ADVER Sport's guide to Swindon Town's next opponent, newly promoted Southend United.
THE CHALKBOARD
SOUTHEND have made an indifferent start to life in League One following their promotion last term, picking up two points from three games.
A deciding factor in how the Shrimpers will fare will be in goals scored - and so far they have not been forthcoming.
United have found the net just once in 2015-16, through David Worrall on the opening day of the season.
But that is not for the want of trying. Phil Brown’s men are energetic in their play and produce plenty of good football. Two wingers are employed to get forward and support lone striker David Mooney but so far they have struggled to fashion out clear-cut chances.
Former Hull City boss Brown has deployed a different formation in every match so far, going with a 4-5-1 in the midweek draw at Doncaster.
Brown is known to be defensive minded and his first priority is to make his side hard to beat.
LIKELY LINE-UP
A MAN IN FORM: DANIEL BENTLEY
GOALKEEPER Daniel Bentley was the hero of Southend’s promotion from League Two last season, culminating in him saving the decisive penalty in their dramatic penalty shoot-out success over Wycombe in the play-off final at Wembley.
The 22-year-old was particularly dominant at Roots Hall, keeping 16 cleans sheets in the Shrimpers’ 23 home league games.
He has picked up where he left off this term, with another series of impressive displays.
United have two draws from their three League One clashes so far, but they could easily still have been pointless but for Bentley’s efforts.
Bentley is likely to enjoy a big future in the game and has caught admiring glances from several higher league clubs, with QPR already having tabled a £1.25million bid for his services.
Daniel Bentley
THE TREATMENT ROOM
SHRIMPERS boss Phil Brown is sweating over the fitness of Cian Bolger ahead of Town’s trip to Roots Hall after he picked up an injury in midweek.
The centre back suffered a dislocated shoulder in Southend’s goalless draw at Doncaster and was due to undergo an x-ray yesterday to ascertain the full extent of the damage.
United are not hopeful over the results of that and are expected to name Luke Prosser in the Irisman’s place at the back.
Noel Hunt is also a major doubt for the clash with a heel injury.
The striker limped off in the Shrimpers’ Capital One Cup defeat to Brighton last week but returned to training ahead of the Doncaster game.
However, the problem resurfaced in training and he was unable to feature in midweek and could now miss out against Swindon as well.
Winger Myles Weston was suffering with illness against Donny and only played a bit-part role off the bench. Brown is hoping he can shake that off to feature more prominantly this weekend.
Cian Bolger
FORM GUIDE
Sun, Aug 2
Pre-Season
1-0 Loss v
Leyton Orient (H)
Sat, Aug 8
Skybet League 1
1-1 Draw v
Fleetwood (A)
Tue, Aug 11
League Cup
1-0 Loss v
Brighton (H)
Sat, Aug 15
Skybet League 1
2-0 Loss v
Walsall (H)
Wed, Aug 19
Skybet League 1
0-0 Draw v
Doncaster (A)
GOALSCORER
David Worrall: 1
DISCIPLINE
Anthony Wordsworth: 1Y
Cian Bolger: 1Y
Ben Coker: 1Y
THE STAT
There has not been a goalless draw between these two sides at Roots Hall for 30 years.
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