Southend – That’s Why We’re Going Down

A bit of a cup-tie feel to this one. A full-house packed into a small ground, big police presence, kids sitting on top of the stand opposite (they were either moved or fell off) and people looking on from the flats that overlook the ground (though most didn’t reappear in the second-half – obviously something better on tele – like the testcard).

Without Johnson (injured) and Carole (dropped) we lacked the pace that caused Luton problems last week and were obviously going for the battering ram approach with Kandol picked instead of Healy. It started promisingly enough, Kischichev dictating play and we should have gone ahead when Kandol had a free-header from about 6 yards from a cross from the right but put it high and wide. Gradually though Southend got back into the game and started to create chances, a break down the right and a striker just failing to divert the cross in, then another free-header missed and suddenly we were looking like a rabble. It wasn’t any great surprise when a mistake on the right hand side of our defence left Bradbury free and he squared it for Gower to rifle past Casper.

Our only real idea at this point was to pump it forward and hope the defence made a mistake, but despite having a few set-pieces we never really threatened. The main highlight of the half was actually when one of the Southend players went down injured and trotting on after the physio was an elderly Asian bloke in a long brown coat and carrying a briefcase, who resembled the doctor from a Seventies sit-com. He watched the treatment and then trotted of again without doing anything, much to the bemusement of all.

Second-half continued in much the same vein. There was one goal mouth scramble near the start of the half where we looked like we may score, though it was up the other end so was really just a pile of bodies, but by and large we were garbage. Failing to string more than a couple of passes together and never looking like getting behind the defence.

Then a bit of a flashpoint. The Leeds fans had been chanting for the introduction of Healy but instead Wise took Lewis off, who had been doing OK and brought on Ian Moore instead. This was greeted with a chant of “You Don’t Know What Your Doing” and apparently Wise reacted by flicking the Vs towards our end. Didn’t see it myself but something definitely happened as there was an instantaneous angry reaction from our end and chants of “Wise Out”, “Bates Out” and “Get the Chelsea out of Leeds” predominated from our end.

Whilst all this was happening, things had livened up on the pitch. Their Keeper made a good save from a Blake free-kick and Eastwood hit the post from a curler from outside the box. Wise eventually bought Healy on the for Blake but to be honest a second goal for them looked more likely than an equaliser for us. At one point they broke clear down the right, the attacker rounded Casper as he came out of the area and crossed for an unmarked player to slot into the empty net but as the play dallied Heath managed to smother the shot.

Then it all got very lively. Healy fell over to win a free-kick and the cutback free-kick that he’d scored with against Birmingham and Spain this season worked again and he lashed it into the net high up at the near post. We were still jumping about celebrating when the board went up to signify 3 minutes of injury-time and we suddenly thought we could win it. However, Southend nearly scored twice before the end of the game and we were just relieved to get the ball up the other end. A cross came in and appeared to hit a Southend hand, the ref gave a penalty but must have changed his mind (was later told the linesman had flagged) because while we were all celebrating they restarted play. Wise and Gus went absolutely mental and Wise was on the pitch shouting abuse at the ref before unsurprisingly being sent off. Shortly after the ref decided he’d had enough grief for the day and blew the final whistle.

Scores

Casper   6 – A bit dodgy on a couple of crosses – no chance with goal.

Richardson   5 – Got in some decent positions when overlapping but usually tried to do to much and lost the chance to get the ball in the box.

Elliott   6 – Didn’t notice him much – so assume was solid enough.

Health   5 – One great block apart largely poor. There really is no point going forward for long throw-ins if you then fail to jump when the ball is going 3 inches over your head. One dreadful slice to their attacker nearly cost us a goal.

Michelak   6.5 – Most solid of the defenders. Got a surreal booking, was fouled and then blocked from taking free-kick, in trying to retrieve ball got pushed by Southend player. Ref obviously had no idea what had happened so booked both of them when Michelak had done nothing wrong.

Blake   5 – Pointless little fat bloke. Every corner at the first defenders knees – he is worse than Ian Harte at these.

Kishichev   7 – Easily our best player first-half, picking up the scraps and trying to do something with it, faded second-half.

Douglas   5 – All effort with little result.

Lewis   6 – Decent enough though nowadays seems to be more of an attacking threat when playing left-back – not marked as well I guess.

Kandol   6 – Could have had a nightmare after early miss but to give him credit, worked hard and won quite a few headers, not his fault he’s sh*t.

Cresswell   5 – Looks slow, laboured and under-confident. A couple of times tried to take an extra touch where a good striker would have hit the ball early. Beginning to look like the injuries have taken their toll.

Wise   4 - You look at the team and think that they should be good enough to win games like this, but we appear to have no real plan. The effort was there but without any semblance of tactics this is of little use. Not sure the over-excitable midget act on the touchline exactly helps either.

With time to kill before Niggy’s train we wandered down to the seafront afterwards to make sure Mr Naef knew where his car was (unfortunately he did). The combination of Leeds fans who didn’t getting into the game, pissed locals in big green hats and a large police presence suggested it was going to be a lively night. I was glad to get out of there.

The gap to safety is growing wider – we don’t look lie closing it.

Matt