West country visit that kicked off away run to the play-offs

Last updated : 03 October 2008 By Shrimpers24
Yeovil 0 Southend 3 (Report from TLG Saturday February 23 2008)

Southend are on the verge of the League One playoffs after a comprehensive victory at Huish Park - but manager Steve Tilson warned "apart from Swansea at the top anyone can beat anyone else in this division so there is a long way to go."

Tilson was delighted with the result, pointing out that the Shrimpers had not done well against Yeovil in recent seasons. He was also pleased with the first full match for striker James Walker who joined Southend after a two month loan spell at Yeovil. His debut was delayed because of an irregular heartbeat but all worries are now behind him and in an impressive performance he was unlucky not to get a goal.

All three Southend goals came from right wing crosses, although home manager Russell Slade reckoned the first two were the result of poor decisions by the referee.

In the 20th minute, after Southend had survived some early Yeovil pressure, Tommy Black got in a cross which Lee Barnard crashed into the roof of the net from close range.

That goal followed a throw in which was given the wrong way and the second, on 41 minutes, from a disputed free kick near the dead ball line and just outside the box. Charlie Mulgrew got the cross in and Peter Clarke moved up from the back ummarked to head home.

On 64 minutes Simon Francis provided another pinpoint cross and this time the head of Mark Gower did the rest.

Said Slade "At the moment nothing is going right for us in either penalty box. We can't buy a goal for love or money. We just have to get back to the training ground and work things out."

Coca-Cola League One, Saturday, 23rd February 2008 @ 15:00; Huish Park
Click for Yeovil Town squad list
 Barnard 20
Clarke 34
Gower 64
Click for Southend United squad list
 Starting Line-ups
31 Flinders 5
2 Lynch 4
6 Forbes 5
27 Peltier 5
4 Skiverton 5
12 Rose (Barry 57)5
10 Stewart 6
15 Bridcutt 5
9 Owusu 5
32 Williams (Warne 69)6
24 Kirk (Peters 83)6
 Substitutes
19 Alcock
16 Peters (Kirk 83)
14 Warne (Williams 69)5
8 Barry (Rose 57)5
17 Church
6Goal Attempts9
2On Target3
4Off Target5
0Hit Woodwork1
5Offsides4
3Corners3
12Fouls17
 Starting Line-ups
1 Flahavan 7
2 Francis 7
18 Mulgrew 6
5 Clarke 8
6 Barrett 8
23 Bailey 7
17 Black (Grant 81)7
16 McCormack (Moussa 85)7
7 Gower 7
28 Walker 7
19 Barnard (MacDonald 80)7
 Substitutes
13 Collis
4 Hunt
22 Moussa (McCormack 85)
25 Grant (Black 81)
10 MacDonald (Barnard 80)
Referee
R East, Wiltshire
Attendance
4820
Yeovil Town Cards
Williams41unsporting behaviour
Southend Utd. Cards
(none)