Southend United vs Scunthorpe United - Team news

Danny Gay in action at Lincoln last week

Southend United will still be without the injured Tes Bramble, Mark Rawle and Tony Richards for the visit of Scunthorpe United, all three strikers are still suffering from groin injuries. Mark Beard will also be missing through a stomach complaint.

Player/Manager Rob Newman has again stressed that he will stick to his policy of naming the side just before the kick-off, he has named a squad of seventeen players.

Blues squad: Daniel Gay, Darryl Flahavan, Stephen Broad, Dave McSweeney, Damon Searle, Danny Kerrigan, Leon Cort, Phil Whelan, Daniel Gay, Leon Johnson, Marek Szmid, Kevin Maher, Ian Selley, Stuart Thurgood, Rob Newman, Scott Forbes and Barrington Belgrave,

Blues are likely to be unchanged, and field the side that pulled

Steven Clark - scored the winning goal at Lincoln

off the great 1-0 win at Lincoln City last Saturday. Steven Clark who scored the winning goal at Sincil Bank will continue on the right flank with Leon Johnson on the left. Kevin Maher who is now close to signing a new two year contract with the Blues with operate in the middle of the park alongside loanee Ian Selley.

Rob Newman is expected to start upfront again alongside Barrington Belgrave with fit again skipper Phil Whelan another option for the target man role.

Blues defence will be Danny Gay in goal, with Stephen Broad, Damon Searle, Dave McSweeney and Leon Cort the back four. Good news to come out of the Blues camp is that Leon Cort is close to signing a new one-year deal with the Club after failing to sign earlier after the famous contract ultimatums scenario.

Darryl Flahavan and Damon Searle are the two remaining players still to commit themselves to Southend United although we understand that Searle is close to agreeing a new one year deal.

Blues probable side: Gay, Broad, Searle, McSweeney, Cort, Clark, Maher, Selley, Johnson, Newman and Belgrave.
Subs: Flahavan, Whelan, Szmid, Thurgood and Kerrigan.

Meanwhile according to Teamtalk.com Peter Beagrie should start for Scunthorpe United at the expense of either Gareth Sheldon or Lee Hodges.

Beagrie has now recovered from a calf strain and his return will give Scunthorpe a massive boost as they look to try and snatch the last automatic promotion place. The 36-year-old will come back in on the left-wing, and the likelihood is that Hodges will switch to the right and Sheldon will have to make do with a place on the bench. However, Carl Bradshaw was played as a right-winger for the reserves in midweek and according to Russ Wilcox, that was because Brian Laws is thinking of employing him in that position tomorrow.

Scunthorpe United will have to make changes in defence for the game as Andy Dawson is suspended and Pat McGibbon has not yet re-signed for the club. Therefore, Lee Ridley will come in at left-back while James Cotterill and Jamie McCombe are fighting it out to start along side Mark Jackson in the heart of defence.

Elsewhere, Former Blues player Nigel Pepper looked strong for the reserves in midweek and he is vying for a starting berth, although he will probably have to make do with a place on the bench, where he could be joined by another former Blue Martin Carruthers who has recovered from his knee injury.

Possible line-up: Evans, Stanton, Jackson, Cotterill, Ridley, Hodges, Calvo-Garcia, Sparrow, Beagrie, Jeffrey and Torpey. Subs: Pepper, Carruthers, Bradshaw, McCombe and Bennion

Steve Connolly
www.thelittlegazette.com