Cheltenham Town	Lincoln City	Rochdale	Cambridge United	West Ham United	Bristol Rovers
Macclesfield Town	Rushden & Diamonds	Wycombe Wanderers	Notts County	Kidderminster Harriers	Colchester United
Darlington	Boston United	Swansea City	Scunthorpe United	Shrewsbury Town	Northampton Town
Shrewsbury Town	Oxford United	Luton Town	Yeovil Town	Grimsby Town	Northampton Town
Leyton Orient	Bury	Chester City	Wycombe Wanderers	Mansfield Town	Rushden & Diamonds
Kidderminster Harriers	Boston United	Notts County	Mansfield Town	Swindon Town	Darlington
Swansea City	Scunthorpe United	Bristol Rovers	Northampton Town	Shrewsbury Town	Bury
Chester City	Bristol Rovers	Lincoln City	Cheltenham Town	Rochdale	Cambridge United
Bristol Rovers	Wrexham	Leyton Orient	Macclesfield Town	Oxford United	Yeovil Town
Grimsby Town	Northampton Town	Northampton Town	Lincoln City

Hunt battles with Steve Robinson in the FA Cup tie against Luton Town

It is exactly Hunt’s versatility as a defender and midfielder that has caused manager Steve Tilson so many problems in his selection, although latterly it has been injury, and not performance, that has kept the young prospect from the team.

Hunt would play in any position, and do anything, to get into the side such is his desperation after years on the sidelines at Derby County. He began in the heart of the midfield alongside club captain Kevin Maher, and it is a place in which he is highly regarded as the archetypical holding midfielder.

He started the first game of the season at home to Cheltenham Town as Mark Bentley was still recovering from a pre-season injury sustained at East Thurrock United, but had to rely on a series of substitute appearances and a solitary start in Maher’s suspended absence against Wycombe Wanderers such was the form of the midfield duo.

When Bentley was harshly sent off at Colchester United in the LDV Vans Trophy, Hunt came in for the subsequent clashes with Boston United (a terrific 2-1 win with ten men), Swansea City (4-2, Freddy’s debut and knocking the League Two leaders off of top spot) and Scunthorpe United (a 3-2 defeat to the new table-toppers). His competent displays in shoring up a unreliable defence third and protecting the back-line kept Bentley from returning, at least until a poor run of form from Duncan Jupp meant some switching of roles.

From the 1-0 win at Bury until the 2-2 draw away to Chester City, Hunt maintained his position at right-back with a whole host of fine defensive displays. In that time, Blues lost just two and conceded only ten goals as they laid the foundations for their play-off place, and the ex-Derby County man was an integral part, adding stability to the full-back position, if lacking Jupp’s attacking flair.

Sadly, his campaign ended at the Saunders Honda Stadium in Cheshire, where an alleged bout of racial taunting took its toll on the Southend defensive unit as a group, and the normally mild-mannered Hunt in particular. He confronted his abuser at half-time and then again at the final whistle, with a disappointing personal ninety minutes on the field and a season-ending injury clearly also contributing. He will hope for better fortunes in 2005/6.

Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com