Well well isnt it funny how football and in particular southend united can go full circle in a matter of days.
After the horror show that was the port vale last saturday i left roots hall feeling despondant angry and quite sad, but in contrast i left wolverhampton last night angry and sad but that we didnt get the win that i thought we deserved, but also proud that a team to which i am connected to do put in a great performance.
Ok so wolves will claim that we played there reserves and kids , but there were first teamers and fringe players a plenty in the line up and such was mccarthys worry that he brought on ebanks blake and doyle in an attempt to try and end the tie quickly.
Southend lined up with simspon bilel and gilbert in the side and right from the off you could see that sturrock had demanded effort and the back line of gilber barker bilel and clohessy looked a much solid bank of 4 than those that collapsed just 3 days earlier at the hall.
In a midfield that looked certainly a harder one to break down , but lacks natural width with only a woefully unfit and dare i say it uninterested zaboub out wide.
We neednt have worried ofcourse such was the tenacity of the boys in the middle with grant providing all the bite and looking to refreshingly find feet with each pass and easton offering and avenue in which to move the ball. Simpson for me is the most gifted in possesion we have in the midfield and had a very good game and was involved in all the build up to each attack and is exactly what we need in the center of midfield not out wide.
Upfront we persisted with the blunt but willing strikeforce of sturrock and corr. I will not be too critical of either as there commitment is not in question , but there ability to work in tandem and create chances however is one that should be called into question.
The game itself was quite an entertaining one with southend starting brightly and looking to make the most of playing in decent stadium against higher league opposition and although chances were at a premium throughout it look like blues who would make the most of the opportunity.
It wasnt to take wolves long though the ball went out wide to there young foward who was up against the immaculate bilel, but unfortunately he slipped whilst making a tackle and the ball was in the area with relatively little pressure someone and i think it was clohessy dived in recklessly and conceded a penalty.
Its a learning curve. Southend gifted port vale a whost of chances on saturday which were not taken , but at the highest level mistakes are always punished.
Southend continued to build with bilel coming up for every set peice and missing a very good chance and scoring another only for it to be ruled out for offside.
Wolves had a goal of there own dissallowed when a shot from distance left morris stranded as it cam back of the bar and although the follow up was dispatched with applomb it was flagged for offside.
On to the second half and southend again started brightly and such was the level of blues play that both kevin doyle and ebanks blake were both were introduced to play and both it has to be said looked threatening with ebanks blake showing a lot of pace and strength.
Blues though were making plenty of gains of there own though and having beaten the offiside trap corr had a shot that beat the wolves keeper but unfortunately smashed the bar .
But blues efforts werent in vain and with plenty of balls having already been pumped into the box southend found space out wide and the ball was crossed low and across the 6 yard box and with wolves keeper in no mans land there was easton with a powerful header in the bottom corner.
So on to extra time and by this time a lack of fitness was begining to show and wolves were starting to get on top , but hall who had replaced the very innafective zaboub was looking a very good outlet on the counter attack.
Ebanks blake was causing havoc and had an effort ruled out havng tap in on the goal line for offised another was ruled out just moments later.
With 17 minutes of second half extra time already been played wolves made a final foray and found space out wide right and the ball was thumped across goal. Morris got a pal on it but with so many wolves players in there the inevitable happened and southend were out of the cup with what turned out to be the last kick of the game.
I left wolverhampton last night a happy man. Dont get me wrong i would have prefered to be in the hat for the next round but blues gave a great account of themselves and seemed to click with the level of effort and skill and it has to be said that some of the play was a very good standard and hoof ball was far removed!
It was a bit of
bast@rd of a drive home and eventually got in just after 2am, but it was a worthwhile foray into the black country.
Ratings for pringello:
Morris 7 Another decent performance
Gilbert 7 Looks like a left back , but fitness is key and i doubt he will play friday after that many minutes
Barker 8 Looks much better in the centre and so it has to be said do we
Bilel 9 MOM . This boy has the potential to be one of the best centre backs we have ever had. He is the ultimate rough diamond. Get a longer contract dran up asap. In a negative he did contribute to wolves first goal by slipping but he will get better and better and has to start from now on.
Clohessy 7 Got foward more than of late and deleivered decent balls whe he did , but im sure it was him that dived in to concede a penalty.
Zaboub 5 Looks so unfit and so un-interested and was rightly subbed
Grant 8 Worked himself into the ground and bombed foward at every opportunity and cut out so many wolves attacks
Easton 7 Worked hard and kept it simple and scored a great equaliser
Simpson 8.5 The pick of the midfield. Im sure he would like to start in the middle but seems content out wide. So comfortable on the ball and oozes quality travelling with and releasing it.
Corr 6.5 Worked very hard but ultimately created little
Sturrock 6.5 As above , but im not sure if it was sturrock or corr that hit the bar but im sure it was sturrock
Subs :
Hall 7 looked very lively and eager and provided a great oulet in the latter stages. Please give this boy a start
Paterson 7 Became involved and look to make the runs to releive the pressure
Im sure someone else came on possibly soares but did little of note
I think we have fibally found a decent back four and a midfield that seems to work, but we need hall to get a game and a new striker is a must !
UTB
