Torquay United 3 Southend United 0

Perhaps some of those supporters had wished that they had remained on the M5 when, despite a decent start, Southend United capitulated to defeat once Tony Bedeau had given the home side the lead in first half stoppage time.

Within nine minutes of the second period the Shrimpers were three goals down and the match was over. Southend, led by the Steve Tilson and Paul Brush combination once again still remain out of the bottom two, but only by a point after Darlington surrendered a two goal led to draw with Scunthorpe United at the Reynolds Arena.

The Seasiders now face a fortnight's wait until their next Division Three fixture and its a tough one with a second trip of the season to Swansea City's Vetch Field in the offering. However one piece of good news for the South Essex side is that the Swans will be without top scorer Lee Trundle, through suspension, for that crucial fixture. Of course there are two home cup ties in the interim, but Tilson, however long he remains in charge for, must ensure that his side don't lose concentration on the League, where the dogfight to maintain a final position of at least twenty-second remains top priority.

With eight players out through injury, illness or suspension Tilson was forced to name himself amongst the substitutes at Plainmoor whilst Che Wilson, at left back, Drewe Broughton, at centre forward of course, and Leon Constantine, pushed out on the left wing,came into the side to replace Neil Jenkins, Jimmy Corbett and Jamie Stuart.

On what was a very bobbly surface, the home side created the first chance of the match on just seven minutes, David Graham heading just wide of the post from a Brian McClinchey cross before the visitors forced some early opportunities of their own. A David McSweeney free kick saw Broughton knock the ball down before Lewis Hunt stabbed a shot over the crossbar and then another free kick, this time from captain Kevin Maher was laid-off to Tes Bramble who's fierce low drive from 25 yards beat goalkeeper Arjan Van Heusden but bounced back out off the upright.

Hitting the post was undoubtedly the closest Southend came to breaking the deadlock and to be honest that squandered opportunity, despite only really being a half chance in its origin, seemed to make the heads drop and Torquay enjoyed by far the best of the match leading up to half time.

Kevin Hill really should have done better when he could only poke a weak shot at Darrul Flahavan despite having been left completely unmarked by a dozy Southend rearguard following a low Bedeau centre before Flahavan made a great stop to push Alex Russell's 20 yard drive around the post.

However it was soon the home side's turn to strike to woodwork when Graham's shot took a vital deflection off of Hunt before smashing against the post and from the resulting corner Russell's flag kick saw Steve Woods' header hacked clear by Hunt.

The pivitol goal arrived in the second minute of first half stoppage time however and Tilson's would surely have given his defence a rocket over the way the goal was conceded. McClinchey's cross should have easily been dealt with, but somehow Wilson drifted away from his position and left Bedeau totally unmarked to head home from a matter of yards at the far post.

The Shrimpers, now attacking their own supporters at the Babbacombe End, had an early hope in the second half when fine play by Jay Smith eventually saw a neat cross headed off target by Broughton but just seven minutes after the re-start Blues fell two behind to another disappointingly soft goal. A low right wing centre by Bedeau saw Hill's shot brilliantlyu pushed out by Flahavan, but Graham reacted first to the loose ball and poked home from close range with the now helpless Flahavan left floundering.

The deciding goal arrived just a further two minutes later and in honesty summed up both its predecessors. A Russell corner caught the swirling wing and Constantine, having completely misread the flight of the ball, could only manage to head his attempted clearance past Flahavan and into the roof of his own net.

Strangely the third goal did appear to spark some life into the demorilised Southend side, but the game was all but over by this time, however Smith's volley flew only inches wide after good work by Bramble and Constantine on the right.

However, still the home side, who put in a mightily impressive second half showing, came at Blues and Flahavan, who fortunately was enjoying one of his best games in a Southend shirt, pushed a Bedeau effort wide after a skillful run from Graham before the Shrimpers custodian got both hands to a Reuben Hazell effort.

Torquay almost completed a four-goal rout on 72 minutes, but a sliding Graham, once again rather worrying left all alone, could only smash his shot, from a Kevin Wills cross, against the underside of the crossbar before Flahavan and his defence managed to scramble the ball to safety.

Michael Kightly, an all-too-late substitute for Constantine, caused problems, as did fellow sub Steven Clark, and the seventeen-year old shot just off target following an accustomary run, but that was all Southend, who failed to chalk up an effort on target, cou;d muster in a frustrating match.

As strange as ot seems Southend have probably played worse and won this season, but severe frailties at the back and a distinct lack of a finishing touch up front, despite the sirirling effort put in by Gramble, cost the Shrimpers dear and let's face it, not for the first time.

The basics of a decent side are there, anybody who regularly attends matches can see that, but this side needs to start perfoming consistantly well all over the pitch to start picking up results and to haul themselves away from the dreaded drop zone.

Anyway, just for the record Supreme, as sheer luck would have it, had another Coack 'holidaying' in Torquay so getting home wasn't as much of a problem as first thought. However the driver who then had to drive the coach straight back to te Riverira for use first thing Sunday morning probably wasn't particularly impressed!