Shrimpers shoot down Robins thanks to Midson double

Last updated : 24 December 2010 By westfield shrimper
Admit it, you didn't see that coming, third time lucky or what!

Blues boss Paul Sturrock has not unsurprisingly made six change, though one does include the return of prodical son Johnny Herd at left back, blimey, he must be worried!

Chris Barker slots in at centre back while Bilel Mohnsi and Anthony Grant are, of course, both back along with winger Ryan Hall, hurrah!

Blair Sturrock joins Jack Midson as the two strikers meaning......Graham Coughlan, Luke Prosser, Louie Soares and Barry Corr, whose back is still playing him up, drop to the bench; Alex Woodyard and Antonio German are dropped from the squad.

Let's be honest, we didn't expect much from this after Saturday........well, what do we know!

Eight minutes in that useless striker from Oxford United Jack Midson, hey, add up his markings since he joined, around 4.5 on average, we always fancied him really, heads home a cross from Ryan Hall, who we've always fancied!

Five minutes late, Sean Clohessy joins the attack and finds our Jack again lurking around in the area, and Midson only finds the top left hand corner of the goal! His first goals for the club and 2-0 before the end of the first quarter! Now I am nervous!

Yet it remains all the Shrimpers, where are Cheltenham? A win would take them into the play-off zone.

Josh Simpson puts in a decent cross; Clohessy again, this time shooting and just wide of the left hand post; Hall, a dangerous corner, all in the first 20 minutes, and have I said we're two up!

At last a Robins attack, Wesley Thomas puts in a decent effort. Now the home side put on some pressure, but the Southend defence, with Moshni back and Prosser gone, is coping well.

Half time comes; the Whaddon Road support shocked, the Blues travelling faithful stunned, but rather happy, what can the second 45 bring?

Well, Louie Soares coming on for, a probably injured, Josh Simpson for a start.

Other than that, more of the same, Ryan Hall having the first decent effort of the new half just off target.

Then some Cheltenham forays into the Essex boys half, a John Melligan shot, well taken by Blues keeper Glenn Morris.

However, it doesn't last long and the rejuvinated Midson is at it again, now a hat-trick would make us look silly, with a strike that goes wide left.

Hall grabs a corner which finds Mohsni and his shot has to be cleared by the Gloucestershire side.

A close range header by son of Luggy just misses to the right.

This game should be finished by now, but a close effort by Wesley Thomas from outside the box with 15 minutes left on the clock proves the game still has to be won.

Still the away side are not prepared to sit out their advantage and skipper Craig Easton, so determined his side must turn this recent slump around before the game, tries his luck.

Subs are brought on by Cheltenham to try and turn the game around, and Jack Goulding is the latest to see his shoot kept out by Morris.

Even so, the play goes again to the other end for Hall to shoot over the bar, leading to a double Luggy change, straight swap with Graham Coughlan taking over from Moshni with an injured knee, and Barry Corr replacing the hero Midford.

Shots reign in from Cheltenham but Morris is not going to be beaten tonight, and there's even time for a Corr effort that forces a seve for Robins shot stopper Scott Brown, and even more time for Barry to pick up a yellow in stoppage time!

The referee decides enough is enough while the crowd wonder who was pushing for a play-off place and who was a point outside the bottom two!

First win in seven games! Wycombe at Roots Hall on Saturday can now be looked forward to rather than feared!

Southend player markings: Morris - 7, Clohessy - 8, Barker - 7, Mohsni - 8 (Coughlan 82), Herd - 7, Simpson - 7 (Soares h-t - 6), Grant - 8, Easton - 7, Hall - 7, Sturrock - 8, Midson - 9 (Corr 82).

Npower League Two, Tuesday, 14th December 2010 @ 19:45
Click for Cheltenham Town squad list
Midson 8, 14
Click for Southend United squad list
Starting Line-ups
1Brown
3Andrew
2Lowe
6Riley
5Gallinagh (Elliott 74)
8Low (Melligan 43)
11Smikle
24Pack
4Bird (Jeffers 67)
9Thomas
10Goulding
Substitutes
12Lloyd-Weston
20Artus
7Pook
22Elliott (Gallinagh 74)
23Shroot
21Jeffers (Bird 67)
14Melligan (Low 43)
42.2%Possession57.8%
1Goal Attempts2
1On Target2
0Off Target0
0Hit Woodwork0
8Corners14
Starting Line-ups
1Morris
23Barker
18Herd
6Bilel (Coughlan 82)
2Clohessy
4Simpson (Soares 46)
12Hall
8Easton
7Grant
21Sturrock
25Midson (Corr 82)
Substitutes
11Zaaboub
24Evans
10Corr (Midson 82)
17Soares (Simpson 46)
20Crawford
5Coughlan (Bilel 82)
16Prosser
Referee
Brendan Malone
Attendance
2,229
Cheltenham T. Cards
(none)
Southend Utd. Cards
Corr90+4 Unsporting behaviour