Rushden & Diamonds are the visitors on Friday evening (k.o. 7.45pm) for the second of four consecutive home games in fourteen days over the Christmas and New Year period.

They are currently 15th in the BSP with 26 points from 22 games played, and make their second visit to the Abbey Stadium this season after losing here 1-0 in October to a Scott Rendell goal.

Tonight's Setanta Shield game is a fourth round tie, after the previous three rounds reduced the 44 entrants from the Blue Square North and South down to eight teams to join the 24 Blue Square Premier sides at this stage.

Prize money of £2,500 is at stake in this round, and the competition's total prize fund is £250,000.

In his team selection tonight, Jimmy Quinn must observe the rules of the competition, which require that "no less than 10 of the 16 players named on the team sheet must have taken part in the Club's two previous Football Conference (Blue Square Premier) fixtures."

Tonight's fixture will be decided on the night, with extra time followed by a penalty shoot-out if required.

The Manager

Diamonds' manager Garry Hill is vastly experienced in non-league football, starting out at Heybridge Swifts and St.Albans before making his name at Dagenham & Redbridge.

He led the Daggers into the Conference and almost won automatic promotion to the Football League, but after being beaten to the top slot by Boston United his side suffered further disappointment with a Play-off Final defeat by Mark Albrighton's Doncaster Rovers.

During the following season he resigned and dropped a level to manage Hornchurch, leaving after six months when the club went into administration.

He was tempted back into management by big-spending Weymouth, but after winning the Conference South title he was plunged into another administration crisis in January 2007 and he had to leave the Terras due to their spiralling debts.

However, a month later Diamonds surprisingly dismissed Graham Westley and Hill replaced him, leading them to a mid-table finish.

Connections

The Rushden squad includes veteran former U's keeper Paul Bastock, who appeared for United 19 years ago in 1988/89, and Moroccan left back Abdou El Kholti who made 15 league appearances in the 2004/05 season.

The Cambridge squad includes three former Diamonds in Mark Albrighton, Mark Peters and Leo Fortune-West.

Albrighton made 17 appearances for Rushden on loan from Boston last season, while Fortune-West was signed by Paul Hart at the start of last season but only made six starts in an unhappy spell there before ending the season with a successful loan at Shrewsbury.

Mark Peters will be the U best known to Rushden & Diamonds fans, after 100 appearances and two promotions during his four years there.

Club Background (by Doug Shulman)

Rushden and Diamonds' existence began in 1992 following the Max Griggs inspired merger of Rushden Town and Irthlingborough Diamonds; swiftly working through the lower leagues whilst their Nene Park home was re-built alongside impressive adjoining training facilities.

Brian Talbot was in charge of team affairs for the start of the 1997/98 season, leading them to consecutive fourth place finishes and a runners-up spot in 1999/2000, along with FA Cup encounters with the United's of Sheffield and Leeds.

In 2000/01 a twelve game unbeaten run at the start of the campaign, coupled with one defeat in their final 23 games, meant The Diamonds pipped Yeovil to the Conference title, promoting Griggs proverbial brainchild into The Football League. Diamonds inaugural game resulted in a 1-0 win at York, with anoraks amongst us, (including me) noting that former U's man Warren Patmore scored the winner; Diamonds first Football League goal. Talbot's charges, managed to clinch a play-off spot come the campaign conclusion, however, despite reaching the Millennium Stadium Final, Cheltenham put paid to hopes with a 3-1 success.

The culmination of 2002/03 produced nine wins and two draws in twelve games, which saw The Diamonds catch leaders Hartlepool, who held a twelve point lead during March. The fixture computer threw the two sides together as last day opponents and, in fairytale fashion, Talbot's men played out a 1-1 draw to burgle the Championship.

Division Two, (League One) fortunes were undulating. Christmas results left them within two points of the play-offs but, surprisingly, just eight points were gleaned from the next eleven games, whilst off the pitch financial shenanigans were surfacing. Making matters worse, Brian Talbot departed for Oldham and, key players were swiftly sold to balance the books. The menacingly named Ernie Tippett took over, but eight losses in the last nine games saw the Division Three trapdoor open up.

Tippett was handed his P45 in January 2005 after dreadful results, with Barry Hunter taking over to steer The Diamonds clear of relegation; at the expense of our own U's! During the close-season Griggs stepped down as Chairman, handing ownership of the club to The Rushden & Diamonds Supporters Trust, along with annual assisting payments. Nonetheless, last season proved a disaster, as ten home defeats and a -32 goal difference contributed to them finishing the term bottom, eight points from safety. The Trust, although admirably managing to reduce operating costs, were finding it difficult to achieve levels of sustainability without Griggs continual funding so, new backers were sought, and duly took control in November 2005.

Paul Hart superseded Hunter in May 2006; his first job being the release of former U's men John Turner and Rob Gier. Hart's reshaped squad started satisfactorily with four wins and a draw from eight games, whilst striker Simeon Jackson bagged consecutive hatricks in the victories over Altrincham and Tamworth, but a thirteen game winless run soon kicked in and Hart was dismissed after a 4-1 bashing at Northwich. Ex-U's stalwart Liam Daish and John Hollins turned down the job, with Graham Westley taking over on a temporary basis until Conference safety was all but secured at the end of February. At that point former Weymouth boss Garry Hill took the reins and steered Diamonds' to a twelfth place finish.

This season has been one of unexpected struggle, although, recent good wins over Oxford 5-0, and Droylsden 4-1 away have shown there is promise in the squad. Hill's side currently sit in 17th place after emerging victorious in just two home games and scoring a meagre twelve goals in from of the faithful. Form away from Nene Park is keeping them from the danger zone nevertheless, with four wins league wins recorded. Furthermore nineteen travelling goals prove to be the fourth best divisional tally. Overall though, Diamonds have won just 3 of their previous 15 league games, but will be buoyed by a decent 3-2 away success in last Saturday's FA Trophy clash in the North-East, as well as striker Simeon Jackson having bagged sixteen goals to date.

Previous Encounters (by Doug Shulman)
Entertainment in matches between United and Rushden & Diamonds has never been in short supply, with the eight encounters to date producing a total of twenty-five goals. The U's have emerged victorious on five occasions, with Northamptonshire's finest grabbing the headlines in the remaining three games.

United met today's visitors in their former guise of Rushden Town, prior to the 1992 merger with Irthlingborough Diamonds. Goalscoring must be in the pre-match genetical make-up between us; the net bulging twenty-three times in four United Counties League clashes at the turn of the 1940s. Firstly, a 6-1 home win was recorded by Rushden in November 1949, although, The U's gained revenge in the return thanks to a 3-1 victory.

The 1950/51 season saw a 2-2 draw at Rushden, but The U's ran riot with a 7-1 win at The Abbey in February 1951.

With Diamonds embracing their current moniker we met for a Nationwide Division Three game at The Abbey in August 2002. Brian Talbot's side arrived at The Abbey unbeaten, but a rampant U's front-line tore them apart thanks to goals from Dave Kitson, Omer Riza and a Tom Youngs brace in a 4-1 victory. Diamonds' consolation came through soon-to-be United midfielder Shane Wardley. Talbot's side galloped to the Championship that season, duly turning the tables on United by mirroring the 4-1 Abbey scoreline. Stuart Gray, David Bell and Paul hall put Diamond's 3-0 up at Nene Park, before Paul Wanless' penalty made it 3-1, and Paul Hall completed an emphatic victory.

2004/05 saw Rushden back in the re-named Coca-Cola League Two. John Turner bagged a hatrick for Herve Renard's U's in the November Abbey clash, with Drewe Broughton scoring for Diamonds; managed by the wonderfully named Ernie Tippett. When we met in the penultimate seasonal game, United's Conference relegation and subsequent Administration were confirmed. However, you would never have guessed, judging by the vociferous support of 1,360 travelling fans buoying The U's to a 1-0 win.

Last season saw Graham Westley bring his Rushden side, including current U's striker Dan Chillingworth, to The Abbey on Boxing Day. The visitors walked off with a 1-0 victory via Marcus Kelly's goal and, completing a miserable seven-match losing streak for Jimmy Quinn's men, the struggling 22nd placed U's also lost 3-1 away in January; Simeon Jackson, Chris Beardsley and Michael Rankine rubber-stamping victory for a home side nurturing a run of one defeat in thirteen games.

One game not mentioned is the biggest modern-era win for either side; arriving courtesy of an LDV Vans Trophy first round match on 22 October 2002. The U's hosted their geographical neighbours and, as is the case in LDV games, both Managers amended their familiar line-ups.

Regardless of changes both sides served up a display of attacking football. Paul Wanless commenced proceedings with his fourth minute opener but, Diamonds pressed; Gary Setchell seeing his 30-yard volley tipped over, and Stuart Gray curling a shot just wide before Dan Chillingworth, (pre-Diamonds) hit the visitors' crossbar.

United dominated the second-half, Shane Tudor causing havoc on the right and Franco Nacca pulling midfield strings on his debut. Nonetheless, The U's left it late, especially after several perilous Diamonds forays. Goals from Tudor, Adam Tann and Omer Riza (pictured) finally sealed a 4-0 win and second round berth for The U's.

The U's can be backed at 8/13 to beat Rushden & Diamonds tonight, whilst we're 10/3 to be drawing at half-time and winning at full-time - click here and then follow the 'Soccer' link for more match odds. And what's more, you could be having a free bet on the game - click here for a full range of match odds.

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