Club record close as Town go to the Sea side!

Southend United v NorthamptoN Town
League Two
Saturday, February 26th 2011

It’s a rather dubious club record that the Cobblers could match tomorrow. Should the game at Southend end with a sixth consecutive draw we will level the number gained in the 1983/94 season. As I said earlier in the week, a point at Southend wouldn’t usually be considered a poor result particularly with them on such good form but something needs to click into place to get us those much wanted three.

Leon McKenzie is again a doubt after missing out on the Tuesday night draw at Hereford while Shaun Harrad sits out the second of a three game ban that also means he misses the game against former club Burton Albion on Tuesday night. Abdul Osman does return after his three game suspension and should go straight back into the side and Francis Laurent could face the side he left in the summer.

Southend skipper Craig Easton has said this week that his side’s season really starts with Saturday’s game against the Cobblers. The hosts moved up to ninth, just one point off the playoffs, on Tuesday night with a home win over Barnet and will be favourites to extend their recent good run.

Lee Sawyer returned to action for the Shrimpers on Tuesday night after a year out of action. Rebuilding his fitness playing part time for Woking, Sawyer is now back in Football League action and should keep his place for the Cobblers’ visit. Miguel Comminges was another to make his first appearance of the season in the same game but his place in the side could come under pressure from fit again youngster Kane Ferdinand.

So will one point turn into three…or zero?! You never can tell these days but we should just keep the faith and hopefully with the pressure more on Southend we can get something from a very tough game indeed.


Around League Two this weekend...

Bradford manager Peter Taylor will leave the club following his side’s home game against fellow strugglers Stockport County on Saturday. The former Leicester boss has seen his side slump to 21st in the league and it was revealed yesterday that his reign will end after tomorrow’s game. County can close the gap on the Bantams from six to three points with a win at Valley Parade.

Barnet are also looking to escape the bottom two having played plenty more games than their rivals and they host Lincoln City at Underhill. There are implications at both ends of the table as Burton welcome Rotherham and leaders Chesterfield host Morecambe. Wycombe, who went back up to second on Tuesday night, go to Macclesfield and third placed Shrewsbury are at home to seventh placed Gillingham. The Gills are four points behind their hosts and will see this as an ideal chance to close that gap.

Elsewhere, Bury face Crewe at Gigg Lane whilst Port Vale are at Aldershot and Oxford, with now just goal difference separating them from the playoffs, take on Hereford at the Kassam. Meanwhile, two sides just above the Cobblers, Stevenage and Cheltenham, go head to head at Broadhall Way and Accrington Stanley are at home to Torquay.