Blues chairman Ron Martin has played down a heated exchange between the club's two star midfielders Alan McCormack and Nicky Bailey during yesterday's 1-0 defeat at Tranmere Rovers. The duo clashed after Antony Kay headed home the only goal of the game and had to be pulled apart by team-mates Adam Barrett and Peter Clarke. At one point, Bailey also seemed to push his forehead towards McCormack but Martin insists the incident has already been forgotten about.
"Some of our players are more hot-heated than others but this just shows that they care," said Martin. "While we would obviously prefer our players to get on at all times it isn't always possible but I'm glad they are hurting at conceding a goal. That's the way it should be but it's already been forgotten about. Nicky and Alan get on very well together and as soon as the final whistle went I'm sure they were back to being friends again."
Blues were below par at Prenton Park but Martin believes the players may already have one eye on the play-offs. "It wasn't all of them but maybe one or two were worried about getting injured and missing the play off matches," said Martin. "That may explain the loss."
The row went unpunished by referee Graham Laws and Blues boss Steve Tilson echoed Martin's thoughts. "I think both of them were just disappointed at the goal going in," he said. "And that's understandable."
Tilson was also disappointed by Kay's winning goal but refused to be too critical of his side whose slim chances of securing automatic promotion have now disappeared. "It was a bad goal from our point of view," he said. "We let a runner go and we didn't put enough pressure on the player playing the ball into the box either but I can't be too hard on the lads. We've been on a 13-match unbeaten run and they've been fantastic. I'd rather lose now than in the play-offs and that's what we've got to focus on."
Tilson's troops, who are fifth in the table, finish off their league season at home to already relegated Port Vale on Saturday. But the boss will again be absent from the dug-out as he completes a two-match touchline ban for insulting referee Danny McDermid following the 2-2 draw at Leyton Orient in February. "You do get a better view from up in the stands but I'd rather be in the dug-out," he stressed. "I will be for the play-offs though and we have to go into those games with our chests out and our heads held high because we've done superbly to get into them and this defeat doesn't change that."
Poor Hoops to miss open bus ride!
Don't worry mate, rain is forecast all weekend! Still the Hereford websites are still missing him...........Hooperman Hero back at Southend, says one!
Tilly claims Gary Hooper's confidence is now 'sky-high' following his successful loan spell at Hereford United. The 20-year old former Grays Athletic forward grabbed 11 goals in 19 games for the Bulls and was a major catalyst during United's promotion run in. Now Tilson wants to see the player achieve promotion with his parent club within weeks of leaving Edgar Street.
"Gary has done well while with Hereford and I'm sure it has done him the world of good. His confidence will be sky-high and it's going to be good having another striker in form with us. He's back in training, and it's good to see him."
Hooper could feature in Saturday's crunch match with Port Vale, and then the League One play-off matches in the coming few days, and is therefore extremely unlikely to participate in the Open-Top Bus parade across the city of Hereford this coming Sunday.
He certainly sees his future at the Hall but don't rule out a Hereford transfer bid in the close season, how much would it take for Tilly to bite?
The Southend United striker Gary Hooper has been speaking about his successful time at Edgar Street to the Southend Evening Echo, as he looks forward to helping the Blues through the League One play-offs. 'Hooperman' was certainly impressed with the set up at Edgar Street.
"It was great to get promoted at Hereford and hopefully I can make it two here now. Things went really well for me there. I scored 12 goals in 19 games and it really helped me develop my game. I played every game during my three months and most of them were for the full 90 minutes as well which was great. Making sure we went up was superb and it would be brilliant to experience that twice in the same season."
It would appear that both Graham Turner and his opposite number Steve Tilson saw great benefits from the 93-day loan move as Hooper explained.
"The gaffer phoned me a lot while I was with Hereford and it was nice that he kept in touch. Him and Brushy came and saw me play a couple of times and Dean Austin was at Brentford last Saturday so I was happy that they were interested."
Having returned to the south-east Hooper is now looking to resurrect his career with Southend.
"I signed a new contract here before I went out on loan and I see my long term future at Roots Hall, hopefully that is in the Championship. The standard of football in League Two was a lot different to what I am used to - this is definitely a better standard and it will be a good test again. There are still some big and exciting games ahead which would be great to play in."
Whether or not 'Hooperman' makes a breakthrough back into the set-up at Southend United remains to be seen, but certainly the reception the striker received after the final whistle will leave him in no doubt that Bulls' fans would like to see him as a permanent feature in Hereford United's new-look League One squad. Will Graham Turner make a summer transfer bid for the player? We'll soon find out! (I suppose we will lads!)
Captain Adam speaks to Chris Phillips of the Southend Evening Echo
Skipper Adam Barrett insists the Blues have what it takes to succeed in the play-offs, despite being forced to play the second leg of their semi final away from home. Following Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Tranmere Rovers the Shrimpers cannot finish any higher than fifth in the table. And although that means they will play the first leg at Roots Hall, Barrett is confident that will not matter.
"It doesn't really make too much difference and we have to be able to deal with it," said Barrett. "In an ideal world I guess you would rather be at home in the second leg, but the way we've been playing it isn't a big deal because our away form has been excellent just lately. Before Saturday we were six unbeaten on the road and that included some really difficult games, so it shows we can do it. Wherever we play it's going to exciting and we just have to make sure we're going to be ready for it."
The last time Blues reached the play-offs, in 2005, they played the second leg of their semi final at home to Northampton Town and did the same in the area LDV Vans Trophy finals against Bristol Rovers and Colchester United in both 2004 and 2005. Southend emerged victorious from all three of those tussles but Barrett was quick to stress that despite the disappointing defeat at Prenton Park last weekend his team must go into the end of season showdowns in a positive frame of mind.
"We've done superbly well and losing to Tranmere doesn't change that," said the defender. "Hopefully we've got the defeat out of the way when it doesn't matter so much. It's much better to lose now than in two weeks' time but we have to make sure we bounce back in the right way."
That aim begins this weekend as Blues host already relegated Port Vale at Roots Hall in what will be their final league game of the season before the play-offs begin.
"It would be nice to go into the play-off game with a win behind us," said the 28-year-old. "It would be good for the confidence because it was a flat performance at Tranmere. Chances were few and far between, the pitch wasn't the best either and it was just a bad day for us."
It's the ref who sent off little Flavs, the bully!
Andy Woolmer from Northampton is a very short referee who was probably bullied at school, explaining his red card for Flavs in the Boston home game three years ago. However it did allow Tes Bramble to perform heroics as we held out for a 2-1 win, brilliant night!
Mr. Woolmer is in his fourth year as a League referee and this will be his fourth visit to Roots Hall, the previous three all being home victories by the odd goal! His last Blues game in charge was earlier this season v Millwall which we won 1-0 of course but as it was so one sided he had little to do, so here's for the same at the weekend. (Though maybe a three goal margin this time!)
Roll up as home leg play-off tickets go on sale
Southend United have started selling tickets for the home leg of their play-off semi-final to season card holders, team Blues members and share holders
While the opposition and date have yet to be confirmed, the club are reserving season card seats in order to give the earliest chance for them to be snapped up.
Season card holders can buy their seat over the phone on 08444 77 00 77 or by visiting the ticket office at the stadium. If the Blues staff have an email address you would already have received an email, (three times at once in some cases), with details of how you can reserve their seat online. Tickets for the match at Roots Hall are non-refundable and there is no pre-match discount for this game.
Prices have been set at £22 adults, £15 seniors, £14 students, £14 young persons, £11 juniors and £22 family ticket (one adult and one junior in the family enclosure). General sale ticketing details will be announced once the date and opposition has been finalised.
Season card holders can only purchase their seat, team Blues members can purchase one ticket in non season card seats and shareholders (if not season card holders) can purchase one ticket in non-season card seats.
Get in there, Carlisle on Monday May 12 anyone?
Shrimpers check out Fulham boy
Fulham teenager Max Noble is hoping to secure a contract with the Blues. The winger appears to have no future at Craven Cottage and is training with Steve Tilson's Shrimpers side this week. He featured for the reserves on Monday afternoon in a 4-0 win over Stevenage and could play for the second string again later in the week against Grays. Noble has yet to make a first-team appearance for Fulham and is trying to fix up a new club ahead of next season. Tommy your luck may be running out! (Especially with Scannel grabbing a hat-trick for the reserves on Monday, the boy is coming on.)
Congrats! Youths win again to continue unbeaten run
Southend United's under-18 side completed their season with a 2-1 victory at Brentford, leaving the Shrimpers in a respectable mid-table position after a seven-match unbeaten run. The unbeaten sequence at the end of the campaign has seen many of the club's second-year scholars return from spells on work experience.
But at the same time, the likes of Stuart O'Keefe and Ronnie Jones, who scored the goals in the weekend win, have made excellent strides this season. Fellow first-year scholars Nathan McDonald and Jack Morris have also ended the term strongly. And they again impressed against the Bees in a match which began brightly as O'Keefe and Rhys Henry linked up to set up Jamie Forshaw, but the winger's effort was too close to the Brentford custodian.
The opening goal arrived just after the half-hour mark when Dan Harvey found O'Keefe on the right. The promising midfielder exchanged passes with James Lindie on the edge of the penalty area before unleashing a fierce shot with his left-foot that bounced off of the underside of the crossbar and into the net to hand Southend the lead. Henry could have added a second five minutes later with a free-kick that missed the target by inches, and at the break, Brentford decided to test another goalkeeper and change to a 4-3-3 formation in an attempt to tame the visitors.
The Bees posed a more physical threat in the second period, and again McDonald had to be on his toes to keep out an early shot. The keeper made another decent save from a long-distance attempt before Brentford's keeper dived at Lindie's feet to stop him converting O'Keefe's through-ball. Spurred on by the save, the home-side equalised with 18 minutes remaining as a hurried and mis-hit clearance from David Obaze led to a leveller as the grateful Brentford youngster evaded two challenges before driving the ball across McDonald into the corner of the goal.
Southend rode the storm and inside the final 10 minutes deservedly edged back in front when a Harvey's free-kick hit the far post and bounced out to Jones, who reacted quickest to turn the ball home in clinical fashion to secure victory for his side.
Southend: McDonald; Harvey, Jones, Obaze, Morris; O'Keefe, Abalimba, Abbey, Forshaw (Marcus 50), Lindie, Henry (Osifuwa 60). Unused substitutes: Ljungström, Adeyinka and Rieck.