by Adam Stubbings

Andy Williams' brace ensured a happy end to a turbulent 2015 with a 2-1 win at Oldham to banish the Boxing Day blues inflicted by local rivals Scunthorpe. Consistency is the key and Rovers are still searching for it, unable to register consecutive wins in seven outings. We now hold wins over all of League One's bottom eight clubs but boast not a single victory over anybody else in the division. Saturday's opponents Southend sit 7th in the table but will be keen to bounce back from a shocking 4-0 home defeat at the hands of Millwall last time out, a result which ended an eight match unbeaten run in the league and sees them shy of the top 6 on goal difference.

Rovers may not have made much headway in the league standings recently, remaining 15th, but the gap to those above has closed and we are now just three points shy of Millwall in 9th spot. We are closer to the Play Offs than the relegation zone, a crucial distinction heading into the New Year as Darren Ferguson seeks to push us on up the table to compete for promotion, an ambition not out of the realms of possibility.

This is our first trip to Roots Hall since the League One Play Off Semi-Final of 2008 that eventually ended up in a historic promotion for Rovers. A goalless draw that evening was tempered by a late red card to striker Paul Heffernan, but even without him we blew Southend away in the second leg 5-1, James Coppinger netting a hat trick. Indeed we have lost only one of ten meetings with the Shrimpers dating back to the mid-90's, a 3-2 loss early in that promotion season away from home.

Conor Grant and Felipe Mattioni look set to have their loan spells at the club extended, providing Mattioni's latest injury isn't too serious, whilst Harry Forrester is on the verge of departing for Scotland's former giants Rangers, linking back up with old coach Mark Warburton. Forrester has seen his chances limited since the arrival of Darren Ferguson, and a move looks ot suit all parties. Rovers changed to a 4-5-1 set-up at Oldham and may continue with it after winning the game, but Mitchell Lund may return to the starting XI due to the aforementioned injury to full back Mattioni.