GK Darryl Flahavan | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals Conceded: 0 | Rating: 8 |
Saving five of the six shots that came his way last night represented a good performance for Flahavan who is looking to keep his place in the team when Bart Griemink returns in little under a months time. Flahavan was first called into action early when Trundle sent Darryl low to his left and forced a fantastic save. When Flahavan was beaten he could do little about it. Trundle’s excellent control and finish sent the home fans wild whilst Flahavan was left helpless. One moment that Flahavan will be criticised for is a point in the first half where he came for a cross on the edge of the area, a ball he was ‘never going to get to.’ Thankfully for Flahavan he was awarded a freekick after being fouled by Paul Connor. |
RB Lewis Hunt | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 7 |
Another ‘up and down’ performance from Lewis Hunt who found himself controlling much of the right flank for Southend in a lot of areas. As well as appearing everywhere on the right side, Hunt also made goodheaded clearances at vital times. It was a solid performance from Hunt. |
CB Spencer Prior | Minutes on pitch: 89 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 7.5 |
Prior had commented earlier in the week on how he expected the game to be difficult for himself due to his connections with Cardiff City. Swansea fans certainly gave Prior a hard time however it did not phase Prior and the experienced defender got the most of the Swansea forward line for most of the night. Prior won most aerial battles against Lee Trundle but was often, harshly penalised, by referee Mark Warren. Prior was also cautioned for dissent. Prior was substituted in the last minute of the game and was booed off the field by most sections of the ground. |
CB Adam Barrett | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6.5 |
It was a solid performance from Barrett who got stuck in when he needed to. However Barrett’s usually energetic and commanding assets appeared to be missing and Barrett was a little quite. Despite this there can be few moans at Barrett. |
LB Che Wilson | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6.5 |
Another hard tackling display by full back Wilson however he was often caught out of position and the ball for Swansea’s goal came in from Wilson’s area of play. Wilson also gave the ball away a little too often however. Apart from this there are few complaints aimed at Wilson. |
RM Carl Pettefer | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6.5 |
Mr. Consistent followed his Man of the Match performance against Darlington in typical fashion. As ever, Pettefer offered his usually hard working attitude often forcing members of the opposition into mistakes. Pettefer’s hard attitude earned the former Portsmouth midfielder a caution as he went in too hard for the referee’s liking. This was another caution that could be considered to be a little too harsh. |
CM Mark Bentley | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 7 |
Much of the same from Bentley who was an important player for the Shrimpers as he prevented Swansea from overrunning Southend. Bentley’s crunching challenges were very important in order to win the ball back, although this didn’t go unnoticed by referee Warren. After two or three of these challenges Bentley found himself with a yellow card. One down side to Bentley’s game was his mis-control of the ball. Unfortunately this problem can reoccur a little too often and Southend often lose the ball because of it. |
CM Kevin Maher | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 8.5 |
A really fantastic performance from Kevin Maher who ran for absolutely everything. Maher’s extra buzz and energy meant that he was absolutely everywhere, often covering for the defence. Maher’s great tackling showed that he was up for the game and desperate to see Southend gain promotion this season. Maher’s tackling almost earned him a booking but the referee game the Blues skipper the benefit of the doubt. It was a very good performance from Maher. |
LM Nicky Nicolau | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6 |
Since moving to the left side of midfield Nicolau had turned in some great performances for Southend, unfortunately this was not one of them and it was certainly one of Nicolau’s poorer games. Nicolau often gave the ball away leading to a number of Swansea attacks. The former Arsenal man also found himself caught out of position, at one point in the right back area! However Nicolau has done well since moving to the left side of midfield and one bad performance should not detract from his fantastic form. |
CF Lawrie Dudfield | Minutes on pitch: 71 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 7.5 |
It was a good performance from Dudfield who was brought off towards the end of the match for fans-favourite Freddy Eastwood. Dudfield linked up well with fellow striker partner Wayne Gray and was given the freedom to have a bit of a run at defenders, a luxury he would not have obtained if playing up front with Eastwood. As ever Dudfield worked hard and ran as much as he could until he was substituted. Dudfield’s pace was shown in the 57th minute when he was hauled down in the penalty are by Swansea defender Kevin Austin. As the whistle blew Southend fans were ready to celebrate however, referee Warren inexplicably cautioned Dudfield for simulating play. How Warren so this I will never quite know as from my angle it was a clear penalty. |
CF Wayne Gray | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 1 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 8.5 | ||||
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CF Freddy Eastwood | Minutes on pitch: 19 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6 |
Following on from last weeks display was hard for Eastwood especially being on the field for only nineteen minutes. Unfortunately for Eastwood he failed to influence the game and appeared to be a little lacklustre and lazy. |
CB Ducan Jupp | Minutes on pitch: 0 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: - |
On the field for only a minute Jupp done little all night but warm up very quickly. Jupp made his first appearance since becoming injured in a training ground clash with Tesfaye Bramble, another substitute on the night. |