(S24 Preview Friday) 'Watch if we're still one down and he's on the bench, even with all these options, Luggy wouldn't be able to help himself!'
'I believe it's too early for Sampson, though that didn't stop him picking Benyon for the Daggers draw when he joined, moreover Liam Dickinson had his best game for ages against Port Vale and deserves another start, I mean who will take the spot kicks?!'
'I think he'll start with the same eleven that hammered Port Vale last weekend, with the wingers dropping back more, but a far more exciting bench'
2-1 Blues!
OK, got the last bit wrong, and Bilel came on when we were level not behind, but Blues boss Paul Sturrock still went to the French Tunisian first, which most us thought he always would; al la Crewe, if you want three points, who ya gonna call?
The reason for bringing this up? (Got the team selection spot on as well!) That more of you should read my previews, and, more importantly, this is why in Luggy we trust.
With all the comings and comings going on at Roots Hall since the January transfer window opened he's canny enough to know how important it is not to upset the ones who have put in the hard yards already and give them a chance.
They know now what will happen if they fail, and on the whole none did, it's at the back where we suddenly look vulnerable, if the opposition score two, we're get five (actually I wrote six, but let's not spoil a good story!)
So Southend got that historic 500th away win but at the break there were mumurings, in fact there were a few words spoken after we equalised a second time, that we would be happy with a point!
Player for player the Shrimpers always looked the stronger team but when at half-time we found ourselves two down in front of nearly a thousand screaming Southend fans, (928 to be exact, and I did get that wrong, I thought 650 tops, that means 428 travelled to pick up tickets on the day, brilliant!), it could have gone either way, and up to the last crazy ten minutes this was very much an Aidy Boothroyd team, down to the long throw specialist.
We certainly looked more confident on the ball, not surprising really, for all the Cobblers recent mini-run, this was still second top v second bottom, and at the end it was actually top v bottom!
However, it was the home side that took the lead on ten minutes after some nightmare defending by the Blues.
Another mega throw by Ben Tozer from the right, which to be fair we coped with well for most of the game, saw Peter Gilbert unintentionally head back into his own six-yard box where time seemd to freeze and players of both sides just stared at the ball, Sean Clohessy had the best chance to clear, but eventually John Johnson for Town reacted, stuck out a boot, and it was 1-0, poor.
Straight after the busy, and more confident in his second game, we have a good 'un here, Dave Martin, placed the ball in the back of the net but referee Sutton, who on the whole I thought had a good match, decided the former Lion had kicked the ball out of the hands of Cobblers keeper Freddy Hall.
Couldn't see clearly enough up the other end but they are always given against the attacking side.
What was clear was that the Essex boys were stepping up their offensive moves and soon after a terrific low cross by Clohessy, who I felt, slow reactions or not, had one of his best games for the club, was missed by centimeters by Elliot Benyon, who must score soon!
Liam Dickinson, again reacting well to the increased competition sitting on the bench, headed a great cross from Martin just wide left, before four minutes from the break the Shrimpers deservedly equalised.
Ryan Hall found Clohessy down the right and another trademark cross found Dave Martin off a Cobbler defenders deflection, and he said thanks very much to score his debut goal in a Shrimper shirt finding the bottom right corner with a well hit strike from close range.
So that was that, I turned to a guy behind me and said: "This is like the Wimbledon game", fancying a 4-1 win at that point, well we did win by a three-goal margin, as I went to buy my half time meat and potato pie and cup of Bovril in the now freezing temparture as the sun disappeared behind the Sixfield stands.
Unfortunately, for the travelling faithful, Saido Berahino had not read the script, and as good as it was to see away from Roots Hall, with a couple of minutes before their own cups of tea should we have had so many players in forward positions, the Northampton striker lept on to a through ball from Ben Harding and though the advancing Glenn Morris got his fingertips to the ball, he couldn't stop it finding the back of the old onion bag for a Cobblers lead at the break!
For all the hands shooting up al la Arsenal 1990 it looked OK to me straight in line at pitch level, but one for the replays.
The talk in the long refreshment queues now forming was we had to get more shots on target, that the Northampton shot stopper Hall could be tested more, a dodgy keeper in the making.
And sure enough the first action of the second period saw the Bemudan custodian fumble a strike from Dickinson that found Benyon, 2-2, no, his six yard shot was first blocked by Hall, who then recovered quickly to rob the hard working former Torquay forward of his own first goal for the club.
There was even a hint of a hand ball during the action, but with the linesman at the wrong end of the pitch and it happening on the blind side of the ref it was never going to be given.
The resulting corner though did lead to a further chance but Gilbert headed wide, who on the whole was taking the expected booing on his return to his former club in his stride.
This opening period saw the Shrimpers swarming over the Cobblers in ever increasing numbers, you felt a second equaliser had to come, but doubts started to fester when Mark Phillips, deadly in front of goal this season, missed a great opportunity on 52 minutes, when 'easier to score' couldn't describe the shock felt when he headed wide from inside the six yard box from an accurate Hall free-kick!
Superb ball skills from Martin, not for the first time, saw a shot flash past keeper Hall's goal, followed by Hall half volleying wide right from inside the 12-yard area.
The 'oohs and ahhs' were getting louder, as was the backing from both sides of the ground where the Shrimpers support sat, and increasingly stood, as the promotion pushers pushed Northampton further back into their own half.
And five minutes passed the hour they scored the vital goal, and from the penalty spot as Liam Dickinson was given a right hook by keeper Hall, an easy decision for the match official from where we were directly in line with the incident whatever Boothroyd thinks, got up, dusted himself down, and smashed his spot-kick to the right of the net high up for his 11th of the season, one clear of our own Hall now.
Dickinson picked up a yellow card for his celebrations, a touch harsh I thought, the referee seemed to have his hand in his pocket whatever happened afterwards, and it seemed far worse later on when he did nothing.
However, if we were to believe that the points would now fall into the teams lap, Northampton, to their credit, had other ideas and what followed was game changing.
The Cobblers won a free-kick 25 yards out and a superb free-kick from Michael Jacobs was brilliantly saved by Morris, I've harboured plenty of doubts about the former Orient keeper but he earnt his corn here.
But on 73 minutes they did seem to have taken the lead again when yet another Jacobs free-kick found the inside of the right post but somehow came out when nine times out of ten you would have thought at that angle it would cross the line!
Berahino was up next, his header going just wide of the same post, then a moment of madness, and after commenting on how Morris had kept us in it, his inconsistency shined through when a Clohessy backpass bobbled poorly, the pitch had given Shrimpers a few problems throught out the game, but the Southend No. 1 should still have cleared, when in fact he missed the ball, hearts in mouths time, which went on to roll inches wide of the left hand post. Phew!
In between these incidents Luggy decided to play his joker, the one and only Bilel Mohsni, to a great cheer from the away support.
He responed as he only can, no, not be receiving a red card, and referee Sutton was the last man to show Bilel that colour at Oldham, as with nine minutes left on the clock our favourite French Tunisian gave the Shrimpers the lead for the first time, and unlike Northampton, they were in no mood to give it back!
A Hall cross, who else, from the right, in came Mohsni from the other side, he stooped low, got his head to the ball 16 yards out, which found the bottom left hand corner of the net with only nine minutes remaining.
Cue wild celebrations which Mohsni seemed to generally appreciate, what a star!
The game was up now, and Luggy twisted the knife by bringing on loanee Jack Sampson, 18, blimey they breed them big in Bolton, who showed great ball skill for a boy of his size, and he's going to be hard for opposition defenders to shake him off.
And it was after one of those runs that Sampson found Dickinson who smashed the ball home from eight yards to make the points safe on 85 minutes.
There was still time for Mohsni to head home from a Hall left wing corner, (how many assists is it now?), a minute into stoppage time to make is a nap hand for the now league leaders, maybe a bit harsh for the home side, but, frankly, who cares.
Bilel, man of the match for 10 minutes, yes!
Shape up Shrews, the all, new look Shrimpers will be in your patch in a week, but it's the old boys who could be doing the damage!
Southend player markings: Morris - 7, Clohessy - 7, Barker - 6, Phillips - 7, Gilbert - 6, Hall - 7, Kalala - 7, Timlin - 7, Martin - 7 (Mohsni - 8), Benyon - 7 (Sampson 81 - 7), Dickinson - 7.
Referee: Mr. G. Sutton - 7.