It is the final game week of the National League this weekend, and both Southend United and Torquay United will have the chance to wrap things up in style when they meet this Sunday.
The hosts cannot move any further up the table, but a victory would guarantee a 12th-placed finish, while a victory for the Gulls could see them climb up to ninth.
Match preview
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There is not a lot on the line for Southend in the final game of the season, but they shall be looking to wrap up the campaign with a victory in front of their home fans.
Kevin Maher's team can guarantee they finish in 12th place with a victory against Torquay, while a defeat could lead to them slipping down two places depending on other results.
The Shrimpers have been stronger at home throughout this season, winning 10 times, which is something they will want to take into the 2022-23 campaign.
Southend have struggled defensively at times though, with their -16 goal difference being the worst of any team in the top half of the table.
Maher's men have failed to win in their previous two games, after a loss to Wrexham was followed by a 1-1 draw against Weymouth in their last outing.
The visitors also did not get three points in their most recent fixture, which saw them defeated 1-0 by league leaders Stockport County after a Paddy Madden goal.
After just a single victory in their previous six outings, the Gulls will be hoping to give their fans something to smile about on the final day of the season.
A win on Sunday could see the team move up the division into ninth place if Boreham Wood slip up, although it is a far cry from their previous campaign which saw them come runners up.
Torquay have won just seven times on the road this season, and the nine defeats they have suffered in away games is one of the reasons they are not involved in the fight for promotion this season.
The Gulls did manage to earn three points against Southend earlier this season though, as Connor Lemonheigh-Evans scored in the 90th minute to win his team the game 1-0.
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Team News
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Joe Benton made his debut for Southend in their recent draw against Weymouth, and he is someone who could be given his first start on Sunday to wrap up the season.
Callum Powell will also be someone that hopes to feature in this match after he rewarded his manager for selecting him by finding the back of the net in that game.
The visitors could be without Armani Little in this particular match after he was forced off during the end of their encounter against Stockport County.
There are doubts over Asa Hall and Tom Lapslie as well, with both men having to miss the previous match because of injuries.
Southend United possible starting lineup:
Arnold; Hobson, Gubbins, Davies, Kensdale; Powell, Bridge, Benton, Atkinson, Neal; Cardwell
Torquay United possible starting lineup:
Halstead; Wynter, Martin, Omar, Lewis; Lemonheigh-Evans, Little, Johnson, Duke-McKenna, Felix; Wright
We say: Southend United 1-1 Torquay United
Neither team has much to play for in this particular encounter, with this mainly being a battle for pride on Sunday, with only small changes being possible in the table.
Because of the recent form that Southend United and Torquay United have showcased, it would not be a surprise to see them sharing the spoils to wrap up their campaigns.
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Southend United win with a probability of 55.18%. A draw had a probability of 23.3% and a win for Torquay United had a probability of 21.52%.
The most likely scoreline for a Southend United win was 1-0 with a probability of 10.86%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (9.82%) and 2-0 (9.65%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (11.05%), while for a Torquay United win it was 0-1 (6.23%). The actual scoreline of 1-1 was predicted with an 11.1% likelihood. Our team at Sports Mole correctly predicted a 1-1 draw for this match.
Top tip
Matthew Wilkinson
