Sturrock: 'Gillingham are flying at the moment'
Blues boss Paul Sturrock is under no illussion that after his sides's 2-1 defeat at Morecambe Saturday, only their second defeat in eleven games, they will have to step up a gear if the serious challenge of play-off rivals Gillingham are to be seen off.
Sturrock told www.echo-news.co.uk: "We need to come out all guns blazing. It's an important game for us and we need to get back on the rails after what was a bad performance and result at the weekend. Gillingham are flying at the moment and they have a very settled team which has helped them. It will be a hard game and I want us to play with the zest that we were missing at Morecambe."
Let's hope so.
COME ON YOU BLUES!!!!!
The S24 Preview:
www.southendunited-mad.co.uk/roll/ed61/
southend_united_v_gillingham_654676/index.shtml
Hessenthaler: 'Look forward to trying to win the Southend game'
Meanwhile, Gills boss Andy Hessenthaler is looking for victory as he's getting greedy.
Hess wants to get into the League One without messing around with play-offs, straight into the top three and automatic promotion for him!
Hessenthaler told www.kentonline.co.uk: "We need to try and firstly cement our place in the play-offs and still eye that top three. It's not unachievable and we'll keep looking at that. The more games we win, we will cement our place in that top seven and, who knows, we could creep up into third. For now we'll just look forward to trying to win the Southend game."
And they could do it to-night, if they win 11-0!
The official Gillingham Preview:
www.gillinghamfootballclub.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10416~2310273,00.html
Tuesday, March 8th; (all kick-offs 19.45): Accrington Stanley v Stockport, Aldershot v Torquay, Barnet v Wycombe, Bradford v Rotherham, Burton Albion v Lincoln City, Bury v Morecambe, Chesterfield v Northampton, Macclesfield v Crewe, Shrewsbury v Port Vale, Southend v Gillingham, Stevenage v Hereford.
| 4 | Rotherham United | 34 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 37 | 20 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 22 | 22 | 15 | 10 | 9 | 59 | 42 | 55 | +17 |
| 5 | Shrewsbury Town | 34 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 24 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 28 | 21 | 15 | 10 | 9 | 52 | 35 | 55 | +17 |
| 6 | Port Vale | 33 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 9 | 9 | 39 | 31 | 54 | +8 |
| 7 | Gillingham | 35 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 21 | 14 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 27 | 26 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 48 | 40 | 52 | +8 |
| 8 | Torquay United | 33 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 27 | 21 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 24 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 51 | 39 | 48 | +12 |
| 9 | Southend United | 33 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 25 | 25 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 45 | 41 | 47 | +4 |
| 10 | Oxford United | 35 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 22 | 19 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 22 | 26 | 13 | 8 | 14 | 44 | 45 | 47 | -1 |
| 11 | Crewe Alexandra | 33 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 33 | 15 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 31 | 38 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 64 | 53 | 45 | +11 |
| 12 | Stevenage | 33 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 27 | 16 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 41 | 31 | 45 | +10 |