|
Things are getting desperate at the bottom now and after Tuesday nights repeat of Saturday afternoon's shambles we couldn't think of a better time to meet a team with their tails up, Southend.
On the night that the Harriers were having a job finding the goal area, let alone the net, Southend were beating their fiercest rivals, Colchester Utd, 3-2 in the LDV with a goal from Drewe Broughton. He did blot his copy book soon after though when he got himself dismissed for a second yellow after kicking the ball away.
Old Drewe seems to be blowing hot and cold down in Essex. One minute he's being slated for some shocking performances, the next he's the best thing since sliced bread. A bit like his time at Aggie then.
Not surprisingly Drewe will be playing against us and so should Laurie Dudfield who Jan Molby managed while he was at Hull City. Dudfield is now at Northampton but has signed for Southend on a months loan. He scored on his debut for them at Cambridge last week.
The Shrimpers will be without Jay Smith who broke his ankle against Cambridge and will be out for the remainder of the season. Out too will be Leke Odunsi and Jamie Fullarton through long-term injury and Michael Husbands with a hamstring injury.
To cover for Smith the Utd manager, Steve Tilson, has bought in Carl Pettefer from Premiership Portsmouth on a month long loan with the option of extending this if needed.
We'll be without Wayne Hatswell who'll be serving his one match ban tomorrow and in his place could be either Matt Gadsby or yet another player coming through Aggboroughs revolving doors, Abdou Sall.
Abdou is the second player to rejoin the club in a week after Ian Foster rejoined just previous to the Cheltenham game on Tuesday. I can see the need to strengthen our depleted squad but I think that Jan needs to try and see further than the end of his nose and not rely on players that have been discarded as not being good enough in the past. What has happened to our scouting system and did we ever have one?
Adam Willis is still out and Kenny Coleman, although back in training, is not deemed to be fit enough yet but if Gadsby is needed to replace Hats then Jan may be forced into playing Kenny rather than put the untried Graham Ward at full back. We could always get Adie Smith back!!
When you're down amongst the dead men every game is a six pointer and this one is no exception. Win this and we gain a bit of breathing space. Draw, with Darlington and Carlisle winning and it's worrying. Lose this and it's panic button pressing time.
Teams
Harriers from:
Brock, Danby, Stamps, Gadsby, Jenkins, Murray, Sall, Coleman, Smith, Hinton, D Williams, Parrish, Bennett, Betts, Ward, Christiansen, Henriksen, Rickards, J Williams.
Southend from:
Emberson, Flahavan, Jupp, Stuart, Cort, Warren, McSweeney, Gower, Maher, Bramble, Corbett, Clark, Robinson, Wilson, Clark, N Jenkins, S Williams, Kightly, Hunt, Constantine, Tilson, Bentley, Dudfield, Pettefer, Harrison, Broughton.
|
HOME