Southend United 2 Swindon Town 0

Two goals in quick succession were enough to kill off Swindon Town and the result also took Southend back to the top of League 1.

The first twenty minutes were a bit dull to be honest; both teams were feeling each other out. But it was the blues who had the first attack on goal, Wayne Goal had a sighting of goal, but miss hit his shot, and Rhys Evans easily gathered the ball. Evans had the chance to sign for us, before the season started but chose to join Swindon instead.

It was Gray again who caused the trouble as he won a free kick after running across the edge of the penalty box. Gower took the free-kick, which was on target until it hit a Swindon player in the wall, and sailed over the bar for a corner.

Gower took the resulting corner, which lead to Efe Sodje once again getting a very strong header onto the cross, as he tried to direct it goal wards.

Swindon then tried to get into the game and created a few half chances, the most noticeably effort was 25 yard effort from Albert Jarrett, who’s on loan at Swindon, which dipped pretty comfortably over Flahavan’s cross bar.

Southend took the lead after 30 minutes when Luke Guttridge headed home from close range. A cross in from Gower was pushed away by Evans in goal, but Bentley hooked the ball back across the goal, and Guttridge was there to nod home.

Southend 1 V Swindon 0 (Guttridge 31)

The Blues fans celebrated that goal, and didn’t have to wait to celebrate another, about a minute later the Blues stuck again. Gray ran at the Robins defense, and laid it off to Guttridge, who slipped it onto Gower, who hit a left footed shot, crisply past Evans and into the bottom corner.

Southend 2 V Swindon 0 (Gower 32)

H/T – Southend 2 V Swindon 0 (Guttridge 31, Gower 32)

As the players emerged from the tunnel, Evans, came to the South Upper end of the crowd. The crowd sung “you should have signed for us”, was sung from the South Upper towards Evans, who gave us all a smile.

Back to the game, Wilson had the first chance for Southend as he put wide from a tight angle, on the turn. The Blues should have made it three soon after, after a Kevin Maher free-kick was headed over by Wayne Gray from 6 yards out.

Jamie Cureton then had a big chance for Swindon after Guttridge was caught dwelling on the ball, the former Colchester loanee, put the wide when he was through one on one, with Flahavan.

Southend then had two more chances to increase the score line, Eastwood twisted and turned and hit a low shot which went just missed the right hand post, soon after Bentley had a deflected shot well saved by Evans low down to his left.

The only two sour points to the game were that Wayne Gray had to depart from the second half due to what appeared to be a pulled hamstring. And Luke Guttridge was also forced off, due to the flu catching up with him, after he thought he’d shock it of.

Southend now cant go down, even if they don’t get another point, but most Blues fans are now looking at the team heading for promotion.