Donohue's Marks Out Of Ten

RB Lewis Hunt | Minutes on pitch: 45 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 7

Taken off at half time assumedly due to injury Lewis Hunt was having a more than solid game before he was substituted. Hunt was doing what he does best and that is defending well and going forward to support the attack when needed. Hunt was also tackling with his usual force and it was because of this that he appeared to pick up a knock.

CB Spencer Prior | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 8.5

Prior showed his class with a cool, calm and collected display showing off every quality that a central defender should have. Prior was given a lease to attack a little more as Shrewsbury played with only one player, Luke Rodgers in attack. Prior used this to his advantage and it was a regular occurrence that Prior ventured into the opposite half of the field with the football at his feet. Defensively Prior was faultless and he and Barrett dealt with forwards Rodgers and Ryan Lowe excellently. Performances like tonight, from Prior, shows how the former Derby County man played in the Premier League.

CB Adam Barrett | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 7

Not quite as good as Saturday but that’s more than good enough from Barrett as a quite but solid performance ensured that there was no mishaps at the back of the Southend’s play. Barrett commanded the defence although he was not quite the threat in attack, probably due to the Shrews being aware of his excellent goalscoring credentials. This was obviously highlighted on Saturday as he nodded Southend to a win in Northampton. Barrett can take heart from a good performance where the defence limited the opposition to just six attempts on goal.

LB Che Wilson | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6.5

Another scary moment in the evening was when Wilson decided he would shoot. In fairness the left foot effort was the right choice however a poorly scuffed effort makes me wonder if he will ever score in a Southend shirt; I hope so.

RM Carl Pettefer | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6.5

Another game where Carl Pettefer can say he contributed well to the team without really ever excelling. I have said it so many times now and I will continue to do so but Pettefer will always struggle to play on the wing basically because he does not have the attributes to play there. He is not the most attacking-minded of players and will never be so and therefore he will struggle to play out wide. An example of Pettefer’s lesser attacking abilities cam when the game was locked at 0-0. In fairness Pettefer had done very well to unlock the defence with a great dribbling run however when faced with just the goalkeeper to beat he leant back far too much and ended up firing over the bar. He fell to the ground with his head in his hands at the groan of Southend followers in the crowd.

CM Mark Bentley | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6

Bentley is not a man who is on the top of his game at the moment as he appears to have lost the driving force that made him such a great player towards the beginning of the season. Bentley is no longer flying in with the tackles, perhaps because he fears the two more cautions that would see him to a suspension. Then why would he punch the ball away when he got cautioned on Saturday? Bentley’s all round play is also lacking as his confidence has dipped since missing a golden chance against Darlington. Bentley wasted two more chances today, one, after a free kick aimed into the penalty area bobbled it’s way through to the unmarked Dagenham and Redbridge man from about 8 yards however Beno blazed the ball over the bar. Bentley’s next opportunity was deep into the second half when he picked the ball up fifteen yards from goal and scuffed wide of the post.

CM Kevin Maher | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 8

The commitment from Maher was there for all to see as the captain led the team in true old fashioned style. Maher’s set pieces were very good and quite how another Southend player did not capitalise on these opportunities is beyond me. There was one occasion where Maher floated in a poorer set piece and he obviously received criticism from a spectator in the RBS stand. Maher gesticulated towards the fan as if to say ‘support me not slate me,’ something I agree with entirely in what is a fantastic season for Southend. When the Shrimpers did score Maher ran over towards the area using the ‘ssshhh’ signal, brilliant stuff! A good performance from Maher after being picked in team of the week earlier in the day.

LM Mark Gower | Minutes on pitch: 89 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 7.5

Gower was the man that everyone wanted to see start the game because of his creative influence in the last two games Bristol Rovers and Northampton Town. Although Gower did not quite have the same affect that he had on them occasions he did managed to turn in a decent enough performance again creating more than his fair share of chances. Gower often caused havoc for Town’s Dave Walton as he jinxed in and out. Gower’s one real chance came just before Eastwood’s goal. The former Tottenham man found himself drifting in to the middle of the penalty area where he received the ball. As he turned, it was from around twelve yards out that Gower hit a clean strike that the excellent Scott Howie done very well to retrieve from behind of his body. Gower forced another attempt on goal before being substituted a minute from the end for Nicky Nicolau. It was trademark Gower, cut in and shoot, this time Darren Tinson blocked the shot and the ball fell into Howie’s arms.

CF Freddy Eastwood | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 1 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 9

Eastwood headed home the winner with twelve minutes left on the clock

Motm: Much, much better from Eastwood as he returned to the Freddy we all knew and loved at the start of his Southend career. On another night Eastwood would have had a hat-trick but tonight one will do for Eastwood as it secured all three points keeping up with the pace for the possibility of automatic promotion. Freddy played well all evening and looked sharp, even from the beginning of the match. Eastwood used possession well and tried a number of tricks including his now patented reverse pass, used to create goals against Darlington and Mansfield. Eastwood had two really good chances that, as I said earlier, would have gone into the back of the net if it were not for keeper Scott Howie who was determined to keep the Eastwood led Southend attack at Bay.

However in the 78^th minute the goal came. In fairness to Howie there was nothing he could do as substitute Wayne Gray nodded to unmarked Eastwood who simply could not miss from inside the 6 yard area.

CF Lawrie Dudfield | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6

It was not a good night for Dudfield who was tightly marked all evening. It is not a secret that Dudfield and Eastwood do not play well together but now it is a fact. Playing with a similar style forward clearly affected Dudfield as he had to do a lot of the ‘strength work’ usually reserved for Gray, Bramble or previously Broughton.

RB Duncan Jupp | Minutes on pitch: 45 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 8

If there was ever a good example of a player raising their game in order to try and get their place back then tonight’s performance from Duncan Jupp would be a classic example. When Jupp last featured in a Southend shirt many criticised the former Wimbledon man for conceding possession far too easily; This criticism can surely not be aimed at Jupp tonight as he orchestrated most of the attacks along the right wing. Not only did Jupp offer the extra attacking width that the combination of Hunt and Pettefer tend not to do, but Jupp also showed his pace as he covered virtually every blade of grass along the West side touchline. Jupp was rewarded for his work when he cross (or Cruz as were now supposed to call it!) eventually found it’s way through to Freddy Eastwood who headed in.

CF Wayne Gray | Minutes on pitch: 16 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 1 | Rating: 8

Only six minutes on the pitch and Gray clearly made a difference to the Southend attack. Some would say that the fresh legs helped the Blues however I would argue it is the natural understanding and the fantastic combination of styles of play that Eastwood and Gray possess. It took only four minutes, since Gray was substituted onto the field for him to assist Eastwood after flicking on to him. Only minutes later Gray had a great chance to score for himself after being sent through on goal, a combination of strength and pace saw him accelerate from his marker only to fire into the side netting. It was a night though, when Wayne Gray was the real difference between the two sides due to ability to aid the attack by offering different attributes.