Southend United 4 Brentford 1

Southend moved back to the top of the table after a win over Brentford. The Shrimpers were superb as they taught the Bee’s a lesson in how to beat a good team.

Southend created the first chance when Wayne Gray was denied a goal by Brentfords keeper Stuart Nelson, after he headed goal wards from about 9 yards out.

The Blues soon scored after virtually 20 minutes of dominance. They were ahead on 19 minutes when Efe Sodje, on his home debut headed in from close range after a short corner was put in by Kevin Maher. The 10,000 plus Southend fans burst into applause and celebration as Sodje celebrated his first goal in a Southend shirt.

Sout

Gower Made It Two

hend didn’t stop at one, they created their next chance soon after when Freddy Eastwood was through on goal with only Nelson to beat, but when he looked certain to score he put his shot wide of the post. However his miss was all forgotten when Eastwood beat two Brentfood players and then eventually found Gower at the second attempt, after the first was blocked. Once Gower received the ball, he took one touch and blasted the ball into the bottom corner to double the Blues lead with only 31 minutes played.

Southend continued to create chances and never allowed Brentford to get going. As Martin Allen was getting more and more frustrated with his team the Blues kept going forward.

H/T Southend United 2 V 0 Brentford (Sodje 19, Gower 31)

After the break the Blues came out buzzing again, and had a goal disallowed after Gray had hit the bar and Sodje bundled the ball in but was adjudged to have handled it in. Bentley and Sodje were not impressed with the linesman decisions and made their feelings shown to the official.

The next attack from Southend resulted in the third. From a free-

Adam Barrett

kick out wide on the right, Kevin Maher put in a low ball, and Adam Barrett dived in low to send a header in off the post to make it 3-0 to the Mighty Shrimpers.

Virtually straight from the restart Brentford pulled one back, through DJ Campbell. It was a cracking strike, which was put in from 20 yards out on the turn. Flahavan could do nothing about it and Brentford ran the ball back to the centre circle for the restart, hoping they could find a way back into the game.

However, the goal didn’t kick start a come back, and substitute Che Wilson popped up in the area to slot home from inside the box, after he was laid in by an impressive Mark Gower. It was

Wilson scored his first goal in his career

Wilsons first ever professional goal, it has only taken him over 200 games!!

The sending off of Eddie Hutchinson capped off a bad day for Brentford and a wonderful day for Southend. He was dismissed for a second bookable offence after having confrontation with Luke Gutridgge, who was also cautioned, and will now miss the next game, due to that being his fifth booking of the season.

However, one more significant event then followed as Charles
Ademeno made his first appearance, after being called up from the youth system. Everyone here from TLG, wishes him the good luck for the future in a Southend shirt.