A STATISTICAL preview of Southend United's trip to Salford City as the two teams meet for the first time ever.

FORM GUIDE

Southend: LDLDLL

Salford: LDWWDW

BETTING ODDS

Southend win: 7/1

Draw: 10/3

Salford win: 9/20

REFEREE

Carl Boyeson (East Yorkshire)

Boyeson has shown 21 yellow cards in the six games he has taken charge of so far this season but he has yet to show a red.

Boyeson officiated Blues’ 4-0 defeat at Peterborough back in February.

FIXTURES

Cheltenham v Scunthorpe, Morecambe v Mansfield, Barrow v Bolton, Cambridge v Port Vale, Colchester v Forest Green, Exeter v Crawley, Oldham v Carlisle, Stevenage v Newport, Tranmere v Leyton Orient, Bradford v Walsall, Grimsby v Harrogate, Salford v Southend.

POINTS OF INTEREST

>Salford are 11th in the table after losing 1-0 at Port Vale on Saturday.

>Salford have drawn all three of their home games this season.

>Ian Henderson is Salford’s top scorer with five goals so far this season.

>Paul Cook is now favourite to be the next Salford manager with Roy Keane the second favourite.

SALFORD TEAM NEWS

Paul Scholes has options if he wishes to make changes for his first home game as interim manager of Salford.

Scholes’ first match in temporary charge, following the surprise sacking of Graham Alexander, was a late 1-0 defeat at Port Vale on Saturday.

Centre-half Di’Shon Bernard, signed on loan from Scholes’ former club Manchester United on deadline day, could be in line to make his debut, while Alex Denny, Brandon Thomas-Asante and Tom Elliott are also options.

Scholes, who owns a 10 per cent share in Salford alongside former United team-mates David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt and Gary and Phil Neville, reported no new injury concerns.