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A healthy Roots Hall crowd of 5,023 which boosted United's average for the season to slightly over 4,000, saw a most awful performance by Rob Newman's side as they sunk to a dreadful 2-0 defeat to conclude the Shrimpers fixtures at Roots Hall. Southend have now sunk into the bottom half of the table behind Macclesfield and only victory in the final game next week - ironically at Macclesfield - will see United claim a top twelve finish.
In what was a dour scrappy game, only highlighted by laughable refereeing by Lancastrian official Phil Richards, the first real opportunity arrived in the 16th minute, Barrington Belgrave lobbing the ball over the head of an embarassed Gregor Rioch before crossing into the penalty area where Leon Cort saw his header deflected wide of the post.
In the 22nd minute however, and right in front of their vociferous support, Shrewsbury took the lead. A low right wing cross was completely missed by Mark Beard and Ian Woan, 15 yards from goal and totally unmarked was left with no option but to score one of the easiest goals of his career, driving the ball past the helpess Daniel Gay.
Two minutes later Beard flicked down Damon Searle's cross to Belgrave who will regret his first touch which saw the ball slip out of his control before he could only stab the lost chance wide of Town goalkeeper Ian Dunbavin's goal.
It was in the 27th minute thar Mr Richards formally introduced himself to the crowd. Kevin Maher and Shewsbury's leading goalscorer Luke Rodgers tangled on the touchline and Rodgers appeared to push Maher out of the way. Richards blew his whistle and waved Rodgers towards him, most thought to give the pacey striker a caution, but to many people's amazement Richards brandished a red card at the stunned striker, allegedly for an elbow into the face of Maher. From this Reporter's viewpoint it seemed as if a bit of pushing took place but little more.
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As Shrewsbury, with their one goal lead still intact despite going down to ten men, shut-up-shop Southend found it very difficult to carve an opening in the visitor's defence, Phil Whelan eventually managed to get an effort on goal, but Andy Thompson managed to hack it away. At this stage Shrewsbury were already beginning to employ time-wasting tactics, first introduced by Ryan Lowe.
Whelan, once again playing as a makeshift striker nodded an Ian Selley cross inches wide before Richards cautioned first David McSweeney and then Leon Johnson within a minute. Meanwhile further time-wasting tactics were employed by Jamie Tolley. When not rolling around injured Town's favourite action seemed to be the failure to retreat ten yards for corners and free kicks. Five minutes later Woan was cautioned for dissent, but although the former Nottingham Forest man was certainly at fault, it really should have been petty full back Rioch that went into the book as he continually pestered linesman Ian Gosling all afternoon.
As half time approached Shrewsbury could well have been reduced to nine men, Woan lunging in on Selley with an appalling high two-footed tackle. However as the United players surrounded Woan in disgust referee Richards somehow contrived to award the visitors a free kick and caution a rather baffled Selley.
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Southend continued to huff and puff, but all to no avail. Kevin Maher curled a shot wide of the post before Selley, by far United's best player, brilliantly dispossesed Tolley but could only send a following chip just over the crossbar.
Adam Wallace replaced Leon Johnson in the 56th minute as United reverted to a three-pronged attack. The positive formation seemed to have its immediate effect with Selley driving a free kick, laid off by Maher, wide of the mark from 20 yards before a now customary short corner routine involving Thurgood and Selley saw Whelan flick a header wide of the far post. Selley however, possibly still suffering slightly from the cracked-rib that kept him out of the previous weekends clash at Plymouth Argyle, was replaced by Rio Alderton on 65 minutes.
Two minutes later, and with their second and final effort on target, Shrewsbury doubled their lead in controversial fashion. Kevin Maher dallied on the ball and could only hit a clearance straight onto the hand of Ryan Lowe, unbelievably neither Richards nor his nearest assistant, Gary Evetts, noticed the ball slap against Lowe's palm and whilst Maher stood and appealed Lowe had no difficulty in slipping the ball past the on-rushing Gay and into the South Stand net, to the clear frustration and disgust of the home support.
As Shrewsbury's supporters began to celebrate their impending victory, Southend seemed to give up. Cort rolled a shot just wide and Whelan somehow volleyed wide from 15 yards following a long Maher pass, but that's all United could really muster before Alderton headed a Maher corner over the top in the final minute.
Southend's players had to return to the field after the final whistle to do a lap of honour, I would suspect that not too many stayed to honour their side after such a poor performance. This Reporter certainly didn't.
Mark Wallis
www.thelittlegazette.com