Swansea City vs Southend United - Team news

Blues boss Rob Newman

Player/Manager Rob Newman will again stick to his policy of naming the side just before the kick-off for Friday’s game at The Vetch Field against sixteenth placed Swansea City, Newman has named a twenty man squad to travel to Wales.

Blues squad: Darryl Flahavan, Daniel Gay, Stephen Broad, Dave McSweeney, Damon Searle, Danny Kerrigan, Leon Cort, Phil Whelan, Rob Newman, Leon Johnson, Mark Beard, Marek Szmid, Brian Barry-Murphy, Ian Selley, Stuart Thurgood, Scott Forbes, Barrington Belgrave, Tes Bramble, Mark Rawle and Tony Richards.

Brian Barry-Murphy - on loan from Preston North End

It is expected that Blues will line-up in an attacking 4-4-2 formation as they search for three points to help keep alight their flickering play-off ambitions, the Shrimpers are currently in fourteenth position, ten points off the last play-off spot.

Irish born left-sided midfielder Brian Barry-Murphy, who is at Roots Hall on a month’s loan from Preston North End, is expected to make his Blues debut alongside Ian Selley, another month loan signing, this time from Wimbledon. Selley played for the Blues in the Shrimpers First Division days when he was on loan from Arsenal (see previous story

Ian Selley - on loan from Wimbledon

on TLG web-site), in midfield.

Stuart Thurgood looks likely to keep his place in midfield after the departure of Carl Hutchings to Leyton Orient. Kevin Maher is still out with his injured toe but hopes to be back in action within ten days.

Steven Clark is still suffering from his knee injury and could still be out of action for up to a month, therefore the right wing position could well be filled by Mark Beard despite Beard being sent-off on his return to action at Roots Hall last Saturday against York City.

The two men up-front are expected to be Tes Bramble and Barrington Belgrave, despite the fact that Bramble has not scored for five games and Belgrave four matches.

The defence will be the usual five of Darryl Flahavan, Stephen Broad, Damon Searle, Leon Cort and Skipper Phil Whelan with Rob Newman on the bench enabling the Blues management to switch to a 5-3-2 formation should they wish.

Probable side: Flahavan, Broad, Searle, Whelan, Cort, Beard, Selley, Thurgood, Barry-Murphy, Belgrave and Bramble.

Subs: Gay, Newman, Johnson, Forbes and Rawle or Richards.

Meanwhile Colin Addison is expected to name an unchanged Swansea side for today's clash. Addison saw his team come from behind to take three points against Kidderminster on Tuesday night, their first win in nine matches. Jonathan Coates and Lee Jenkins did not train with the squad on Thursday, but both are expected to recover. He will, however, be without long-term injury victims Jason Smith and Terry Evans. Smith has not played since the start of December due to an ankle problem, while Evans has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a fractured cheekbone.

Squad: Freestone, Howard, Todd, Sharp, Mumford, Cusack, Phillips, Coates, Jenkins, Sidibe, Brodie, Subs: Jones, O'Leary, Lacey, Williams and Watkin.

Steve Connolly
www.thelittlegazette.com