It's a top ten win as brilliant Bilel batters Bulls

And I thought Hereford would be a tougher prospect than last season, in all honesty it should have been the same score, and the Bulls are lucky they didn't ship four again, they are in for another tough season!

The first half was all Southend, with Jemal Johnson, there's a good player in there, give him time, he is no Louie Soares (thank the Lord), volleying wide after the first of several great passes/crosses from Ryan Hall.

After that debuatant Neil Harris nearly opened the scoring when his shot just went wide of the left hand post, Bomber had a quiet first half but his class certainly showed in the latter stages of the second.

Anyway, with 14 minutes, the Shrimpers actually did get the ball in the net and what a good goal it was.

Hall cut in from the right as he does but delivered a superb cross to the back post where Bilel Mohsni had found space and the French Tunisian defender come forward headed the ball in to the back of the net from eight yards. Brilliant and deserved.

Mohsni in fact dominated the Bulls defence, maybe not winning as much in the air that he should, the centre back in him I suppose, but they were determined to stop him at all costs, continually holding him down by foul means which went upunished by referee Berry.

And it was from Hall’s left wing free-kick that another header by Mohsni was this time tipped over by Bulls keeper Adam Bartlett, then a Johnson cross from the left that he just placed past the post, yes, with his head again, before a sarcastic cheer was heard in the home stands of Roots Hall when James McQuilkin shot well wide from 25 yards, at last an effort of some discription from Hereford.

Now Hall decided to try and get on the score sheet himself with a stinging free-kick that Bartlett was pleased to keep out, followed by more Blues pressure that led to a decent strike by Mohsni and not so decent one by Johnson.

The Bulls were pleased to hear the first half whistle as I was pleased to have a half time pint. The murmours around the West Stand bar were positive.

As ever you feel a secong goal is needed to close the game out Southend and the impressive Hall led the charge after the break with a great run that saw Harris head over the bar form eight yards out, so close to a goal on his first league game in a Shrimpers shirt.

Mark Phillips, excellent in defence after all his injuries, headed yet another on the spot Hall free-kick wide of the right post before a sharp Mohsni pounced on a defensive error to place the ball past Bartlett but the linesman's flag was raised for off-side, close.

So, as usually happens if you don't finish a side off, the Bulls started to gain more possession.

However, the Southend defence, with a strong debutant in Jean-Paul Kalala working hard in front of the back four, the odd wayward pass forgiven, which allowed Antony Grant to deliver some sublime passes to his forwards, never allowed Shrimpers shot stopper Glenn Morris to be seriously tested.

They still should have grabbed that second though when Bartlett somehow pushing a Harris header on to the left hand post, following a dramatic goal mouth scramble.

The away side look as if they are in for another long season, an overweight Delroy Facey seemed uninterested bar a decent pass or two, while non league serial scorer Stuart Fleetwood was, frankly, rubbish, and a surprise it took so long for Bulls boss Jamie Pitman to substitute him.

For all the ball they saw in the second period they were forced to shoot from long range, McQuilkin's going wide while Joe Colbeck saw his deflected form danger by Luke Prosser, who this correspondant has had plenty to say about in the past, but has to admit he was very good this afternoon.

Lee Sawyer came on for Johnson to help shore up the Bull runs down the left, and after nearly getting a yellow card for a rash challenge immediately after coming on, saw Mohsni go clean through with seven minutes left but Bartlett dived bravely at the feet of the former Parisian park player!

After another header from Bilel that found the Bulls keeper stopped easily enough, he was taken off by Blues boss Paul Sturrock, replaced by another debutant in Liam Dickinson, to a standing ovation from the Roots Hall faithful, all 5,105 of them, though the 105 was probably the support from Hereford, who were lucky to be there it seems, like the team yesterday, their coach broke down on the way to the game, four times! (www.herefordtimes.com)

And in stoppage time it was Dikinson who saw his 25 yarder deflected on to the top of the bar, but the damage had been done and the miserable record of Hereford against the Shrimpers continued, now over 30 years since they last saw success at the home of football!  

A promising display by Southend with a lot of plusses, there could have been three or four men of the match but I'm giving an extra mark to Bilel for, well, being Bilel, and for being in the right place at theright time for the winning goal.

Team changes aside bring on the Borient in the Carling Cup next Tuesday, and more importantly, Accrington Stanley away in the league next weekend, in what will be a truer measure of how Luggy's boys may perform this season.

Southend United player markings: Morris - 6, Clohessy - 5, Barker - 6, Phillips - 7, Prosser - 7, Hall - 7, Kalala - 6, Grant - 7 (Ferdinand 93), Johnson - 5 (Sawyer - 5), Mohsni - 8 (Dickinson 90), Harris - 6. 

Referee: Mr. C. Berry - 6.

Competition: npower League Two Date: Saturday, 6th August 2011 Kick off: 15:00 Venue: Roots Hall
	Southend Utd. Bilel 14	1 - 0	Hereford Utd.
Match Finished

 

54.1%	Possession	45.9%
1	Goal Attempts	0
1	On Target	0
0	Off Target	0
0	Hit Woodwork	0
5	Corners	2

Referee	Attendance
Carl Berry	5,105

Southend Utd. cards shown
40	Johnson	Dissent
48	Hall	Dissent
Hereford Utd. cards shown
19	Colbeck	Timewasting
56	Heath	Unsporting behaviour
62	Fleetwood	Unsporting behaviour