Southend United vs. Yeovil Town – Preview

Supporters of both sides will be hoping that the game is as good as Tuesday night’s extravaganza, when Southend and Hull City played out an entertaining two-all draw. That was United’s tenth consecutive match at home in which they had failed to be defeated, and the Glovers will no doubt be wary of the task that faces them as they hope to claw themselves into the final play-off spot.

And the recent up-turn in form, which has seen the Seasiders reach the LDV Vans Trophy final at the Millennium Stadium, where they lost 2-0 to Blackpool, as well as put them in mid-table, with a chance of reaching the top ten, has led to a series of names backing Steve Tilson and Paul Brush to be handed their positions of manager and team coach on a permanent basis.

On Tuesday the Southend Evening Echo launched a campaign to back the pair in their jobs, and on Thursday it was backed by former striker Ian Benjamin in an interview with the local paper. The Southend legend, primarily for his famous promotion-clinching goal at Bury, questioned, “What more does Tilly have to do to get the job?”

The 37-year-old one-time front runner continued with the following appaisal: “I think he’s earned it over the past few months and he’s been in charge for virtually half the season now. The facts show he’s done a good job too – he’s taken a team from the relegation zone to the top half of the table”. There are many more in south-east Essex who concur with his statement.

And a measure of the confidence in the Shrimpers’ side can be taken from the players’ words in post-match press conferences. Kevin Maher spoke on how United were disappointed with a 2-2 draw at high-flying Northampton Town, and this time it was striker Lawrie Dudfield’s turn to proclaim, “We should have won”.

The former Northampton and Hull forward said, “It was a good game but I thought we played well and were unlucky not to win. We played excellently in the second half and created a few chances but their keeper made some good saves and it wasn’t to be”. After those two 2-2 draws, Southend find themselves lying in thirteenth, but just two points behind Swansea City and Boston United in tenth and eleventh respectively. That top ten place will be Tilson’s main concern.

Tenth would represent Blues’ best position in the Third Division since slipping down to the Football League’s basement in 1997/8. It would also heap the ever-increasing pressure on the board to hand him the mangerial post on a permanent basis. The Seasiders also require just two more points from three games to eclipse last season’s disappointing tally of 54 points, whilst going unbeaten at home against the Glovers and Torquay United on the final day of the campaign would stave off equalling the record ten home League defeats picked up in 2002/3.

Darryl Flahavan should be selected in goal as the Shrimpers continue to go into fixtures with just a single recognised shotstopper. Carl Emberson’s release should have seen Ryan Robinson step into the substitutes’ breach, but he has slipped away, and although he was present at the 3-0 reserve team defeat to Gillingham oon Wednesday, his place in the side was taken by Arsenal Under-19 custodian Craig Holloway.

In defence, Mark Warren is still doubtful after picking up an ankle injury in the warm-up to the game at Sixfields seven days ago. The combative blocker is set to have a late fitness test in order to ascertain whether or not he will be available for selection. Should he not make it back, then Jamie Stuart will continue in the centre of defence, with Leon Cort as his partner.

Right full-back will again be Duncan Jupp after Che Wilson failed to further his chances with an abject display against the Gills’ second-string in midweek. However, on the left, Neil Jenkins may make his first start since the F.A. Cup third round defeat to Scarborough as Nicky Nicolau may have to move up field.

The Arsenal loanee’s switch onto the left-hand side of midfield would be as a replacement for Mark Gower, who is suspended for two of the final three games of 2003/4, but with an operation required on a long-term knee injury, he will undergo surgery and miss the last encounter of the campaign against Torquay as well. The decision was taken for the playmaker to go under the knife only when Southend were mathematically safe from relegation, which ironically was the case as soon as Yeovil defeated York City in midweek.

Nicky Nicolau could play on the left-hand side of midfield

With Carl Pettefer, Jay Smith and Leke Odunsi all missing out in midfield, Tilson and Brush are down to the bare bones, and the same trio in the centre and on the right are likely to be in opertaion again. Lewis Hunt looked much happier on the right-hand side than he has done in the middle, whilst the converse was true of Mark Bentley. Captain Kevin Maher will continue to survey the operation from the centre.

Like Mark Warren, Tesfaye Bramble and Drewe Broughton will have late tests on their fitness after they twisted their ankles last week. The latter is more likely to be included as his injury was sustained ten days ago, and has had more of a chance to recover. Bramble, a slow healer by nature, may have to sit this one out.

Leon Constantine, three goals behind Steve MacLean for the Third Division exclusive top goalscorer award, but only one behind overall, will start alongside Lawrie Dudfield again. Dudfield is back to full fitness after missing out on a month of the campaign immediately after signing from Northampton, and completed eighty minutes of the clash with Hull.

Michael Husbands and Jimmy Corbett are also raring to go as they played out the reserve team game in midweek. Husbands, playing up front, failed to press for a starting spot in the first eleven, but former Gills player Corbett tried hard to impress in the centre of the park, playing in the midfield general role. Both will be named on a lightweight subs bench.

Town will be without a plethora of players as they suffer badly from injuries. Ryan Northmore has extended his loan spell with the Huish Park outfit from Woking as a replacement for Chris Weale, the goalkeeper who has a broken hand and will undergo an operation on his groin today. Steve Collis keeps between the sticks in the meantime.

Winger Abdou El Kholti has a similar complaint, and he also has surgery in London this afternoon, whilst centre-half Roy O’Brien is another long-standing concern with an ankle injury that requires treatment. Midfielders Darren Way and Simon Weatherstone also missed the 2-1 win at Bootham Crescent with ankle and lower leg problems respectively. The duo are likely to resuem trainign today in a bid to play a part in the squad.

The remainder of the side also appear to be struggling. Captain Terry Skiverton has been nursing an ankle complaint, whilst Colin Pluck muses over a hip injury that has troubled him for some time. Former Dagenham & Redbridge utility man Paul Terry is playing through the pain barrier with backache, and Bristol City loan signing Lee Matthews is struggling with a similar problem.

As a result, injury-prone former Southampton striker Dani Rodrigues is being forced to undertake a heavier workload, and ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers man Nathan Talbot is set to play a part in the run-in to the end of the season. Hugo Rodrigues is another man likely to be handed a recall, with former Latvia manager Gary Johnson proclaiming, “I need as many players available as possible”.

As United look to break the 100,000-barrier for League attendances this season (they require around 10,500 through the gates for the final two fixtures) and thus break the 4,000-per-game level, they have designated tomorrow’s match as a Ladies Day at Roots Hall. Female supporters can get into the Hall for £8 (ladies) and £1 (girls), as long as they order their tickets before five o’clock this afternoon. Tickets can be purchased at the club shop in person, or on the ticket hotline of 0870 174 2003.

TEAM DETAILS

Likely Squads

Southend United		Yeovil Town
4-4-2 Darryl Flahavan Duncan Jupp Neil Jenkins Leon Cort Jamie Stuart Lewis Hunt Mark Bentley Kevin Maher Nicky Nicolau Lawrie Dudfield Leon Constantine --- James Corbett Steven Clark Che Wilson Michael Husbands Anthony Clark	Starting Line-Ups GK DR DL DC DC MR MC MC ML FC FC Substitutes 1 2 3 4 5	4-4-2 Steve Collis Andy Lindegaard Colin Pluck Terry Skiverton Adam Lockwood Kevin Gall Paul Terry Lee Johnson Gavin Williams Dani Rodrigues Jake Edwards --- Ryan Northmore Nick Crittenden Hugo Rodrigues Kirk Jackson Nathan Talbot

Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com