SHRIMPERS
So a game starting without Captain Adam, that will be strange.
Replacement; well M'Voto should be a shoo-in under normal circumstances, but not the way he's been playing and it will probably be Osei Sankofa who gets the nod, as he did on Saturday once Adam grabbed the second of his two yellows.
Great to see Johnny Herd back, and those throw-in's were dangerous.
Even greater was seeing the Moose score for the first time since the first game of the season after pushing him to do more in the final third, and a classy goal it was too, more please.
If Webby had a word in Tilly's ear about getting more players in then box, good stuff, let's just not have the defence standing around like statues for the early part of the game.
Francis Laurent missed the weekend with a pelvic injury, I've put him down as a sub but we'll have to see, always useful to have the inconsistant Frenchman around.
Christophe sits out the last of his four match ban yet if he returns for Bristol it could all be too late, the great escape has to start sometime, and once they woke up against Carlisle, the spirit was there but not the three points, they must try and get over the line Tuesday evening.
Walsall are no mugs away from home, ask Leeds, and have some decent talent in the side, Byfield will give Osei and Pat Baldwin a run for their money if he starts or even comes on as a sub, ask Colchester; so it's going to be close and there be no forecast, just a lot of praying.
Just go out there lads, give it your all, and the Roots Hall faithful will be with you all the way.
COME ON YOU BLUES!!!!!
Possible Southend United: Mildenhall, Francis, Baldwin, Sankofa, Herd, McCormack, Grant, Scannell, Vernon, Paterson, Moussa.
Subs: Bentley, Malone, M'Voto, O'Keefe, Laurent, Spencer, Crawford.
OPPOSITION
It's one skipper for another as Saddlers centre-back Walsall captain Mark Hughes was shown a straight red and starts a three-match ban. Manny Smith is ready to step in.
Richard Taundry played at right-back against the Farmers on Saturday, but Darryl Westlake could return after missing the game with an illness.
Rhys Weston has resumed training after a hamstring injury and may start on the bench.
10 | Southampton (-10) | 36 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 36 | 15 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 28 | 21 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 64 | 36 | 50 | +28 | ||||
11 | Carlisle United | 38 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 28 | 21 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 23 | 33 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 51 | 54 | 48 | -3 | ||||
12 | Walsall | 36 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 27 | 22 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 17 | 25 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 44 | 47 | 47 | -3 | ||||
13 | Yeovil Town | 38 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 31 | 22 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 15 | 30 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 46 | 52 | 44 | -6 |
Last time out - Walsall 1 Colchester United 0 (played on Saturday March 20th)
The Troy Deeney rant had been the talk of Walsall.
The Saddlers striker's explosive public outburst the previous weekend sent shockwaves around the Banks's Stadium. The fans loved it; the management wished it had remained between the four walls of the changing room. Either way, it had to be said.
And, whether or not Deeney's tongue-lashing triggered this reaction, it was exactly the type of committed performance that the crowd favourite felt his team-mates had been lacking in recent weeks.
There was no going through the motions at the Banks's Stadium on Saturday, Walsall dug deep and got exactly what they deserved. Even with the odds stacked against them, following Mark Hughes' first-half sending-off that should have never been, the Saddlers didn't give in.
In many ways, the straight red card dished out to the captain seconds before half-time helped inspire the hosts to victory. It refocused the minds of Chris Hutchings' men and forced them to come together as a collective unit. Down to ten men for the entire second half and against a decent play-off-chasing Colchester side, the situation looked grim for Walsall.
Well-documented injuries on football fields, such as Arsenal youngster Aaron Ramsey's horrific leg break at Stoke, appear to have put referees up and down the land on tenterhooks.
So when Hughes lunged in to cleanly take the ball off Colchester winger Ashley Vincent with a proper centre-half's challenge, wet-behind-the-ears referee Geoff Eltringham had one thing in mind.
The inexperienced Tyne and Wear official is in his first season in the Football League and Saturday's red card was the fifth one he's dished out this campaign. Clearly Eltringham is trying to make an impression.
The decision stunned the Walsall bench, but galvanised both the home team and the crowd. The Saddlers refused to let the numerical disadvantage become an excuse. The Us had their hosts pinned in their area, but the Walsall back five, with Julian Gray filling in as a makeshift left-back, put their bodies on the line.
In fairness, a goal-less draw would have been a good result but Walsall made their own luck to find a winner in the dying seconds of stoppage time. And it fell to a man who had forgotten the feeling of scoring.
Journeyman striker Darren Byfield had not found the net since December 5 and he later admitted that it felt as if he hadn't scored for five years. But the ex-Villa man was quick to race on to Deeney's through ball and made up a lot of ground before showing a calm head in the box to squeeze home the winner.
It sparked jubilant scenes and understandably so. This was Walsall's first win in five and only their second in the last ten home games. However, the result was always going to be secondary, it was the performance that was needed.
Walsall: (4-4-2): ★ GILMARTIN 8; Taundry 7, Hughes 6, McDonald 7, Vincent 8; Jones 7, O'Keefe 6 (Richards 76), Mattis 7, Gray 7; Deeney 6, Nicholls 6 (Byfield 79). Not used: Ince, Smith, Bradley, Till, Grigg.
Colchester United: (4-4-2): Williams; White, Okuonghae, Heath, Tierney; Vincent (Odejayi 61), (Gillespie 66), O'Toole, Prutton, Wordworth; Platt, Lisbie. Not used: Cousins, Henderson, Batth, Fox, Ifill.
Referee: G Eltringham (Tyne and Wear).
(Report by Andy Walker on www.birminghammail.net)
PREVIOUSLY
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REF
He gives an interview here: www.refworld.com/referee/128/1/carl-boyeson
FIXTURES
Monday, March 22nd: Leeds United v Millwall, 19:45
Tuesday, March 23rd; (all kick-offs 19.45): Colchester v Brentford, Southampton v Hartlepool, Southend v Walsall.
BET
To Win:
Southend (to win) - 6/4, Draw - 12/5, Walsall (to win) - 2/1.
For all the footy odds go here: www.oddschecker.com/football/english/league-one
HISTORY
The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club were one of the founder members of the Second Division in 1892, but have spent their entire existence outside of English football's top division; their highest league finish was sixth in Division Two in 1898-99.
Walsall moved into their Bescot Stadium in 1990, having previously played at nearby Fellows Park. The ground is now known as Banks's Stadium for sponsorship purposes.
The team play in a red and white kit and their club crest features a swift. They have rivalries with neighbouring Black Country teams, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers, with more 'traditional' rivalries with Shrewsbury Town and Port Vale.
The club's nickname, The Saddlers, reflects Walsall's status as a traditional centre for saddle manufacture.
For a full history go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walsall_F.C.