Matchday preview - Sat 21st Feb

Leicester v Ipswich

SKYBET CHAMPIONSHIP
Venue: King Power Stadium   Date: Sat 21th Feb   Kick-off: 15:00   Coverage: BBC Radio Suffolk, FANbase website

Gerken is now over his neck problem that he suffered prior to Saturday's draw with Blackpool, as Town visit Leicester to pick up their first win since February 1st .

Nouble looks set to start with Murphy up front, while Hyam is not fit to be included in the team.

Town will also be without top scorer David McGoldrick, after knee ligament damage.

Ipswich go into the game five points off the play-off position (sitting in ninth), while Leicester remain top and set on course for promotion. The previous fixture, back at Portman Road in November saw the Foxes 2-1 winners.

Colchester v Preston NE

SKYBET LEAGUE ONE
Venue: Weston Homes Community Stadium   Date: Sat 21th Feb   Kick-off: 15:00   Coverage: BBC Essex, FANbase website

Colchester will be without striker Sanchez Watt, who starts a three match ban, as the U's host Preston North End at the Weston Homes.

Striker Ibehre will compete with Sears, Massey and Gilbey to start up front, to replace suspended Watt.

The two sides last met in a 1-1 draw at the Deepdale Stadium, back in November. The U's have not lost to the Lilywhites in the previous five encounters (three wins, two draws).

York City v Southend

SKYBET LEAGUE TWO
Venue: Bootham Crescent   Date: Sat 21th Feb   Kick-off: 15:00   Coverage: BBC Essex, FANbase website

New signing Cian Bolgor will link up with Southend today as the Blues look to build on their midweek draw, as they visit York City.

Luke Prosser is out, while Julian Bennett is also. Conor Clifford serves the third of his four game ban while Luke O’Neill has returned to parent club Burnley.

Luke Prosser scored a 90th minute winner as Blues defeated York 2-1 in the reverse fixture at Roots Hall, when both sides went down to ten men.

Kidderminster v Braintree

SKRILL PREMIER
Venue: Aggborough Stadium   Date: Sat 21th Feb   Kick-off: 15:00   Coverage: BBC Hereford & Worcester, FANbase website

Manager Alan Devonshire and his Braintree squad are preparing for their first fixture in 42 days as the Iron visit Aggborough to take on Kidderminster Harriers

The meeting with Braintree is undoubtedly one that both clubs will be looking forward to.

The hosts, Kidderminster, haven’t played at Aggborough since the January 21 defeat to Dartford, while Alan Devonshire’s side haven’t seen any league action at all since January 11.

An horrendous run of postponements mean the Iron have played just 25 league matches this term and have as many as nine games in hand on some sides in the Skrill Premier.

Chelmsford v Maidenhead

SKRILL SOUTH
Venue: Melbourne Stadium   Date: Sat 21th Feb   Kick-off: 15:00   Coverage: FANbase website

Chelmsford will hope to return to action today as they host Maidenhead United in today's Skrill South fixture.

Due to a spate of recent postponements, this will remarkably see the Clarets play for the first time in seventeen-days. During that time two matches have been postponed which will allow the Clarets to feel prepared.

City will be without skipper Mark Hughes however as he begins the first of his five-match suspension.

The Magpies’, who sit in 20th position, saw them lose 2-0 to Dover Athletic in their most recent match and the visitors will be looking to bounce back. The Clarets lost 2-1 to Ebbsfleet United nineteen days ago.

AFC Sudbury v Tilbury

RYMAN DIVISION ONE NORTH
Venue: MEL Group Stadium   Date: Sat 21th Feb   Kick-off: 15:00   Coverage: FANbase website

AFC Sudbury will hope to make it fourteen league fixtures unbeaten as fourteenth placed Tilbury visit the MEL Group Stadium, in today's feature match (updates via @FANbaseBlog).

The Essex side travel into the fixture on the back of a derby defeat to Aveley midweek, while the Yellows go into the game following 4-0 and 2-0 victories in the past eight days - form that the Yellows wish to keep up.

Matt Daniels could return today, after sitting out Tuesday’s game with a damaged eye.

Josh Carus is also likely to be available for David Batch's men.

Halstead Town v AFC Sudbury Reserves

THURLOW NUNN DIVISION ONE
Venue: Rosemary Lane   Date: Sat 21th Feb   Kick-off: 15:00   Coverage: FANbase website

AFC Sudbury Reserves will be looking for their first win of 2014, as they prepare to visit Halstead Town for their Thurlow Nunn fixture.

The Yelllows will hope to bounce back from their 4-0 cup exit midweek when they lost 4-0 to Needham Market.

Third place Halstead Town will be aiming to continue their promotion form, with Town five points off joint leaders Whitton Utd and Fakenham Town.

The two sides will meet for the first time this season, after the fixture at Sudbury was postponed last month.