Former Southend United Player of the Year Mark Beard will try to win a second chance with the Shrimpers at part-timers Ware Town this evening (Tuesday).

Beard will be one of four trialists aiming to impress during a reserve team friendly, kick-off 7.30pm, at the Ryman League side's home.

And Southend's caretaker boss Rob Newman said he was happy to give former Millwall and Sheffield United right-back Beard another crack of the whip at Roots Hall.

"I played with Mark when he was at Southend before and I felt he was very unlucky to be released by the club," he said. Find out more about Southend United FC "Mark is one of seven players given free transfers by Kingstonian to ease the wage bill as they are in danger of going into administration.

"He rang me up over the weekend to see if he could come in and train this week and I was happy to have a look at him.

"Mark has always been a fighter on the pitch, is very vocal and has a lot of experience.

"If he does well over the next few days there could be something permanent for him here."

Beard was crowned Blues' Player of the Year at the end of the 1998/99 campaign, before being unceremoniously released by ex-Southend boss Alan Little by post just 12 months later.

Other hopefuls pulling on a Southend shirt at Ware this evening will be Carlisle's 21-year-old defender Mark Thurston and former Crystal Palace winger Roscoe Dsane, 20, who spent a short spell with Blues last year.

Former Manchester United midfielder Marek Szmid will also be handed another chance to impress. Southend will face Walton and Hersham at Roots Hall in the first round of the FA Youth Cup on the evening of Monday, October 22.

Both midfielder Stuart Thurgood and striker Daniel Webb miss Saturday's Third Division home clash with Swansea City as they will be serving one-match bans.

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