Silkmen sunk by table topping Shrimpers

We are top of the league, again, by six clear goals!

Well done Stanley, a draw at the creepies, who only equalised with 12 minutes left on the clock!

There was a lot of talk about what the starting eleven would be chosen by Blues boss Paul Sturrock, he who must be obeyed, and he decided to keep Kane Ferdinand and Jean-Paul Kalala in midfield, so Anthony Grant and Ryan Leonard return to the bench after Barnet.

However, from the 3-0 win in midweek, Bilel Mohsni has moved to the right wing, with Ryan Hall wider left in a sort of 4-5-1, Liam Dickinson on his own, Neil Harris stays as a sub, interesting selection as the rain pours down in Macclesfield, bloody wether forecast!

And it's wideboy Hall who has the first effort on goal, it's off a Silkmen defender for a corner, which he takes as usual, but it doesn't create any danger.

Up the other end and the the very physical looking home side, they are very tall, gets into the game through Tony Diagne with a couple of long range shots that don't test the loanee from West Brom Luke Daniels who remains unbeaten in his short Southend career.

On 8 minutes Ferdinand gets a header in but it clears the bar, and the game settles in to plenty of midfield action with little of it reaching either goalmouth.

Running in fom central midfield Michael Timlin wakes us up with a left footer from long range which goes wide right of the goal before a keeper actually has some work to do after 24 minutes, and it's the home side's Jose Veiga, Mohsni with the overhead kick, the Silkman shot stopper getting his fingertips to the ball pushing it past the right hand post.

A Timlin free-kick finds centre-back Mark Phillips, after that goal to get him level in the top scoring sheets, but he heads wide left.

Timmo then decides to get his shooting boots on with similar efforts within a couple of minutes from 25 yards, both delt with well by Veiga.

Southend dominating possesion now, 55-45 according to the Beeb, and we hope you took those odds of 9's on Ryan Hall opening the scoring for the second successive match, because on 39 minutes he has!

Typical of the in-form winger as well, the ball finds him inside the box and he unleashes a superb volley that finds the top left hand corner of the net.

And with the news that Accrington have taken the lead at Crawley, we are top of the league, for now!

Carl Tremarco ends the half with a shot for the Silkmen, but it's easily saved by young Luke.

As expected Macclesfield come out after the break with renewed vigour, however Colin Daniel's effort from inside the 12-yard area goes high over the bar, soon followed by a Vini Mukendi shot that misses the goal wide right.

Still, the Shrimpers remind their hosts they are two team still out there with the hard-working Timlin, again, chipping the ball this time over the bar. 

And if Ryan can't actually score them, he makes them; a minute after the hour, a left wing corner by Hall is headed towards goal by left back Peter Gilbert but a Silkman gets in the way, the ball falls to Kane Ferdinand who smashes the ball home from six yards!

Six minutes later Hall tries his luck but Veiga saves, followed by a Mohsni header from close range that goes over but Bilel then gets booked and will miss next Saturday's match against Oxford United.

Two goals of course can be pulled back, and Daniels chooses the perfect time to show the travelling faithful what he's made off with a terrific save tipping a Brown header around the left hand post with 13 minutes left!

Desperate times for the Lancashire lads who have now brought on all three substitutes, a corner for Town bringing a close range header that goes just wide. 

We're nearly there, and Dickinson wastes a great chance to seal it in the last minute, a slip by defender Brown lets in the Shrimpers top scorer who is one on one with Veiga, who saves!  

A time wasting sub move by Luggy, Leonard on for Mohsni, also saves him from a possiblle double yellow, and we enter stoppage time.

However, four minutes and no scares later the man in black calls time and another three points are in the bag.

Macclesfield had lost too many regulars through injuries and suspension for them to come back at Southend once they had taken the lead, and the Blues are back on top.

A full ten matches unbeaten, including nine wins, eight and a draw in the league, 25 points out of 26, you cannot complain about that!

There's also a  very nice nine-point cushion over Burton Albion just outside the play-off zone, it's all geared up to be a cracker next weekend as the fourth placed U's visit the Hall!

Southend player markings: Daniels - 7, Clohessy - 6, Barker - 7, Phillips - 6, Gilbert - 6, Ferdinand - 6, Timlin - 9, Kalala - 7, Mohsni - 7, Hall - 8, Dickinson - 7.

Referee - Mr. M. Brown - 7.