Ling: 'When it went 4-0 could have been a disaster'
Sadly for Gulls boss Martin Ling the old reverse phsycology tactic failed to work, he told BBC Radio Devon Friday: "The expectation is totally on them, we're going there as a team that's out of form, they're a team in form. Their supporters would expect us to roll over and just be an easy three points for them and sometimes I think that's a dangerous situation to be in and we hope to use that to our advantage."
Didn't quite work out like that Martin, but let's face it, we owed the former Shrimers winger one after the points he nicked at Roots Hall as the Borient boss, just didn't expect it to be four-one!
Anyway, he was full of compliments the day after, not surprising after seeing his side outplayed, mainly in a one sided second half that could have seen the Essex boys double their final score, especially if you throw in the great save and desperate goal-line clearance that stopped the second placed Shrimpers going into the lead just before the break.
Ling said this time: "They were effective today. They stuck to a game plan and they won the game convincingly. I suppose the last 20 minutes when it went 4-0 could have been a disaster. We did stick with it, but that's a very small reward. We'll keep fighting to find the right answers and keep doing things right on the training pitch and taking it into games, but it's certainly disappointing at this moment in time."
And it's a bloody long journey home for nothing, as the Blue Voice kept reminding the small Gulls gathering in the North Bank.
Score, comments & stats from League Two: http://news.bbc.co.uk
Official match report: www.southendunited.co.uk
Gallery from the game: www.southendunited.co.uk
| 1 | Crawley Town | 14 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 29 | 20 | 31 | +9 | ||||
| 2 | Southend United | 14 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 26 | 14 | 29 | +12 | ||||
| 3 | Cheltenham Town | 14 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 21 | 15 | 26 | +6 | ||||
| 4 | Morecambe | 14 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 28 | 12 | 25 | +16 | ||||
| 5 | Gillingham | 14 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 26 | 17 | 24 | +9 | ||||
| 6 | Shrewsbury Town | 14 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 20 | 17 | 24 | +3 | ||||
| 7 | Oxford United | 14 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 18 | 12 | 23 | +6 | ||||
| 8 | Burton Albion | 14 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 19 | 17 | 23 | +2 | ||||
| 9 | AFC Wimbledon | 14 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 19 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 25 | 26 | 23 | -1 | ||||
| 10 | Swindon Town | 14 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 23 | 15 | 22 | +8 | ||||
| 11 | Port Vale | 14 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 18 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 28 | 22 | 22 | +6 | ||||
| 12 | Macclesfield Town | 14 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 18 | 14 | 21 | +4 | ||||
| 13 | Rotherham United | 14 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 24 | 25 | 19 | -1 | ||||
| 14 | Bristol Rovers | 14 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 20 | 24 | 18 | -4 | ||||
| 15 | Aldershot Town | 14 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 0 | ||||
| 16 | Crewe Alexandra | 14 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 17 | 20 | 16 | -3 | ||||
| 17 | Northampton Town | 14 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 15 | 20 | 15 | -5 | ||||
| 18 | Torquay United | 14 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 19 | 25 | 15 | -6 | ||||
| 19 | Accrington Stanley | 14 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 13 | 19 | 15 | -6 | ||||
| 20 | Bradford City | 14 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 18 | 23 | 13 | -5 | ||||
| 21 | Dagenham & Redbridge | 14 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 14 | 23 | 13 | -9 | ||||
| 22 | Hereford United | 14 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 24 | 13 | -14 | ||||
| 23 | Barnet | 14 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 16 | 27 | 12 | -11 | ||||
| 24 | Plymouth Argyle | 14 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 26 | 8 | -16 | ||||