Craven's Marks Out Of Ten

GK Darryl Flahavan | Mins on pitch: 90 | Goals Conceded: 2 | Rating: 8.5

Both came from the dangerous Jorge Leitao. After less than four minutes had passed, young England Under-19 striker Matt Fryatt sent a fierce shot towards goal that Flavs could only just parry into the path of Leitao, whose low drive was expertly tipped around the post by the shotstopper. Even referee Mike Thorpe was stunned as he originally gave a goal kick!

Then, in stoppage time, with Goater having levelled seconds earlier, the gaping gaps in United’s defence opened up again, and Flahavan had to be at his best to tip the effort around the post from a position where he had to react quickly and use his low centre of gravity. He made a number more good saves and was not afraid to argue the odds with captain Kevin Maher, although Leitao’s goal may have been due to his usual insistence not to come for crossed balls.

RB Duncan Jupp | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6.5

Right-back Jupp was the hero of Cardiff, as we watched again on the coach on the way to the Bescot Stadium, and he revealed in his post-match interview to SKY Sports that he must have made at least 20,000 overlaps in his career. If that was an overstatement, he was still required to make many more this afternoon as the inability of Carl Pettefer meant that the Scot had to sacrifice his defence duties. Thankfully he was able to remain reasonably solid at the back as well.

CB Andy Edwards | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 5

After the euphoria of a fine display at Bradford City in midweek, Edwards simply did not do enough at the key moments to justify his place in the side ahead of either Spencer Prior or even, possibly, Lewis Hunt. With Blues 1-0 up, they needed to be solid at the back, and Eagle was unable to provide that.

Twice Walsall sent in good balls into the penalty area, and twice they were rewarded with goals as Edwards and defensive partner Adam Barrett failed to pick up their men. There was a stage in the first period when Che Wilson was required to mark the dangerous Fryatt, and if this was the case in the second period as well, with Wilson’s difficulty in winning headers, it is no wonder the forward scored.

CB Adam Barrett | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6

Tough to sum up Barrett’s performance overall, even if it is easy to say that he has yet to recreate the sort of form that saw him voted PFA League Two Player of the Year last time around. He undoubtedly has the ability to make the transition to League One, but we still see some tricky moments as he just fails to make the necessary adjustments, including the lack of marking that almost fatally led to Leitao handed the Saddlers all three points at the end. He did make a series of fine, and important blocks, however.

LB Che Wilson | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 5.5

The problems that we saw in successive LDV Vans Trophy finals surfaced again against genuine width as left-back Wilson was shown up by a very dangerous touchline-hugging Mark Wright for the homesters. Wright had pace and did not drift inside very much at all, leaving Wilson exposed when the ball was on the right and he had a tendency to leave his man out on the wing. The ball was inevitably switched, and had Wright been more effective when crossing, Blues could have been punished more often.

RM Carl Pettefer | Minutes on pitch: 74 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 1 | Rating: 5

Well, at least he delivered the ball that Wayne Gray nodded into the back of the net to give Southend the lead, whilst he also won the corresponding free-kick. Because other than those two moments, the 2004/5 ever-present was woefully out of touch, and brought next to nothing to the Shrimpers side.

It seems harsh to level such criticism on someone who is, after all, hardworking to the point that he does put some of his other teammates to shame, but, like Luke Guttridge before him, Pettefer is not a right-sided midfielder, or at least not in the flanking fashion that is required at this level. He did not deliver a single penetrating ball from open play, and every time his short passes back to Jupp or Kevin Maher were easily telegraphed.

CM Luke Guttridge | Mins on pitch: 70 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6.5

Again the former Cambridge United man was the player to make way when Steve Tilson wanted to make a change, emphasising the point that Tilly is desperate to leave as many attacking players on the pitch as possible, for Mark Gower was in much worse form. Gutts’ best period was the opening twenty minutes of the second period, when he really imposed himself on the game and battled hard for every ball, but he proved an effective partner for Kevin Maher in the absence of the injured Mark Bentley.

CM Kevin Maher | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 1 | Rating: 7.5

The skipper had make a seamless switch into the new world of Coca-Cola League One, and his class now shows. The amount of passes that he manages to deliver forwards rather than the crab-like sideways that he has always been criticised for, is now countless.

Nowhere was this more evident than his dinked centre for Shaun Goater to nod into the back of the net in the dying stages. The captain has also grown in stature, as though the play-off triumph was enough to justify his position as the leader of the team. He is, thankfully, more inclined now to berate his teammates than the referee.

LM/RM Mark Gower | Mins on pitch: 74 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 5

The usual question marks over Gower’s commitment to the cause and general fitness have resurfaced. From the position where he was almost the saviour against Port Vale in a fine cameo, he has now transformed into the sullen, sulky wide man who is simply not interested, or not interested enough. He did make one crunching challenge, but barely sent in a notable cross.

CF/LW Wayne Gray | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 1 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 8

Forward Gray netted a fine, looping header that always seemed to be going into the goal to score his second goal of the season so far. He also gave yet another brilliant account of himself at the perfect time, as Shaun Goater comes back to fitness. The time will come when Steve Tilson will have to choose between Gray and Eastwood to partner the Bermudan, and on this form, it will be Gray that stays in the side, with his power, pace and persistence pressurising his boss.

CF Freddy Eastwood | Mins on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6

This certainly was not the worst display of Eastwood’s ability, but he will be ruing the miss at 1-0 that would almost certainly have settled the match. The former Grays Athletic man brilliantly turned Chris Westwood to take him out of the game and afforded himself acres of space and hours of time to pick his spot, but unfortunately this was inches past the left-hand post and Andy Oakes’ goal was not breached.

It was an opportunity that he would have taken nine times out of ten last season when on form, and you would have backed the confident Gray to have done so this term. Eastwood’s infuriating repeated attempts to get on the scoresheet from anywhere on the pitch always looked threatening, but sometimes he must pick out a colleague.

CM Jay Smith | Minutes on pitch: 20 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 7.5

Just a few miles from his old hunting ground at Aston Villa, Smith made a typically tenacious return to match action as he flew into a series of tackles and generally improved the energy of the Shrimpers side. The Londoner will, no doubt, now make it tough for Guttridge and Bentley to hold down a regular spot, but all three offer a fine alternative to Kevin Maher.

CF Shaun Goater | Mins on pitch: 16 | Goals: 1 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 7

Feed the Goat and he will score! One chance, one goal for the former Manchester City man, and that was all that was required of him. You sensed that it might just be his day when he was first named in the squad, and then, having just come off the substitutes’ bench, his first touch was awful, ricocheted against his opposite thigh and fell back into his path. His battle with old warhorse Steve Staunton was intriguing to witness, though the front man had the last laugh when he headed in Kevin Maher’s centre.