four months after his departure in May 2003 against the Iron in the reverse clash, continues in goal after making a couple of important saves last weekend. Carl Emberson was steady, if not spectacular, against the Canaries reserves on Tuesday. Ryan Robinson remains out of the picture.
Scunthorpe United visit Roots Hall for the first time since 1989/90 without Brain Laws in charge of the club. Laws was sacked last Wednesday at an Emergency General Meeting of the Iron board, after six years in the Glanford Park hotseat. Russell Wilcox, his assistant for so long, is in caretaker charge of the club that he made nearly 150 appearances for as a player.
Wilcox made his managerial debut last week against Leyton Orient, but could only force a 1-1 draw with the East Londoners, Wayne Purser cancelling out Matthew Sparrow’s early strike for Scunny. That match saw three key players all pick up knocks that could leave the Humberside outfit low on performers tonight.
Of most concern to the Iron is the fitness of 23-goal Third Division top goalscorer Steven MacLean, who is on loan from reigning Scottish Premier Division champions Glasgow Rangers. He is a major doubt, though should he fail to come through then Paul Hayes, a former Norwich City trainee who scored his first senior goal against Blues last season, will replace him.
Also doubtful are right-back Nathan Stanton (knee) and midfielder Wayne Graves after the game against Orient. They could join long term injury victims Peter Beagrie (calf), Mark Jackson and Richard Kell, with Andy Butler another name to add to the list. Clifford Byrne, the former Sunderland defender, is set to return, in some form, to the squad after a hamstring pull.
As if things were not bad enough for the side on a five-match winless run, Kevin Sharp starts a three-match suspension for his red card against Kidderminster Harriers, heaping yet more pressure on a squad buckling already, and dropping down the table. In November they were fourteen places above seven-unbeaten Southend – now that is just one, and the Iron stay ahead on goal difference alone.
A 2-0 win for the Shrimpers would lift them above Leyton Orient and into the top half of the table for the first time since the 2-0 win over Cheltenham on matchday one. But it is a Friday, so don’t count on it…
TEAM DETAILS
Likely Squads
Southend United |
Scunthorpe United | |
4-4-2 Darryl Flahavan Duncan Jupp Nicky Nicolau Leon Cort Mark Warren Carl Pettefer Kevin Maher Mark Bentley Mark Gower Drewe Broughton Leon Constantine --- Carl Emberson Jamie Stuart Tesfaye Bramble Neil Jenkins Lewis Hunt --- Ryan Robinson Che Wilson Michael Husbands Steve Tilson | 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 Tom Evans Nathan Stanton Lee Ridley Paul Groves Cliff Byrne Matthew Sparrow Terry Barwick Ian Kilford Cleveland Taylor Steven MacLean Steve Torpey --- Adam Capp Andy Butler Wayne Graves Paul Hayes Lee Featherstone |
The Men in the Middle |
Referee: Phil Crossley (Kent) Assistant Referees: Anthony Conn (Hertfordshire) and Darren Deadman (Hertfordshire)
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Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com