Superb all round performance destroys Shrimpers

Let's make no mistake this was a most important game coming after the rare victory last week and for possibly the first time this season I agreed totally with the selection. The inclusion of Gaffney in the line up was twofold as far as I was concerned 1) Gaffney thoroughly deserved a start and would make us at least look like a home side 2) Ollie Clarke has been so far off the pace that even victory last week could not hide it. I can only remember one shot from Southend but in truth it should have given them an undeserved equalizer and may have changed the game but only their keeper kept them in this game with four or five stunning saves that saved them from a thrashing. This was a complete performance we have rarely seen this season and following on from the undeserved defeat at Blackburn and the victory last week hopefully the bad run is now over but in my opinion must not be forgotten and the changes in January must take place to improve the team and really push for places to keep the level of performance produced yesterday which if maintained could yet turn this season around.

Smith              6 The only reason this mark is any lower than the rest is because he really had nothing to do and in all honesty we could have had any of our previous goalkeepers in goal and it would have made no difference but that said he is an average League 1 goalkeeper possibly a bit better and the same can be said for Slocombe and they are both ours.


Leadbitter       9 Superb both defensively and as an attacking force. His pace was there for all to see and on this form is one of the best full backs in the division. If he keeps up his current form the he could be another player we will struggle to keep hold of.
Lockyer           8.5 A couple of wayward passes but overall he was back to his very best and kept a good hold on talented strikers and the run and pass he did in the second half had class written all over it and IMO showed that the confidence had returned.
Sweeney         9 The same as Lockyer ,he was immense yesterday and the header he won in the second half just showed that he too was back to his best doing what last season was just a run of the mill performance from him.
Brown             8 Another who is back to his best defensive form and was always available as an outlet whilst attacking and rarely did his player get the better of him.


Partington       9 Superb is my only description of a player who surely will eventually captain the team. Vocally he keeps everybody on their toes,sets a great example and wins more than his fair share of tackles as well as dominating in the air and passing effectively. Yesterday he was the defensive midfielder we have been missing for so long.
Sinclair           8 Covered every inch of the pitch but remained disciplined throughout. didn't give his opponents any time  on the ball and rarely gave the ball away. His best performance of the season and great to see him looking forward as well as back.
Sercombe      8.5 another goal and a real surging display from DC's best summer signing. I will be very surprised if he doesn't score ten goals this season and yesterday he also showed just how skilful he is and added hard work to his performance.


Bodin              8 The close skills were all there to be seen and what Billys presence does is that however he plays he has to be marked heavily and that means other players have more space. He wasn't at his very best but still managed to score a great opening goal having the skill to dink an awkward ball over the centre half and drill a low vicious shot through a keeper who was the only reason this was not a six or seven nil victory. He looked like he had opened the scoring earlier with a typical long range strike that brought an outstanding save and also did his defensive duties well.
Gaffney           8 Workrate and skill on the ball were all there to be seen and was a real handful and the perfect foil to Ellis. Unlucky not to be on the score sheet but provided width often and strength through the middle as well without mentioning his long throws.
Harrison          9.5 MOM What is now becoming a standard performance from Ellis but even better! Led the attack with power, speed ,strength and close ball skills and the same as Gaffney ran the Shrimpers defence ragged from beginning to end as well as scoring with a brilliantly placed shot to end a superb move for the second goal of the afternoon.
ellis was my man of the match but it was great to say that I could not have disagreed if it was given to any of about five or six others. Really only Smith, through no fault of his own was not in contention!


Subs Ollie Clarke, Nicholls and Lines- Not on long enough to make either a contribution or warrant a mark.

Crowd             7
Got right behind the team and rewarded with the best home performance this season taking into account the opposition.
Ref                8.5 Best of the season bar a couple of weird decisions but please can we have more like this who didn't brandish a card for nearly every offence.
Southend        5 Surely a below par performance from them because they have a quality squad or was it just that we played very well. I would go more towards the latter because we had a team where everybody were near their best and some put in exceptional performances.



DC Can't think what more he could have done yesterday. For me based on the players we have the team yesterday was the one I would select week in week out, home and away. He neither needed to use substitutes or really did use substitutes as all three substitutes were the last five minutes of the game. the biggest compliment I can pay him is that whilst fans have become angry and some even called for his head he has remained balanced although maybe a bit edgy and hopefully has pulled us through the worst period of his management career.

More importantly maybe he has become a better Manager because of this depressing run. Whilst the team have had three brilliant seasons it has been easy for him to keep making changes ;often IMO unnecessarily; under the cover of his overall results. This system has been questioned recently and only in the last three games have we seen a pretty consistent team selection with only one change yesterday being IMO the correct one to leave out the very poor Ollie Clarke and give us a more attacking team whilst still keeping a defensive framework. Personally I hope he keeps the same team and squad for next weeks game at Gillingham- a fixture which is difficult only because it is a place we rarely get a result but it is a place where, if we play anywhere remotely like we played yesterday we are capable of winning and winning well.


DC's big problem if we pick up good results between now and the New Year is that he forgets the poor run and doesn't bring in three or four new faces.This action would be a big mistake and our Manager is far from foolish but whether those above him are is more questionable and that is my big worry that a pick up in form will mean no money available. If this happens I can see only one outcome and in all honesty it does not bear thinking about. We do need to weed out the dead wood and bring in three or four players who would all be players who could start because we are well short on width, short of quality and at present restricted on how we can play and this is without the likelihood that Bodin will go and maybe even Harrison.

it is imperative that we sign two quality wingers, another central midfielder and another striker. DC has shown that he is not willing to play either Dominic Telford, Moore (recently) or Broom and therefore there is no point in having them in the squad. Another quality centre half would also benefit the side as competition for Lockyer. 2 Permanent signings and two or three loans would be ideal. I probably won't be at Gillingham next week so I apologise now for the lack of report but very much hope the lads can bring back the three points or at the very least dare I say, a rare draw.