Southend United 3 Leyton Orient 0
(played on Friday September 2th 2008)
It was 7.10 and as I was stuck at Sadlers Farm roundabout in traffic, with Mrs TB in one ear about her fantastic new job and the little man insisting his name was Hayley rather than Charlie, I was telling myself it was going to be one of those nights!
Somehow I managed to make my seat just as we kicked off and how glad am I.
The newly happy Mrs TB was too busy at the snack bar to see Sir Lee tuck in a very early opener. We'd taken the lead after 57 seconds "that's the same time it took Amir to get knocked out" she piped up returning with the boy, Burger and coke in hand - (she can multi task when it suits her).
Having seen us score first against the team closer to West Ham than I think they realise when we played them in the JPT, (what is it with their insistence that we all support the lot from Upton Park), I was a bit cautious to say the least, but when new dad Lee Sawyer scored after 11 minutes I actually started to believe for once we'd beat this lot.
That believe strengthened when on the rare occasion Orient launched the ball in to our half, the defence look assured with new keeper Federici and when called into action he did everything right and I'm sure Ian Joyce would have been sat in the stands thinking to himself - I can do that.
In the middle of the park we looked quality as well. I am almost certain Lee Sawyer will be a star of the future and fit to wear big Fat Franks boots. His game makes you believe he is a lot older than his 18 years - the missus being the missus couldn't believe that an 18yr old could become a dad.
That was until I reminded her of the fact that she was from Wrexham where is it quite a regular occurrence that girls as young as 14 fall pregnant — just they never know who the dad is. (I didn't go the Grays game last week but very happy with the result!!!)
Hitting half time 2-0 up and despite my raised believes - I didn't want to get too excited about beating them as surely this was to good to be true.
Following on from the Bluebelles, wideboy Ling, (who with his Cockney status must have been one of the 16 managers to turn down the Newcastle job), must have decided that as Dean Morgan scored two goals in his last appearance at Roots Hall would change the game.
It didn't work, and on 69 minutes the new hero at the Hall Dougie Freedman popped up to continue his impressive run of goals which was greeted with the Freddie style chant!
The chant was repeated again shortly after but unfortunately it was due to him limping out of action to be replaced at the third time of asking by Revell.
Before this Tilly decided now was the time to bring Snoop Dog on for Hal Robson Kanu and Macca was given a comeback coming on for the very impressive Sawyer.
The diving Demetriou should have seen red for trying to take Snoop Dogs calf from out of his sock but somehow the ref managed to miss it - apart from that and the gradual very amusing sight of Orient fans sneak to the exits the game passed on without incident and at last we'd beaten them.
Very convincingly in fact and always nice to keep a clean sheet!
Player marks
Federici - The Defence trusted him, we trusted him. Didnt put a foot wrong - 8
Francis - Still not half as good as last season but is getting there - 6
Barrett - Hardly troubled - very solid! - 7
Clarke - Solid performance alongside Mr Southend - 7
Harding - Seemed to give the fella with no neck (Melligan) a fair bit of space but he couldn't do anything with it so we''ll let him off - 7
Betsy - Consistent threat up the wing - 8
Christophe - Clever but simple - 7
Sawyer - The day after I became a dad I was getting smashed! This bloke is amazing, can we have him permanently? Nicky who? - 9
HRK - Clever touches, flashes of pace and looked good when getting back - 8
Barnard - I think the partnership of him and Dougie is going to be amazing - just need them to both stay fit - 8
Freedman - Hopefully nothing serious with the knock, good link up with Barnard and good goal - 8
Subs;
Snoop Dog for HRK - Obviously prefers the wing looked good - 7
Macca for Sawyer - Always good to see him back - looks a lot fitter as well - 7
Revell for Freedman - Said to the people around me we might as well have gone down to 10 men, then he won a header which is pretty much all he did - 6
Leyton Orient 1 Southend United 1
(played on Tuesday, January 20th, 2009)
They still want Paul Brush out and sing Martin Ling's Red and White Army - they ain't the sharpest tools in the box, so to do what we did last night to them makes it all the better.
Any Orient fan who says in the next few days "you didn't deserve that" deserves a sharp fist to the face perhaps then they will wake up from whatever sleep they're in.
Yes, they took the lead in the 11th minute through Adam Boyd following a cross from diver Jason Demetriou, but even before that we looked sharper and the more likely to score through "The Doug"
Following their goal, Snoop tried to restore the score to sensible and deserved proportions following a neat little drag back and his potent shot from about 20 yards out went just wide.
When you then see "The Doug", who still has that "Premiership Touch", sit on the floor holding his leg you begin to worry, and he was replaced by Sir Lee.
We came close to scoring before the break when following a defensive mix up saw Glenn Morris's "clearance" hit Revell before bouncing just wide.
Half-time saw all sorts of madness 20 down in the stands when not only was there a farcical queue for the kazi going through the queue for the food, it also saw police get involved when two fellow Southend fans decide to have a Football Factory "mug off".
In the second half and early on Betsy, who I swear was good the last time I put a report together, should have scored following a neat move started off by the Moose saw him clean through and in a position where he should have scored put the ball past the post, it was then when it was probably easier to score (says me sitting in the stand) when you start to think we're going to lose this.
The Cardiac Kid James Walker came on for Snoop Dogg about 10 mins later and straight away looked like a bright spark playing to stake a place in the team after supposed interest from Yeovil.
Another chance came to Revell from a tight angle but he hit it high and wide, to add insult to injury he injured himself and had to be stretchered off - he was replaced by youngster Stuart O Keefe and straight away he found himself getting involved following a cross from fellow teeny bopper Herd, but his volley was straight at Morris.
With minutes ticking away and the board showing 6 mins Christophe had the ball in the back of the net but the linesman decided as the referee had all night that as it didn't favour Orient to chalk it off for no reason.
You started to sense defeat until you see James Walker darting inside and out of the Orient defence before unleashing a beauty with about 30 seconds left which saw our mates leaving in their droves waving with clawed hands.
It was a point which we richly deserved and in all honesty we deserved all three.
Then came the walk back to the station which is always amusing - walking back on my todd I walked past loads of moaning Orient fans saying how they were robbed etc and due to the distinct disadvantage of being bald and liking fine clothes, (in this case a Stone Island jacket), some East End urchin decided to have words "You're a faaaarkin lad innt yer"!
Whilst it would have been nice to put him to rights I decided to decline his invites even though he offered to walk me to the station which was jolly decent of him.
Player Marks
Mildenhall - When he was called into action he seemed a bit inclined to slap it away; 6.
Sankofa - Sorry, but Charlton released him for a reason; 5.
Mr Southend - Always looking to drive in the Orient backline and bring those around him; 7.
Francis - Brilliant - Time after time he stopped Boyd in his tracks; 8.
Herd - I liked the look of him - particularly his long throws; 7.
Snoop - Nice couple of touches but seemed to drift in and out of the game; 6.
Christophe - For me he looked for the "Premiership ball" when it would have better to keep things simple - god knows why his goal was chalked off; 6.
Moussa - Liked him alot tonight, did the right things well; 8.
Betsy - Not his best was it; 4.
Freedman - For the whole 12 or so mins he lasted thought he looked decent, hope he comes back; 6.
Revell - Constantly running and constantly a threat - worried about his injury; 8.
Subs;
Barnard - Very little to do, what he did he did it well, good in the air and didn't get injured; 7.
O'Keefe - Not on for very long but did well; 7.
Walker - Have to start him on Saturday, was quality, pacy and brilliant finish, know he wasn't on for very long but narrowly gets man of match as he has saved so many of us the agony of stick from Orient fans all over; 8.1.