Southend v Scunthorpe United

Friday, March 10, 2006

Football League One

Southend :
Flahavan, Jupp, Sodje (Hunt 83), Barrett, Wilson, Bradbury, Guttridge (Smith 80), Maher, Gower, Goater, Eastwood (Gray 69)
Subs not used:
Pettefer, Lawson

Scunthorpe United :
Musselwhite, Stanton, Foster, Crosby, Rose, Taylor, Hinds, Baraclough, Sparrow (Timlin 78), Keogh, Torpey (Ehui 62)
Subs not used:
Byrne, Goodwin, Evans

SULSESC REPORT

by Andy Skeels at Roots Hall

FOR seven minutes of this match, it was difficult to tell which team was pulling clear at the top of the table and which was hovering only just above the relegation zone.

The Iron, after back-to-back away wins at Gillingham and Port Vale, started as if they meant to make it a hat-trick of three-pointers on the road, taking the game to Southend from the opening whistle.

But inevitably it was the home side who scored first, with their first attack of the match. Hotshot Freddy Eastwood cut inside from the left and hammered home from 25 yards past Paul Musselwhite.

If the home fans expected United to buckle after that early blow, they were somewhat mistaken as we continued to dominate without finding the killer punch in front of goal.

Half-time arrived with the better team trailing – and hopes high in the away end that we might salvage at least a point towards the relegation battle.

Unfortunately, some sloppy defending less than 10 minutes into the second period allowed Lee Bradbury to double Southend’s lead – and from then on, it really was game over.

The Iron’s bubble had burst and after the Shrimpers added a highly controversial third goal in the 74th minute with United having apparently justifiable claims for a clear offside– just what was the linesman looking at? – we were suddenly contemplating a crushing defeat which would have been totally undeserved on the balance of play.

Thankfully, there were no further additions to the score, Southend emerging from the match with a hugely flattering 3-0 win and the Iron wondering just how they’d contrived to lose by so many.

Still, that’s six points out of nine from the last three away matches. We’d have taken that at 3 o’clock at Gillingham…