Shrimpers take on Gills once again, this time in the JPT First Round tie at Roots Hall on Tuesday, August 31st, with the usual evening kick-off time of 19.45.
Just a reminder that while the South Stand will remain closed for the game, the West Stand will join the East Stand as designated for home supporters, and the North for the Gills fans making there way from Kent, or maybe the odd one down from London after work.
Ticket Prices for all areas:
Adults - £6, Over-60's and Under-16's - £3, Under-12's - £1.
And if you can't wait to get a ticket in your hands they are on general sale at the Blues Box Office or call 08444 77 00 77.
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SHRIMPERS
With 17 players signed in under a month it's no wonder that Blues boss Paul Sturrock was not certain what he's best eleven is, but after that satisfying win at Bradford, he might now.
Former Gills right back Sean Clohessy was dismissed at Valley Parade after being shown two yellow cards and will miss the game.
We've been pushing for the inclusion of Ryan Hall over Louis Soares for a couple of weeks now so it was good to see that last week but he'll probably be saved for the weekend.
However son of Luggy, young Blair, seems undroppable outside the cup games, so he should get a rest here.
In fact, Louis will probably come back with the disgraced Luke Prosser, and we're guessing on the fitness of Mark Phillips, Sofiene Zaaboub and Scott Spencer, which will affect the team for Tuesday and all remain doubts, but this is a chance for reserve keeper Rhys Evans to make his Shrimper debut.
I'm hoping we see Johnny Herd, but it's doubtful, more likely to see him go out on loan, while another debutant may be the other French Tunisian, midfielder Adam Bouzid.
Josh Simpson is the likely candidate to cover for the suspended Clohessy.
Southend United squad: Morris, Simpson, Bilel, Barker, Gilbert, Soares, Grant, Easton, Hall, Corr, Sturrock, Coughlan, Paterson, Zaaboub, Bouzid, Phillips, Prosser, Herd, Evans, Spencer and James-Lewis.
COME ON YOU BLUES!!!!!
OPPOSITION
No wins yet for Gillingham in any competitions.
The Kent based club have a few injury problems and for two successive matches boss Andy Hessehthaler had the Tilly problem of not being able to name a full subs bench!
Keeper Alan Julian with a fractured hand and midfielder Curtis Weston will both be out, and one of the players who may be given a night out is former Shrimpers traget, but we couldn't afford him, striker Adebayo Akinfenwa.
Hessethaler told www.kentonline.co.uk: "We may give the big man a rest because he's picked up a couple of knocks and had an injection in his shoulder before last Saturday's game. Mark McCammon might start along with Stefan Payne (both strikers) so we will use it a chance to change things around and get some of the other players some minutes on the pitch."
| 13 | Crewe Alexandra | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 4 | +5 | ||||
| 14 | Southend United | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 | -1 | ||||
| 15 | Lincoln City | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | -2 | ||||
| 16 | Hereford United | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | -4 | ||||
| 17 | Gillingham | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | -1 | ||||
| 18 | Oxford United | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | ||||
| 19 | Northampton Town | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 | -3 | ||||
| 20 | Bradford City | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 3 | -5 |
Last Time Out: Morecambe 1 Gillingham 1 (Saturday, August 28th, 2010)
Danny Spiller rescued a point for Gillingham with a late goal against Morecambe.
Andy Hessenthaler's men had the majority of the chances in the game but were trailing after Craig Stanley headed home on the hour.
Spiller's goal earned the Gills a point but little consolation as they remain in search of their first win of the League 2 season.
The Gills had the better of the first half chances and should really have been ahead by the break.
Morecambe were reliant on shooting from distance and their best effort came from Phil Jevons, whose shot was palmed out for a corner from debutant keeper Lance Cronin.
Andy Barcham had plenty of the ball in the first 45 minutes and his cross for Mark Bentley on the half-hour mark almost produced a goal, but a combination of keeper Barry Roche and defender Chris McCready cleared the danger.
Moments later Barcham had a shot of his own, but Roche was there to save and with five minutes of the half remaining the Morecambe goalie excelled again by tipping Danny Spiller's free-kick over the bar.
Another good chance fell to Spiller early in the second half but he blasted the chance across the face of the goal.
The Gills were made to pay for missing those chances as a cross from the left was headed home by Craig Stanley just before the hour mark.
Gillingham levelled the scores with six minutes to go when Palmer's free-kick was bundled home by Spiller.
Keeper Roche made a great save from Barcham in injury time as the Gills pressed for the winner.
Gills: Cronin, Fuller, Palmer, Lawrence, Sinclair, J Payne, Spiller Bentley (Rooney 75mins), Barcham, Akinfenwa, McDonald (McCammon 75mins). Subs not used: Julian, Nutter, Maher, Gowling, S Payne.
Morecambe: Roche, Moss (Mullin 46mins), Scott, McCready, Fleming, Duffy, Wilson, Parrish, Stanley, Shuker (Drummond 66mins), Jevons (Spencer 86mins). Subs not used: Bentley, Hunter, Hendry, Walker.
(Report by Luke Cawdell on www.kentonline.co.uk)
PREVIOUSLY
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REF
The man in the middle is Gavin Ward from Oxted in his fourth season.
Ward will be remebered by the Blues faithful as the official for last season's 1-0 league win against the Gills, where he produced a mere 9 yellow cards and failed to send the away keeper off for deliberate handball outside the area.
He did take charge of our away win at Leyton Orient last December, our last before Friday, so he can't be all bad!
Ward's linesman are Tony Mason from Kent and Oly Saliy from London, Glen Hambling from Norwich is the 4th official.
FIXTURES
JPT Round One
Tuesday, August 31st; (all kick-offs 19.45 unless stated): Hartlepool v Northampton, 19.00, Tranmere v Accrington Stanley, 19:00 Macclesfield v Morecambe, 19:30, Aldershot v Oxford Utd, Bournemouth v Torquay, Charlton v Dag & Red, Oldham v Shrewsbury, Port Vale v Rochdale, Rotherham v Lincoln City, Southampton v Swindon, Southend v Gillingham, Stevenage v Brentford, Walsall v Chesterfield, Yeovil v Exeter.
Wednesday, September 1st; (both kick-offs 19.45): Brighton v Leyton Orient, Sheff Wed v Notts County.
Ward will be remebered by the Blues faithful as the official for last season's 1-0 league win against the Gills, where he produced a mere 9 yellow cards and failed to send the away keeper off for deliberate handball outside the area.
He did take charge of our away win at Leyton Orient last December, our last before Friday, so he can't be all bad!
Ward's linesman are Tony Mason from Kent and Oly Saliy from London, Glen Hambling from Norwich is the 4th official.
FIXTURES
JPT Round One
Tuesday, August 31st; (all kick-offs 19.45 unless stated): Hartlepool v Northampton, 19.00, Tranmere v Accrington Stanley, 19:00 Macclesfield v Morecambe, 19:30, Aldershot v Oxford Utd, Bournemouth v Torquay, Charlton v Dag & Red, Oldham v Shrewsbury, Port Vale v Rochdale, Rotherham v Lincoln City, Southampton v Swindon, Southend v Gillingham, Stevenage v Brentford, Walsall v Chesterfield, Yeovil v Exeter.
Wednesday, September 1st; (both kick-offs 19.45): Brighton v Leyton Orient, Sheff Wed v Notts County.
Saturday, September 4th; (all kick-offs 15.00): Accrington Stanley v Wycombe, Aldershot v Northampton, Barnet v Cheltenham, Bradford v Port Vale, Burton Albion v Hereford, Bury v Gillingham, Chesterfield v Lincoln City, Macclesfield v Stockport, Oxford Utd v Morecambe, Shrewsbury v Rotherham, Southend v Torquay, Stevenage v Crewe.
BET
To Win:
Southend - 7/5, Draw - 5/2, Stockport - 7/4.
For all the footy odds go here: www.oddschecker.com/football/english/johnstones-paint-trophy
HISTORY
Gillingham are the only Kent-based club in the Football League and play their home matches at the KRBS Priestfield Stadium.
The club was founded in 1893 and joined the Football League in 1920. They were voted out of the league in favour of Ipswich Town at the end of the 1937-38 season, but returned to it 12 years later after it was expanded from 88 to 92 clubs.
Twice in the late 1980s they came close to winning promotion to the second tier of English football, but a decline then set in and in 1993 they narrowly avoided relegation to the Football Conference.
Between 2000 and 2005, Gillingham were in the second tier of the English football league system for the only time in their history, achieving a club record highest league finish of eleventh place in 2002-03.
In the 2008-09 season, the club was promoted to Football League One after victory over Shrewsbury Town in the League Two play-off final.
For a more comprehensive history of the club, go here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gillingham_FC
