On Saturday the two clubs do battle in the Premiership, but tonight the south coast side make the trip across Hampshire to Aldershot to face a Chelsea team looking for revenge having gone down 2-0 at St. Mary’s in November, both goals coming in the opening seven minutes.
As Mick McGiven’s side attempts to redress the balance, it will be without Filipe Oliveira and Nuno Morais who are both away on Portugal Under 21 duty. Adrian Pettigrew has recovered from mumps and is the natural replacement for Morais in central defence; Jimmy Smith will take over from Oliveira.
With no youth team fixture last weekend, Academy players such as Pettigrew and Smith plus other youth team regulars like Joe Tillen, Filipe Morais and the Younghusband brothers will be fresh for the latest reserve challenge.
The defeat earlier in the season was the last game before a dramatic turnaround in form that saw the next five games won, Southampton obtaining their victory with a team containing six players who had played for their first team including Crouch, Prutton and Oakley.
Tonight’s contest will be a more even match in terms of experience although Southampton do name Latvian international striker Marian Pahars and French wideman Fabrice Fernandes in their side. Pahars is attempting another comeback after a couple of years of injury problems.
Those two players apart, the Saints squad is made up of Academy-aged players. Striker Leon Best is the second top scorer in the southern section of the reserve league, a division that sees Southampton second in the table, Chelsea sixth.
The full Chelsea team tonight is:
Lenny Pidgeley (gk), Dean Smith, Adrian Pettigrew, Steven Watt, Sam Tillen, Adrian Pettigrew, Danny Hollands, Filipe Morais, Jimmy Smith, Joe Tillen, Danny Woodards.
Subs: James Russell (gk), Ben Huddell, James Younghusband, James Simmonds, Philip Younghusband.
Southampton:
Michael Poke (gk), Craig Richards, Sebastian Wallis-Taylor, Feliciano Condesso, Sean Rudd, Lloyd James, Fabrice Fernandes, Leon Best, Marian Pahars, Tim Sparv, David McGoldrick.
Subs: Andrew McNeil (gk), Nathan Dyer, Josh Dutton-Black, Gareth Bale, Aristoteles de Carvalho.
The game kicks-off at 7pm at Aldershot Town FC’s Recreation Ground, High St. Aldershot. Admission is £5 for adults, £2 for OAPs/juvs or free to season ticket holders.
There is full live coverage on Chelsea TV beginning at 6-30pm. Eddie Newton will provide expert analysis in the studio with Clive Walker co-commentating. The show will also contain an interview with Wayne Bridge, talking about his injury.
by Paul Mason
To check the latest table click on the link below: http://www.premierleague.com/fapl.rac?command=forwardOnly&nextPage=enCompReservesSouth