v 
SHRIMPERS
A couple of minutes from getting my third correct score in four games, life is cruel.
Blues boss Paul Sturrock has let slip that he expects Kane Ferdinand, sign that contract Kane you kow you want to, and strikers Barry Corr, all 14 goals of him, and Harry Crawford to be back, but not Anthony Grant, blimey that must have been some kick in the head!
Still, no great loss to keep the busy Lee Sawyer in the side, less reason for his legs to go with a half hour left on the clock than the rest of them!
Hang on guys, after this one it's a week off.
A tough one to call this, five draws on the trot Cobblers would probably take a point whatever their boss says, but I'm betting on the Essex boys to take advantage of another fast start, let's face it they've only one way to go at the moment, and get at least one on the score sheet by half-time.
After that we'll have to see, no Laurent magic off the bench please Francis, you owe us, actually, we probably owe you.
The play-off positions await, and you know what happens when expectations are high at the Hall, we're usually crying in our beer after the game, but England awaits at Twickers at five to fry the French, so it's important the home faithful are in a happy mood.
So the fivers going on 1-0 with more biting of nails with seconds to go, a few extra pennies on Sawyer getting the winner!
Possible Southend United: Evans, Clohessy, Coughlan, Barker, Gilbert, Ferdinand, Sawyer, Easton, Hall, Sturrock, Corr.
Subs: Morris, Herd, Prosser, Comminges, Soares, Crawford, Asante.
COME ON YOU BLUES!!!!!
OPPOSITION
Northampton Town are currently on a seven game unbeaten run, but five successive games have been draws! If they share the points on Saturday it will break a club record!
January striking signing Shaun Harrad will serve the second game of a three-match ban following his red card against Aldershot last Saturday.
Fellow forward and class act Leon McKenzie is again a doubt having been plagued by knee and thigh injuries all season and struggles to play twice in a week, though he did miss the Bulls match on Tuesday.
This should see skipper Andy Holt continuing up front with Billy McKay.
Defender Ben Tozer will continue to be absent allowing John Johnson to stay at centre-half, with Paul Rodgers slotting in at right-back.
Cobblers boss Ian Sampson was impressed by both at Edgar Street.
Sampson told www.northantshp.co.uk: "He [Johnson] did really well; he was aggressive in there and attacked the ball. We knew he could play there, but we wanted him to play right back and try to push forwards. He did an excellent job on Tuesday night. Paul did well as well. Defensively he is sound and he's a decent one-on-one with the defender. Not many crosses come in from his side and he does well there. He has done brilliantly. He has been really, really good and professional. He gets disappointed when he is left out of the team, but works very hard to get back in it. That's the type of player we want."
Northampton will welcome back Abdul Osman to partner Thornton in central midfield after he at least has finished his suspension.
Sampson again: "That's a big plus because we've missed him. A lot of work goes unnoticed, but we'll be happy to have him back and he will go straight back into the team. He breaks a lot of things up and it's the things he does off the ball. He's a decent passer, keeps it fairly simple, doesn't try anything extravagant and defensively he is good. At corners and set plays he is good, so he does a lot of work."
Player to watch: 
Andy Holt
Might have been Leon McKenzie, but he's likely to be out injured, might even have been Francis Laurent, but he's more likely to be substitute, so let's plump for utility man extraordinaire.
32, 6ft 1in, started life as a defender, can play in midfield, used recently upfront with the striking problems and scored against Hereford on Tuesday.
Needs to be watched at set pieces wherever he plays.
For full player details:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Holt_(footballer)
Last Time Out
Hereford United 1 Northampton Town 1 (played on Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011.)
Report: www.ntfc.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10425~52049,00.html (and former loanee Waide Fairhurst scored again for the Bulls, that's three out of three!)
In the Middle
| 11 | Crewe Alexandra | 31 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 29 | 14 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 30 | 35 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 59 | 49 | 42 | +10 | ||||
| 12 | Stevenage | 31 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 23 | 16 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 37 | 29 | 42 | +8 | ||||
| 13 | Cheltenham Town | 32 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 19 | 21 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 24 | 26 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 43 | 47 | 41 | -4 | ||||
| 14 | Accrington Stanley | 29 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 27 | 20 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 15 | 24 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 42 | 44 | 39 | -2 | ||||
| 15 | Northampton Town | 31 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 28 | 18 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 25 | 9 | 12 | 10 | 40 | 43 | 39 | -3 | ||||
| 16 | Lincoln City | 30 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 24 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 19 | 22 | 11 | 5 | 14 | 32 | 46 | 38 | -14 | ||||
| 17 | Aldershot Town | 31 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 14 | 18 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 18 | 21 | 8 | 13 | 10 | 32 | 39 | 37 | -7 |
PREVIOUSLY
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REF
The man in the middle is Russell Booth from Mansfield.
He gives an interview here: http://refworld.com/referee/126/1/russell-booth
His assistants are Oleksandr Saliy and Marvin Thompson; The fourth official is Mike Bull.
FIXTURES
League Two
Saturday, February 26th; (all kick-offs 15.00): Accrington Stanley v Torquay, Aldershot v Port Vale, Barnet v Lincoln City, Bradford v Stockport, Burton Albion v Rotherham, Bury v Crewe, Chesterfield v Morecambe, Macclesfield v Wycombe, Oxford Utd v Hereford, Shrewsbury v Gillingham, Southend v Northampton, Stevenage v Cheltenham.
BET
Southend (to win) - 6/5, Draw - 5/2, Northampton (to win) - 12/5.
For all the footy odds go here: www.oddschecker.com/football/english/league-two/
HISTORY
Northampton Town was founded in 1897 after meetings between the town's schoolteachers and local solicitor A.J. Darnell.
The community then focused on football and, in particular, schoolboy football was strong in the county due in part to the enthusiasm of the local teachers. They were, however, dissatisfied with the current arrangement of arranged friendlies between schools, preferring to teach the boys through practical examples and they felt this could be done by forming a town team.
At the same time A.J. Darnell travelled to Leicester with the local Rugby team, where he witnessed an exhibition football match between Leicester Fosse and Notts County. This gave him the desire to start his own club in Northampton.
Mr Darnell and the local schoolteachers came together through their shared aims and, on 6 March 1897, at the Princess Royal Inn on the Wellingborough Road, Northampton Football Club was formed. Following objections from the town's rugby club the team adopted the name of Northampton Town to avoid trouble.
The club gained permission to play home matches at the County Ground, home of Northamptonshire County Cricket Club, provided that no games were scheduled between May and September; this was to remain their home for the next 97 years until they moved to Sixfields.
For a far more comprehensive history of the club, go here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northampton_Town)
Saturday, February 26th; (all kick-offs 15.00): Accrington Stanley v Torquay, Aldershot v Port Vale, Barnet v Lincoln City, Bradford v Stockport, Burton Albion v Rotherham, Bury v Crewe, Chesterfield v Morecambe, Macclesfield v Wycombe, Oxford Utd v Hereford, Shrewsbury v Gillingham, Southend v Northampton, Stevenage v Cheltenham.
BET
Southend (to win) - 6/5, Draw - 5/2, Northampton (to win) - 12/5.
For all the footy odds go here: www.oddschecker.com/football/english/league-two/
HISTORY
Northampton Town was founded in 1897 after meetings between the town's schoolteachers and local solicitor A.J. Darnell.
The community then focused on football and, in particular, schoolboy football was strong in the county due in part to the enthusiasm of the local teachers. They were, however, dissatisfied with the current arrangement of arranged friendlies between schools, preferring to teach the boys through practical examples and they felt this could be done by forming a town team.
At the same time A.J. Darnell travelled to Leicester with the local Rugby team, where he witnessed an exhibition football match between Leicester Fosse and Notts County. This gave him the desire to start his own club in Northampton.
Mr Darnell and the local schoolteachers came together through their shared aims and, on 6 March 1897, at the Princess Royal Inn on the Wellingborough Road, Northampton Football Club was formed. Following objections from the town's rugby club the team adopted the name of Northampton Town to avoid trouble.
The club gained permission to play home matches at the County Ground, home of Northamptonshire County Cricket Club, provided that no games were scheduled between May and September; this was to remain their home for the next 97 years until they moved to Sixfields.
For a far more comprehensive history of the club, go here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northampton_Town)