Dario Gradi: 'Sometimes you have to win ugly'
Another day, another team does the double over the Shrimpers, the list is growing now as play-off dreams are replaced by grab a win and stop the rot as the last three away games have brought three defeats with a couple of Roots Hall draws inbetween.
That 2-1 win over Barnet seems a long time ago, and Hereford on Friday evening are going to scrap away as they still need points to move away from the relegation places.
Sill, veteran Crewe boss Dario Gradi was a happy enough Railwayman, we'll have to wait until the morning to hear Luggy's words, if he's let the team out of the dressing room yet, as the victory took them right back into the fight for a top seven place, four points behind Port Vale who presently hold the final play-off position.
Gradi told www.crewealex.net: "I said to them at half-time that I wasn't enjoying it. I didn't think they were listening to me. I wasn't best pleased. We have to play better than that if we want to do anything. I think the first half was woeful but the second half was better. We hit the woodwork three times and Shaun took his goal well."
Fair enough, you can't argue that Alex deserved it overall though there was little in, certainly the Shrimpers hardly tested Shaun Taylor in the Crewe goal.
Gradi continued: "We are defending better, but I must say that Southend didn't test us too much. Three points is good and sometimes you have to win ugly. I don't like that term but I might feel better about it after a drink tonight."
Anymore performances like this and the Blues faithful might be staring into a bottle themselves.
The S24 report:
www.southendunited-mad.co.uk/rprt/mtch/
crewe_alexandra_1_southend_united_0_658018/index.shtml
The Crewe view:
www.crewealex.net/page/MatchReport/0,,10414~52047,00.html