Shrimpers defensive shortcomings allow Chairboys to celebrate in style

The late news that Blues boss Paul Sturrock was able to pick Anthony Grant in midfield after all was good news, the loss of 21-goal top scorer Barry corr not so, though it's always good entertainment to have Bilel Mohsni upfront as Graham Coughlan comes back in to replace the French Tunisian at centre-back.

So it was come on you cherry voltages, not that I heard anybody sing that, and the Essex boys certainly dominated the early part of the game with Ryan Hall and Sean Clohessy given the freedom of Adams Park the right wing, Wycombe looked very nervous indeed.

In fact it was a surprise that it took 15 minutes to take the lead as the lads were cheered on by the usual large numbers of the travelling faithful, many in fancy dress, some better than others, the Nazi not being very PC, still, if it's good enough for a prince of the realm.

Hall had already seen a 25-yarder deflected just wide, when from the following corner Mohsni saw his header hitting the crossbar after good work by Chairboys keeper Nikki Bull, then not long after Hall shot straight at Bull from the edge of the box when there were other options available, not the first time that's happened!

Luckily for his team-mates Ryan had learnt from this and finally the Shrimpers had the breakthrough, Hall finding former Chairboy Anthony Grant, he cut inside and finished in style with a cracking shot.

The crowd were silenced, except in the away end, Shrewsbury fans listening in their earpieces must have lept to the air, it was all Shrimpers, this was the chance to finish the game off.

Another Hall long range strike well saved by Bull, Grant then shooting over from a tough angle, it was still only one, and regular followers of the Blues would have been well aware of their sides ability to throw all the hard work away with defensive errors. And two beauties were about to follow!

Only five minutes after Granty's goal one of those moment you watch in absolute horror, like watching a car crash in slow motion, even so, there was a hint of luck about the Wycombe equaliser.

As the ball came across Chris Barker seemed to have played the ball out of defence well, waltzing passed a couple of Chairboy strikers with ease before he lost control of the ball, it seemed to catch the back of Coughlan's heel, bounce back into the area, where Scott Donnelly said thanks very much. If there was an offside, I didn't see it.

Then on 26 minutes one, and however well Glenn Morris has done recently to deserve his new one-year deal, the inconsistency that saw Borient let him go, reared up again, as he decide not to come for a Danny Foster cross from the right and who should it find with an open net to place the ball home but one of the League's most in-form strikers in Ben Strevens, oh dear!

And that was that really, the crowd had truly woken up, as had the Chairboys, and though Southend never stopped trying, they were not going to rescue back the initiative against a strong home outfit seeing the third tier tantalisingly in front of them.

Another Hall 25-yard effort took Bull a couple of efforts to gather safely at the second attempt but the force was with Wycombe and just before the break Donnelly saw his strike well saved by Morris.

To start the second half Harry Crawford replaced fellow striker Blair Sturrock who had picked up an injury yet there was only one team who was going to leave with the points, and they weren't from Essex.

Captain Craig Easton was in the right place to clear a Stuart Lewis shot off the line from a Chairboy corner before, on 53 minutes, the party celebrations could truly begin, the ball falling nicely for Scott Rendell to strike home from 16 yards giving Morris no chance.

Time for a bit of Mohsni magic, who in all honesty was not getting much out of the Wycombe rottweiler Dave Winfield for the whole game, when he skipped past a few Chairboys to the cheers of the faithful who will hope to see more during the next campaign, possibly staying up front where he can do less damage!

So that was that, the spoils of victory go to the Wanderers who deserved them in the end, and leave Luggy with plenty to think about over a long summer break, well, until the pre-season training starts up and we all march to Dartford!

Southend player markings: Morris- 6, Clohessy - 6, Barker - 6, Coughlan - 6, Prosser - 4, Ferdinand - 5, Grant - 7, Easton - 6, Hall - 6, Sturrock - 4 (Crawford h-t - 6), Mohsni - 6.

Referee: Mr. N. Swarbrick - 6.

Competition: Npower League Two Date: Saturday, 7th May 2011 Kick off: 15:00 Venue: Adams Park
	Wycombe Wdrs. Donnelly 20 Strevens 26 Rendell 53	3 - 1	Southend Utd. Grant 15