Leyton Orient vs Southend United
Overview
Blues turn their attentions to the Leasing.com Trophy this evening as Kevin Bond's side travel to The Breyer Group Stadium to take on Leyton Orient.
Southend reached round three of the competition last term before being knocked out by the eventual winners Portsmouth at Roots Hall.
Orient were last in the competition back in the 2016/17 season where they fell at the first hurdle, finishing bottom of a group which included Stevenage, Brighton and Southend.
Form
Southend’s league troubles have been well documented in recent weeks, with Blues still to pick up a league point from their six games so far this season.
Kevin Bond’s only win of the campaign so far came in the first round of the Carabao Cup against Stevenage last month where Blues won 2-1.
Leyton Orient have settled back into life in the Football League with two wins, two draws and two defeats from their six games, drawing 1-1 on the road at Salford City on Saturday.
Last Meeting
Tuesday 4th October 2016
Southend United 1-0 Leyton Orient
Fortune 82’
Marc-Antoine Fortune’s late goal was all that separated the two sides at Roots Hall as Blues ran out 1-0 winners against Leyton Orient in the Football League Trophy.
The Frenchman turned to fire home with an impressive left-footed effort with just over eight minutes remaining, ensuring Southend’s passage into the next round.
Blues Team News
Assistant manager Gary Waddock suggested Blues would be playing as strong a side possible, especially now the league game against Portsmouth this weekend has been postponed. Waddock to report some 'bumps and bruises' for the management team to factor in, though, when selecting the side this evening.
Two players who will be missing however will be Mark Milligan and Charlie Kelman after both received call-ups by the Australian national team and U.S. under 20 side respectively.
Blues are still waiting to hear the extent of John White’s injury after he was forced off during the defeat to Rochdale which means he almost certainly will not be featuring tonight.
Orient Danger Man
Josh Wright is someone that Southend fans will remember from his time at the club, having spent a season with Blues in 2017/18 following his departure from Gillingham.
Wright made the switch from Bradford City to Orient in the summer and was the last player signed by the late Justin Edinburgh, and he’s gotten off to a good start to life at The Breyer Group Stadium.
The 29-year-old scored the winner in Orient’s opening day victory against Cheltenham before following it up with a second of the season in a losing effort at home to Crawley.
Ref Watch
The referee this evening at The Breyer Group Stadium will be Christopher Pollard who will be assisted by Bhupinder Gill and Daniel Cook, with Kevin Howick the fourth official.
Pollard has taken charge of three League Two games so far this season, issuing nine yellow cards as well as one red, with the red being shown on Pollard’s opening assignment at Mansfield.
This is Pollard’s first season in the Football League so he’s never taken charge of Southend before, most recently refereeing Leyton Orient in their 3-2 win over Eastleigh in March.
Away Fans Guide
The Southend fans that are making the relatively short journey into East London this evening will find themselves housed in the North Stand at The Breyer Group Stadium.
Traditionally away fans are put over in the East Stand but it's been switched for this evening's encounter in the 9,000-plus capacity stadium.
For more information on the ground, including info on travel directions, where to park and where to go for a pre-match drink, check out awaygames.co.uk’s guide by clicking here
Tickets
Tickets for tonight’s match are available via the Blues Box Office, online or by calling 08444 770077 until midday today (Tuesday 3rd September).
They will still be available to purchase from The Breyer Group Stadium directly at no additional charge, with both cash and card sales available.
Prices of tickets range from £1.00 for u18’s up to £7.00 for Adults/Seniors.
iFollow Live Stream
Can't make it to The Breyer Group Stadium? Watch live on iFollow, with match passes available to purchase in the UK for £10.
Commentary will come from BBC Essex along with in-game graphics and action replays too.
Any fans with queries should contact the EFL ifollow customer service team for assistance via ifollow@efl.com or by using the live chat tool at the bottom right hand side of the website.
Live commentary of this match has not yet started.
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