Cort, Maher and Flahavan refuse to sign

Defender Leon Cort, Goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan and Midfielder Kevin Maher

Kevin Maher - on his way to Leyton Orient?

Have refused to put pen to paper on new contracts and look likely to leave the Blues in the near future.

The Little Gazette have been informed that Maher has agreed terms with Leyton Orient manager Paul Brush and will sign for the East London club after the two sides meet on Tuesday night at Brisbane Road

Good news for the Blues is that reserve team keeper Daniel Gay and Midfielder Stuart Thurgood have agreed new one year deals while defender Damon Searle will meet with Deputy Chairman Geoffrey King and Manager Rob Newman next week to discuss the offered one year deal in further detail. Reserve team captain David McSweeney confirmed to The Little Gazette on Wednesday that he has already signed a new one year deal.

Five other players are still awaiting news as to whether they are to be offered new deals, the five are Ben Smith, Danny Kerrigan, Leon Johnson, Mark Beard and Scott Forbes. Marek Szmid who is currently on a week to week basis also awaits a decision on his future along with triallists Lewis Blois and Matt Hearn.

Darryl Flahavan - refused to put pen to paper

Manager Newman was quoted with the following warning to Leon Cort, Darryl Flahavan and Kevin Maher “ These players have had more than a month to think over their contract offers and now it is decision time, I want them signed up,otherwise I will withdraw the contract offers that I have made and these lads will face the prospect of becoming another soccer statistic. We certainly wont be helping them to find employment as they wont play another game for Southend United if they don’t put pen to paper on the terms we have offered”

It will be interesting to see if Rob Newman keeps his word and the three players are omitted from the side that lines-up against Rochdale at Roots Hall on Saturday afternoon.

Steve Connolly
www.thelittlegazette.com