Sturrock: 'Red cards ruined the game, Grant was stupid and will be punished'

 

Blues boss Paul Sturrock should have been a happy Luggy after his ten men kept his Wembley dream alive with a single goal victory at the Kassam Stadium over nine man Oxford United!

 

However, he was obviously concerned at how his team seemed to go off the boil after Ryan Hall's direct free-kick had given Southend the lead, the set piece given when U's keeper Wayne Brown was sent off for deliberate handball outside his own penalty area.

 

Speaking to the Echo after the game he said: 'The red cards ruined the game. The lads seemed to relax and take it easy. You just can't do that.'

 

Fair enough, but the worst was yet to come when a handbags incident occured on 56 minutes and midfielder Anthony Grant was off as well, joining Oxford's Tom Craddock for an early bath leaving only 19 men on the field of play! 

 

Sturrock said:'Grant was stupid. He put his hands in their player's face and he will be severely punished for what he did."

 

Oh dear, but hey, that's twelve unbeaten now with eleven of those wins, Swindon away seems a long, long, time ago!

 

No doubt that Granty had to go, he raised his hands, but there was a lot more naughty stuff going on around him, that tackle on Ferdy was pretty bad, as this video proves (though you have to be a Shrimperzone member to catch it): www.shrimperzone.com