Going South

Shrimpers provide second-round test
TABLE-topping League Two side Southend will provide Athletic with a serious test in the second round of the FA Cup.

The Shrimpers made it 15 matches unbeaten in all competitions with a 1-0 home win over Preston in last night’s first-round replay, former Stockport striker Liam Dickinson getting the only goal at Roots Hall as Athletic manager Paul Dickov looked on.

Paul Sturrock’s side will be on home soil once again on Saturday, December 3, as Athletic go in search of a fourth successive knock-out triumph — and a potentially lucrative place in the third round of the competition.

Elsewhere, Matt Smith struck twice as Athletic’s reserves drew 2-2 with Fleetwood Town in a closed-doors friendly at Chapel Road yesterday afternoon.

“It was a competitive game, which was good,” said coach Lee Duxbury. “You don’t want matches in which you don’t get anything from them. Defensively we were poor and letting in soft goals is something which seems to be happening throughout the club at all levels.”

Fleetwood took the lead when on-trial goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis parried a shot to allow Sam Christensen to slide home.

After Smith had equalised from the penalty spot, team-mate Carl Winchester hit the crossbar with a strike from 30 yards. Filipe Morais and Andrea Mancini were replaced at half-time and the visitors went ahead again when Magno Vieira converted a cross. Smith drew Athletic level with a header from Kirk Millar’s centre.



ATHLETIC’S under-18s are in action at Boundary Park tonight in an FA Youth Cup second-round tie (7pm kick-off).

Macclesfield Town provide the opposition and Tony Philliskirk selects from a 15-strong squad which includes under-16s goalkeeper Joel Coleman.

Squad: Simpson, Jones, Belezika, Parkes, Cooper, Edwards, Sutherland, Poxon, Fitzgerald, Gosset, Laird, Riley, McIntosh, Wandless, Coleman.



THE reserves’ Lancashire Senior Cup, quarter-final tie at Accrington Stanley will take place on Tuesday, November 29, at the Crown Ground (7pm).