v 
SHRIMPERS
So, to play Ryan Hall or not play Ryan Hall?
Lots of interesting views about regarding the lack of effectiveness of Ryan Leonard's long throw at Roots Hall due to the contours of the pitch and such like, all a bit scientific to me, Hall should start, but I bet he doesn't.
No home side or away side in Luggy's thinking I believe, he'll stick with his 'A' side, with maximum impact coming of the bench al la Crewe if it's needed.
And in the end who can blame him?
Much has been made of the Shrimps better away record but none of there four away wins in the league have been against team in the top half, this is their first real test that's not been at the Globe Arena where they have not performed so well.
Though no side that beat Crawley Town 6-0 can be dismissed lightly, they do look vunerable in the air, so a few pennies on Dicko for the first goal at fives looks good odds, and maybe not from the spot, or goal machine Mark Phillips from a corner!
It's maybe a shame that ot wont be young Ryan taking it but three time member of the team of the week Peter Gilbert.
3-1 Blues, and we are on a bit of a roll with our forecasts at the moment!
Possible Southend United: Morris, Clohessy, Phillips, Barker, Gilbert, Kalala, Leonard, Ferdinand, Timlin, Dickinson, Harris.
Subs: Bentley, Grant, Hall, Mohsni, Sturrock.
COME ON YOU BLUES!!!!
OPPOSITION
Morecambe may have joint top-scorer Danny Carlton back for the top six fixture, a real old-fashioned three pointer.
The Leeds born striker has scored seven goals in all competitions and is leading the Shrimps' scoring chart alongside Kevin Ellison.
Carlton missed the Johnstone's Paint Trophy clash with Preston after being stretchered off with a knee injury in the previous game with Torquay, but the injury is not as bad as once feared, though he missed the home defeat against AFC Wimbledon,
However, Phil Jevons is not a bad replacement.
Manager Jim Bentley will be without Paul Scott as he is recovering from knee surgery, although the boss was boosted by the return of several players for the Dons including midfielder Gary McDonald, foward Lewis Alessandra and captain Will Haining all shrugged off their respective injuries.
www.twohundredpercent.net felt; 'Popular centre-half Jim Bentley takes the step up from long serving player to manager at Morecambe. Nick Fenton arrives to provide competition and maybe even a replacement for the player-manager, while midfielder Gary McDonald returns south of the border having spent the last three seasons in the SPL, though Izak Reid and Kevin Ellison bring more experience and competition to a midfield that underperformed last season, and Craig Stanley is the only major departure. A repeat of 2010’s playoff finish is unlikely, but the Shrimps shouldn’t get dragged as close to the relegation zone as last season.'
Here's a Guardian article on the rise of the Shrimps this season after an earlier 3-2 home defeat to Bristol Rovers.
"We'll dust ourselves down, look at the video and be ready to go again," boss Jim Bentley said. Torquay is where they are going next. (1-1 draw) "We'll pick the bones out of it, especially that third goal." Beforehand he had noted that in 11 games they had conceded only one goal inside the 18-yard box. Here there were two besides their let-offs.
"Looking at our defensive record," he had said, "it's a defence I would love to play in." Two seasons ago, when Morecambe lost in the play-offs to Dagenham & Redbridge, he generally did. Last season he became player-coach.
In May, after the club finished 20th, he stepped up to manager in succession to Sammy McIlroy, who had lifted them out of the Conference in 2007. He retains the No5 shirt. Bentley, born in Liverpool, played well over 300 games for them. Shrimps are in his blood. He scored their first goal as a Football League club, in the League Cup at Preston. Peter McGuigan, chairman and owner, called him "a natural born leader".
The club have settled into the league as easily as into their compact new ground, which they first envisaged in 2007 and kicked off in last season. It was a delicate operation. Joseph Christie, a Manchester merchant and benefactor of the 1920s, gave the previous ground, Christie Park, on condition that "it should be used by Morecambe FC for as long as they existed and, if the club was ever disbanded, it should become a playground for the children of Morecambe". No doubt the latter can scoot down the aisles of the supermarket. The sale to Sainsbury's funded the £12m Globe, which houses 6,476 with room still for a stand to match the full-length main one. Christie will be smiling in his grave.
Saturday's crowd of 2,583 raised the average to 2,473. They could do with drawing Blackpool in the Cup. Morecambe had 11,000 supporters when they beat Exeter City at Wembley in the Conference play-off final. There is a community to be tapped and a pie to tap it with. In June's British Pie awards Morecambe FC's £2.50 chicken, ham and leek was supreme champion.
Pride and stability radiate through the Arena from McGuigan downwards. Like Christie his business is Manchester based. Having rescued Umbro, he became chief executive of Americana, the name behind Bench and Hooch. Not only the substitutes have Bench on their tops.
Bentley was pleased that the crowd "clapped his players off. They could see the hard work," he said. None epitomised it more than Price, an old-time itinerant of 34 who joined this month on a four-month deal, having helped to inflict on Morecambe their only previous league defeat, 1-0 at home to Barnet on the opening day; mid-season moves can carry peculiar regrets. His height should help the alert Carlton if he stays. Paul Buckle, Rovers' manager, said: "The big balls up caused problems," not apparently hyphenating.
"The players will come in smiling again on Monday," said Bentley confidently, and so they should. Thanks to Southend, (you're welcome), who won 4-0 at Rotherham to go third, Morecambe are still top. (Er....sorry.)
On October 15th they go to Roots Hall – Shrimpers v Shrimps. The Shrimps won both times last season.
(Article by Jeremy Alexandra on www.guardian.co.uk from Sunday, September 25th, 2011.)
Last Time Out
Morecambe 1 AFC Wimbledon 2: (played on Saturday, October 8th): Report: www.morecambefc.com
Beeb highlights: http://news.bbc.co.uk (ex-loanee Jack Midson getting his ninth of the season for the Dons!)
Player to watch
Kevin Ellison
At joint top of the Shrimps scoring charts with seven goals from 14 games, approaching the veteran stage at 32 the Scouse born winger can still be a dangerous opponent.
Now on his 14th club al al Drewe, no actually I think Drewey is ahead, he can be a scorer of spectacular strikes, and should be watched closely if moving forward from midfield, JP Kalala be warned.
(Full player info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Ellison_(footballer)
Life at the top
| 1 | Southend United | 12 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 21 | 12 | 25 | +9 | ||||
| 2 | Crawley Town | 12 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 17 | 25 | +5 | ||||
| 3 | AFC Wimbledon | 12 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 22 | 18 | 23 | +4 | ||||
| 4 | Shrewsbury Town | 12 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 14 | 23 | +4 | ||||
| 5 | Oxford United | 12 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 17 | 10 | 22 | +7 | ||||
| 6 | Morecambe | 12 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 23 | 11 | 21 | +12 | ||||
| 7 | Cheltenham Town | 12 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 18 | 15 | 20 | +3 | ||||
PREVIOUSLY
| At Southend Utd. (1) | At Morecambe (1) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results | Total | % | Results | Total | % | |
| Southend Utd. | 0 | 0.00 | Morecambe | 1 | 100.00 | |
| Morecambe | 1 | 100.00 | Southend Utd. | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Draws | 0 | 0.00 | Draws | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Goals | Total | Av.pg | Goals | Total | Av.pg | |
| Southend Utd. | 2 | 2.00 | Morecambe | 2 | 2.00 | |
| Morecambe | 3 | 3.00 | Southend Utd. | 1 | 1.00 | |
| On Neutral Ground (0) | Overall (2 matches) | |||||
| Results | Total | % | Results | Total | % | |
| Southend Utd. | 0 | 0.00 | Southend Utd. | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Morecambe | 0 | 0.00 | Morecambe | 2 | 100.00 | |
| Draws | 0 | 0.00 | Draws | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Goals | Total | Av.pg | Goals | Total | Av.pg | |
| Southend Utd. | 0 | 0.00 | Southend Utd. | 3 | 1.50 | |
| Morecambe | 0 | 0.00 | Morecambe | 5 | 2.50 | |
| Records | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest Aggregate | 5 | Southend Utd. | 2 - 3 | Morecambe | 2010/2011 |
| Highest Southend Utd. score: | 2 | Southend Utd. | 2 - 3 | Morecambe | 2010/2011 |
| Highest Morecambe score: | 3 | Southend Utd. | 2 - 3 | Morecambe | 2010/2011 |
| Season | Date | Home | Score | Away | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010/2011 | Sat 05 Mar | Morecambe | 2 - 1 | Southend Utd. | League Two |
| Sat 18 Sep | Southend Utd. | 2 - 3 | Morecambe | League Two |
REF
The man in the middle is from Graham Scott from Oxfordshire.
A few kind words here: http://rateyourref.co.uk
His assistants are Adam Crysell and Craig Hicks; The fourth official is Barry Holderness.
FIXTURES
League Two