Southend 0 Brighton 0

[Javea Shrimper]

Hunt and Bramble went close. Brighton were very physical ...

WS

 

[UKFLAVA.COM]

Good result though !

Did Leon Knight play ?

 

[Pato the Blue]

gd effort from Southend. puts us in gd shape for the season.

 

[Southend Shrimp]

Well looks like we are just about there. Tremendous display and Prior was awsome. If we'd have played a League 2 side, they would have been ripped apart.
More then a match for Brighton, who had very few shots on target, but a couple of heart stopping moments in the second half.
Gray had a couple of good chances, Bramble came on just before half time, but seems like he'll struggle to get in the first team.

All in all a very good performance, roll on Saturday week.

 

[Southend Shrimp]

Oh and Darryl came out and caught a cross.  

 

[Sandbach Shrimper]

Quote[/b] (UKFLAVA.COM @ July 28 2004,22:13)]Did Leon Knight play ?

Only for the last 20 minutes. Still looked good, though, their best player probably.

They were poor, Griemink and Flavs had little to do, and we deserved to win really. Had a lot of pressure but the final ball was lacking, and their defence got in the way of a lot of shots

Good effort, though. The defence were solid, especially Prior, and Gower, Maher, Hunt and Gray also played well. Bramble and Gray should have scored and Hunt had a few efforts, too. Nathan Jones and David Lee got plenty of abuse, as did their right back after his awful lunging tackle on Gower

New shirt looks good too, quite a few people wearing it.

 

[Technician]

Just got back from the game lads... missed most of the first half, so cannot comment on that [I'll catch up on the other threads later!].

Second half finished honours even and to be honest the number of chances created at either end, could have led to a cricket score! both defences seemed to be dominant with a lot of tackles and headers won.

From the back then... [cheeky!]

Darryl - did ok IMHO although [worryingly] stayed on his line twice with a Brighton forward clean through, but saved well on both occasions!

Defence - all played out of their skins and won pretty much everything that came their way, held a good line and went forward well to assist the midfield and at set pieces.

Midfield - plenty of good distribution... BUT, still the odd pass being given away cheaply and when under no pressure from the opposition [can't understand why, needs more work here I'm afraid!]

Forwards - plenty of industry in the final third but we still appear to lack the killer instinct and but for Brighton firing blanks too, we COULD have been mullered!

All in all, an entertaining match... which got a bit niggly in the last 20 minutes [handbags again!], lacked a bit of real quality and shows that Tilly & Brushy still have some work to do before the season starts.

Key Players

Husbands ran his socks off down the right and always looked dangerous, but his distribution let him down, with crosses going in too low.

Bramble worked very hard again, but his touch often lets him down... could be better in a wide position, maybe?

Gray/Corbett Gray often seems out of his depth and does not appear to read the game very well, but once he gets the ball, you see his true colours... substituted for Corbett who looked dangerous in front of goal.

Maher/Gower/Hunt all worked hard but I notice once or twice these gentlemen were slow getting forward to support our attacks... Gower the pick of these.

Defence was generally awesome... good distribution and collected everything in the air with some excellently timed challenges... Prior & Edwards were both very vocal, but Prior edges this one for quality.

Darryl had little to do in real terms, but puts pressure on himself by lacking that bit of adventure in and around the 6 yard box... having said that, he came for several crosses and cleared successfully... we'll see what happens when the real games start next weekend.

Confidence: Middle of the Road!

 

[Kim Mitten]

I note Jupp was not playing, anything amiss there? or is he injured/ill?
I take it Wilson was right back. He's been playing in all the friendlies and not too badly by most accounts. Has Jupp lost his spot for the start of the season?

 

[The General]

Injured. We dont need him anyway. Cheese should be our new right back IMO.

Kev

 

[blues_r_best]

Quote[/b] (The General @ July 29 2004,00:15)]Injured. We dont need him anyway. Cheese should be our new right back IMO.

Kev

Centre midlfield Kev, and Right back

 

[blues_r_best]

Quote[/b] (shrimpboy @ July 28 2004,22:31)]Maher... ....also played well.

NO NO NO!

 

[The General]

He can do both. He's better than Maher ...

Kev

 

[blue sky]

Technician - thanks for the comments.
Interesting how people see the game in a differnt light. I actually Thought Bentley (1st H) and Hunt (2nd H) were the pick of our midfield. Hunt had 1 shot that rocked the bar.
I felt Gower had a reluctance to take on their right-back (who should of been subbed by Brighton after that awful lunge on Gower - could of been a straight red in a league match). I appreciate Gower is still coming back after his op but he just looks a tad short of his best of last season.

Mention to Husbands - he looked dangerous on the right with his pace and thought he did enough to grab that spot in the starting 11 ahead of Pettefer.

I agree about the back 4 - its a nice dilemma for Tilly to have 3 quality centre-halfs to choose from, But Prior looks different class to everyone else.

Keeper wise - I still cant agree with the 'Darryl is better' brigade. Sure he made a couple of good saves and even cmae for some crosses, but his distribution is not as good and his kicking is wayward. Did anyone else notice how much distance Bart gets on his dead-ball kicks?

I'm still undecided about the forwards, neither Gray nor Bramble quite look like they've booked a slot yet. - My feeling is it will be Dudfield plus one other to start.

My starting line up would be....

Bart

Jupp
Prior
Barret/Edwards
Nicolau

Gower
Maher/Hunt
Bentley
Husbands

Dudfield + 1 from Gray/Drewe/Tes

 

[Napster]

Quote[/b] (blue sky @ July 29 2004,09:38)]Thought Bentley (1st H) and Hunt (2nd H) were the pick of our midfield

I thought Bents was quite poor and I put that down to it being his first game back. Some of his passing was awful.

Gower on the other hand is much better than at the start of pre-season.

 

[Sandbach Shrimper]

Yeah I agree, Bentley was very poor. Was his first game back, though.

 

[Technician]

Quote[/b] (blue sky @ July 29 2004,09:38)]Technician - thanks for the comments.
Interesting how people see the game in a differnt light. I actually Thought Bentley (1st H) and Hunt (2nd H) were the pick of our midfield. Hunt had 1 shot that rocked the bar.
I felt Gower had a reluctance to take on their right-back...

Would have to agree with you mostly, because I missed practically all of the 1st half and wasn't back from the burger bar until about 10 minutes into the 2nd...

Bit pointless me posting really, but noticed that no-one else had and so I gave my version of it.

I didn't mention too many players 'cos Tilly kept changing them!!!

Bless Him!

 

[tommytwoholes]

Its funny how peoples views differ. I thought Maher as usual played really well. The problem with maher is that he is a no frills player and doesnt stick out but he always plays well. I thought duddfield played exceptionally well and i would probably put drew along side him. The defence was fantastic and cheese is playing very well indeed, although prior just looks class above the rest. Husband just reminds me of steven clark. He always goes for the corner flag and need to sometimes run direct at goal his pace in the box would be a defenders worst nightmare. All the players worked well and when you think that there are still more to come back the future is looking rosy. We will not come up against teams as good as brighton next season . That being the case we should have a good chance of being in the top seven next spring.

 

[The General]

Still thinking we're missing a proper goal-scorer upfront. If Tilly wants Gray and Dudfield to work as the main partnership then they've got to play together for a few games on the trot not just now and again. I think Tilly said he's playing the same team Saturday so p'haps last night's team was his first XI baring Jupp and Drewe's injuries...

Kev

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

Quote[/b] (shrimpboy @ July 28 2004,22:31)]David Lee got plenty of abuse

Huh? Didn't think he was at Brighton any more...?!

Can anyone explain this one for me? As the founding (and only) member of DaLAS (David Lee Appreciation Society), I would personally roll out a red carpet for him and welcome him back to Roots Hall, so it's sad to hear he got abused... who was doing that, the kids?

Matt

 

[The General]

He got less abuse than Jones ... but still got jeered. The one with the silly girl's name at right-back got the most abuse!