GK Darryl Flahavan | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals Conceded: 2 | Rating: 6 |
Having recently turned in some brilliant performances Flahavan will be dissapointed with the fact that he conceded two goals. I personally feel that Darryl will be a touch dissapointed with the first goal as he parried the original shot straight into the path of Michael Walsh who sent the ball into the back of the net. Flahavan could do little about the second goal although some ultra-critics would question his positioning. Not a lot wrong with Darryl’s performance but he will be dissapointed with the two goals that went past him. Roll on a clean sheet on Tuesday. |
RB Lewis Hunt | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6.5 |
It certainly was not Hunt’s best performance for Southend however most of the day for him was overshadowed by the racist abuse he received from the Cistercians. Now, one of the reasons that I have delayed the placing of this article online was in order to do a little research and gain a further insight into the incident. Now there is no way that we will ever find out the full details of the incident due to a number of conflicting reports however my conclusion is this. Why would a professional footballer, who receives, I would imagine, a lot of abuse from various supporters up and down the country be reduced to tears at the end of a game? Why would a number of footballers put their reputation and although very unlikely, a suspension at stake? One would assume racism. I for one find it very sad when on the day that Southend occupy an automatic promotion place that the fans sing ‘Kick the Racist Out’ and not ‘The Blues are Going Up.’ |
CB Spencer Prior | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 5 |
It was certainly a less than satisfactory performance from Prior who is generally very solid at the back. Prior seemed as if he had been picked up from a local park as he gave the ball away, failed to win the ball back and appeared to have very little awarness of the opposition. I hope that Spinner reserves a better performance for Tuesday night’s big event. |
CB Adam Barrett | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6.5 |
Probably the best defender as he managed to keep the ball when he had it and get it back when he didn’t. Barrett’s usually commanding performance was missing though, as Southend’s awful attempts of playing the offside trap were not worked on properly. This is the fault of all the team, but I highlight Barrett as he often groups the defence together. |
LB Che Wilson | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6 |
Beginning posiitvely Wilson won lots of headers on a day when he needed to as the wind meant that aerial battles were going to be key throughout the encounter. However negatively Wilson was just another player who failed to keep posession and began to panic often thrashing his foot through the ball. Wilson was also deemed to be playing Michael Branch onside as he went through to force Chester’s opener from Michael Walsh. |
RM Carl Pettefer | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6.5 |
It was another frustratingly average performance from Pettefer who was suprisingly replaced on seventy-three minutes. Pettefer himself looked surprised despite the fact that he again had been dogged by the defecit of an inability to cross the ball and beat a member of the opposition when in possession. Pettefer will, I am sure, play a massive part in any success that may occur on Tuesday night as his tackling and battling attributes will have to be at their best. |
CM Mark Bentley | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 1 | Rating: 7.5 | |||
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CM Kevin Maher | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6.5 |
Uh-oh. That’s nine yellow cards for Maher now and that really is too close to the mark of ten which would see Maher serve a two match ban. This is a ban that Maher and Southend can do without in what is now going to be an absoloutely massive run-in. To Maher’s actual game and whilst many moaned at the skipper’s performance I thought that his quality with the football shone through in a game that was played mostly in the air. Maher as an amazing ability to see passes all over the pitch and he showed it off throughout the match. |
LM Mark Gower | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 1 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6.5 |
It was certainly refreshing to see a Southend free kick find the back of the net and it shows that hitting the ball straight from the mark is much more effective than knocking the ball allowing a defender to charge the ball down. Apart from the free-kick Gower had a relatively poor game and was kept quite by Chester defender Darren Edmondson throughout the game. Edmondson had done his homework and kept Gower on his left foot throughout the match and therefore the former Tottenham man was ineffective. |
CF Wayne Gray | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 1 | Rating: 5 |
It was an awful performance from Gray who failed to look even vaigley interested in a game that could be crucial at the end of the season. Gray’s usual high work rate was completely missing and his general performance was more or less atrocious. Gray’s best moment in the match was his ‘assist’ for Freddy Eastwood as he stabbed the ball goalwards from Spencer Prior’s misdirected volley. His stab found Eastwood who himself sent the ball home. Gray was also lucky just to pick a yellow card up when he kicked out during a minor melee in the second half |
CF Freddy Eastwood | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 1 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 7 |
Freddy Eastwood’s overall performances bring a nice smile to my face these days as he really does seem ‘up for it.’ Those who read this column often will know that I am not the biggest fan of Freddy however the last three games I have been impressed with the former Grays hitman. Eastwood has been on hand three times in the last three games to send the ball into the back of the net. It is Freddy’s quick reactions that have earnt the Blue’s vital points this term and if we do go up this season then it will be Eastwood’s goals that will have helped the cause massively. |
CF Tesfaye Bramble | Minutes on pitch: 17 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 7 |
On Tuesday evening after leaving Roots Hall and having just been knocked out of the Essex Senior Cup I was not at all impressed with Bramble’s performance. He was lazy, slow and brainless and I wanted the man out of Southend. He could have gone to Canvey or he could have gone to Newcastle to join his brother, I really would not have minded. However today he was completely different. I felt that Bramble changed the game and Southend had their best spell when Tes was on the pitch. He looked very sharp, very fit and looked as if he really cared. Bramble can still offer a lot in the Shrimpers push for promotion. |