Southend United 1 Stevenage 0

Last updated : 22 April 2011 By exiledessexboy

There are worst ways to spend a sunny bank holiday in Southend.

Luggy decided to stay with that winning side from the other week, and after Bilel came on who can blame in, we all love him but someone has to have a word with the boy.

Stevenage, were frankly, horrible, and it does make you wonder what a signing or two in January would have done, I appreciate thier last unbeaten eight games, but it just sums up what might have been for the Shrimpers.

The only side who only seemed to want to win the match was the team in Blue and early on Ryan Hall had a strike deflected wide of the left post, followed up by a good cross from the left by Luke Prosser who found Harry Crawford close in, but his shot was well kept out by Boro keeper Chris Day.

All through though there was a concern about referee David Coote, usually a linesman, who was letting the Herts side get away with some outright thuggery at times, and sure enough after another incident he showed his inexperience by booking Anthony Grant and Stevenage's Michael Bostwick when Snoop Dog was hardly involved, not surprising Boro thought they could try their luck.

For a short while this actually seemed to awake Stevenage who quickly won three corners in a row, however, and it had to happen, they were soon reduced to ten men.

Boro left winger Peter Winn decide he would try and decapiyate Sean Cloheesy throat for a reason only he knows why, and got a a red card.

The trouble was for the home faithful that play-off hopefuls Stevenage seemed to become the better side after that, and that carried on into the second half.

After a couple of half-chances a low 25 yard stike from Scott Laird was well pushed away out by Shrimpers shot stopper Glenn Morris, with our new regular left-back Luke Prosser clearing the rebound.

On 68 minutes Luggy made a triple substitution to hhis credit to winn the game, Lee Sawyer, Bilel Mohnsi and Blair Sturrock all coming on replacing
Kane Ferdinand, Prosser and young Harry Crawford, who had not had the best of games.

It didn't seem to work as Bilel, and you never know what you are going to get with him, clearly brought down Byron Harrison in the 76th minute, but, oh dear, John Mousinho's poor spot kick was rather easily saved by Morris.

You felt it was possibily going to be the Shrimpers day and sure enough only five minutes later a left wing corner from, who else, Hall, found the head of, now, 20 goal Barry Corr, a brilliant flick eight yards out, 1-0.

Ryan in fact could have sealed it up early when Sawyer sent the wideboy through on goal, but his volley was well saved, leaving Stevenage stilll in the promotion race but the home supporters with a spring in their step in the warm spring Easter sunshine.

Southend player markings: Morris - 7, Clohessy - 6, Barker - 7, Coughlan - 6, Prosser - 5 (Mohsni - 4), Ferdinand - 6 (Sawyer - 6), Easton - 6, Grant - 6, Hall - 8, Corr - 7, Crawford - 5 (Sturrock 68 - 5).

Referee - Mr. D. Coote - 5.