Next Up: Exeter City v Southend United

City look to build on an impressive start to 2013 by trying to secure a first home win since the start of November. With Jamie Cureton sitting out the second match of his suspension, Paul Tisdale may look to keep to the somewhat settled squad by naming an unchanged first XI, even though Tom Doherty was withdrawn at half-time at York and Kevin Amankwaah played a key role in ensuring City’s victory at Bootham Crescent. Two names could also come into the mix – new signing Myles Anderson and Jake Gosling, who has returned from a successful loan spell at Dorchester that saw him earn instant City hero status by scoring the goal that knocked out those green chaps from down the A38 from the FA Cup!

One could be forgiven for thinking that Southend have bigger fish to fry currently than a visit to sunny Devon. Paul Sturrock’s side faces an FA Cup replay at Brentford on Tuesday night that would see the winners host Chelsea, while the Tuesday just gone saw the Shrimpers progress to the Southern Final of the JPT with a penalties win over Oxford that leaves them two matches from Wembley. However, after a stunning run that saw them go unbeaten for more than two months they have lost their last two league matches to lie just behind City in 6th place, so Sturrock will be hoping to capitalise on City’s recent home malaise to get their league season back on track. Key to their fortunes this season have been Gavin Tomlin (14 goals) and Watford loanee Britt Assombalonga (12), but City will also know only too well the threat of former striker (sadly more with his fists than his feet during his season at City!) Barry Corr, who has battled injury to hit a rich vein of form and has seven goals to his name.

Inevitably Corr got himself on the scoresheet when the sides met at Roots Hall back in September, equalising Scot Bennett’s strike before well-travelled striker Freddy Eastwood broke City’s hearts with a late winner. Southend is the side City have played the most in league matches, and it is the Shrimpers who hold a marginal lead in the head-to-head with 41 wins to City’s 38 in Football League matches (34 draws), although City haven’t lost at home to Southend since November 1999.

Roger East is the ref. http://www.exeweb.com/2013/01/08/east-in-charge-of-the-exeter-city-v-southend-united-game/

Any Southend United supporters visiting the Park, may like to have a read of our ground guide.http://www.exeweb.com/2012/05/29/the-things-you-need-to-know-st-james-park-exeter/