UNITED striker Martin Aldridge has joined second division strugglers Southend United on a month's loan in a bid to try to regain his sharpness, writes JON MURRAY.

Aldridge, who has not started a game for the U's this year, will make his debut for the bottom-of-the-table Shrimpers in their crunch relegation battle against Plymouth at Roots Hall tonight.

"The loan is to give him some first team football which he needs," said manager Malcolm Shotton.

"His contract's up in the summer but if he goes down there and does well he's not out of the picture here.

"It's in our interests to have him back scoring goals and if he can get a few for Southend it could do his confidence the world of good.

"It will be a lift for him because it's much better than playing first-team football."

Aldridge, who struck a hat-trick against Sheffield United at the Manor a year ago, has scored just four goals this season.

He is one of those players who is not yet 24 so does not qualify for a free transfer under the Bosman ruling when his contract expires at the end of the season. MALCOLM Shotton comes face to face with his old boss when Oxford United try to stop the Ipswich Town bandwagon at Portman Road tonight.

United's new manager will give an especially warm handshake to Ipswich chief George Burley who has led Town on a march from the foot of the table to a position of challenging strongly for the play-offs.

Burley took Shotton to Scottish club Ayr United after he had been released by Hull and made him his skipper.

He said: "Malcolm was one of my first signings at Ayr. He was an old-fashioned type of centre half with no frills. He was very competitive and strong and I made him my first-team captain. He did a great job for me.

"He's done very well since he was appointed at Oxford and I know he'll get his players working very hard."

Shotton said: "George is a whole-hearted fellow who likes to win. His assistant Dale Roberts was first-team coach at Ayr so I know them both well. They are two nice fellows and I'm looking forward to the game."

Shotton will need to give fitness tests today to both on-loan central defender Steve Davis and left-back Mike Ford before the team set off.

David, who missed the 0-0 draw at Bradford because of flu, is recovering well and trained yesterday. But Ford, who received a nasty dead leg at Valley Parade, was unable to train and seems much more of a doubt.

If Davis declares himself fit he will probably reclaim the No 5 shirt from Brian Wilsterman. Town are the in-form team in Division 1with 16 points from the last 18 available, including successive five-goal home wins, 5-1 against Huddersfield and 5-0 against Norwich.

Geordie striker Alex Mathie has declared himself fit after hobbling off at half-time with a calf strain - having hit the first ever first-half hat-trick in an East Anglian derby - in the crushing win over Norwich.

So 11-goal Mathie will continue his successful front-line partnership with David Johnson who has smashed 12 goals for Ipswich and eight for Bury this season, keeping James Scowcroft on the bench.

Argentine defender Mauricio Taricco returns after a one-match suspension and could take over at left back from Jamie Clapham, who is on loan from Tottenham.

Kieron Dyer, outstanding against Oxford earlier in the season, has now moved from fullback to midfield.

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