Source: FOOTYMAD
Shrimpers season turns to Greek tragedy
Southend United 1 Charlton Athletic 2: Another stoppage time winner, another late substitution, was to deny the ten man Blues from getting anything from a game they once again competed heroically and more than matched their higher placed opponents. There's only so much you can take. Three games in a week, three defeats. The first, watching a catalogue of chances fall by the wayside. The second, conceding 15 seconds from the end in a debatable four minutes of injury time. The third, a performance that would make Colin Firth hand over his best actor BAFTA to Nicky Bailey without a moments hesitation; turning the game in the long run, just when the home side has started playing the more attractive football. They did get the goal lead after a goalkeeping error but, as at Norwich, couldn't hold on to it on to it and lost once again in time added on. As soon as Jean-Yves Mvoto was declared fit it was odds on that Tilly would keep the back four he wants even though skipper Adam Barrett is no left back. However, take nothing away from the defence, especially keeper Steve Mildenhall who was magnificent, and the players that remained on the pitch, including Arsenal loanee Sanchez Watt in possibly his last game as a Shrimper, back on the left for the Moose, after the 'incident' left them a colleague less. Charlton started well, inevitably Bailey was involved in most things, his early shot forcing the first of many terrific saves from Mildenhall, inevitably he received the predicted abuse. Winger Sam, who started as he was going to give Barrett a very embarrassing evening before the Blues legend, by sheer force of will, passion and strength in the tackle, saw the Addicks wideboy fade in the later stages. Slowly, but surely, the home side started to take control as Charlton showed their recent bad form was continuing with a number of misplaced passes and panicked clearances. There was a sense that a goal was coming and when, in the 25th minute, a free-kick was given on the edge of the area those hopes were raised. Bailey, in a moment, took this opportunity to turn from pantomime villain into a Bond nemesis of the world domination kind, and I'd be the first to chuck him into a vat of boiling water. As Jean-Francois Christophe grabbed the ball Bailey, who had run 20 odd yards pushed him in the back. The Frenchman didn't appreciate this and decided to pass on his thoughts to the ginger one, who in the complete view of the whole ground, but obviously not the referee, fell to the ground clutching his face. Unbelievable, and something I really didn't think he was capable of. Sadly, the referee, whatever Addicks boss Parkinson thinks he saw, once a Farmer always a Farmer, fell for the fall and sent Christophe off while Bailey got a yellow card and was as good as gold for the rest of the game. Job done Nicky, but a very sour taste in the mouth. It has to be added that Christophe was a touch naive in getting involved in the first place, if he'd fallen over and rolled about it might have been Bailey who'd got sent of. Then again he did this at Swindon and still saw red. Referees, can't do without them. Simon Francis, who must get one of these kicks in one of these days, forced yet another good save from the opposittion keeper, Rob Elliot in this case, but not into the net for the goal, that was to come six minutes later. Matt Paterson, who Tilly did leave in from the Norwich match where he looks to be forming a good partnership with Scott Vernon, one that might still keep us in the division, had a long range effort that seemed harmless, until Elliot let in squirm under his body and with the entire home section of a 9,724 crowd willing the ball over the line, it nestled into the corner of the net. Oh dear. 1-0, and cue wild celebrations. Live in the moment. As the game settled down the first thoughts turned to the sanctuary of the dressing room and the half-time whistle still a quarter of an hour away. We were still a man down, Scannell dropping back so we were playing without a wide outlet to hold the centre ground, and possession was being conceded to the South London club on a regular basis, ending with Sam again being denied by Mildenhall, this one from a much tighter angle. The second period was all about if the Blues could hold on to the lead as the away side took more control, especially when on the hour Parkinson brought on left winger Kyel Ried to stretch Southend even further allowing Bailey back into the centre. It felt at times if we were the lower division team one up in a cup tie, similar to Norwich in fact, though the Canaries are clearly a better side. If we get away with this we may be seeing Mr. Bailey again, then again I would expect his agent to find another 'dream move' for the ginger boy if the Addicks fail to go up, and Parky's paranoia does seem to be getting to his team whatever this result. However, there were two incredible escapes on the Southend goal that Charles Bronson would give a nod to and gave the impression we may get away with this. Dave Mooney couldn't believe it, as could the entire Roots Hall crowd, when Francis appeared from nowhere to clear his shot off the line after the ball had fallen into his path al la the Norwich equaliser. Amazing. Following on from this Big Steve saved brilliantly a Reid shot that ballooned up goalwards before Barrett appeared from nowhere to head clear. Amazener. It couldn't last, it didn't. The Shrimpers faithful have felt it's been the set piece that has let the Essex side down this season, well it has, but for me the low hard cross into the heart of the area has been a constant threat to them and once again, this time set up by Ried, it was, Akpo Sodje shooting home. I went and stood at the back now, the tension was just too much, as well as the pain of too many recent Southend games in a row, it was like watching the England cricket side holding on to a draw with nine wickets down, you just want it to end, I'll take a point, I'll take anything at the moment, certainly a large malt. Tilly made changes to a tirering side, also a battered one, Paterson hurting his shoulder in a collision with shot stopper Elliot that helped add to six minutes of injury time, hopefully not serious, with Scott Malone, Franck Moussa and Francis Laurent now all on. Then a chance to nick all the points, eerily also al la Norwich, another Francis free-kick dead centre near the end, again a fantastic save from the keeper, Elliot making up for his earlier cock-up, but this time it fell to Laurent, bugger, and sure enough he failed to take the opportunity, how did he ever get three goals this season? M'Voto also missed a decent chance, heading over form a corner, yet the script had been written. The footballing Gods have decided this a time for Southend to suffer and suffer they will, two minutes into added time, Reid got behind the Blues rearguard to shoot past the advancing Mildenhall. Hartlepool seems a very long way away, it is, but it starts a month of five games, three at home in succession, that will decide the Shrimpers fate. 10 to 12 points and we can still get away with this season and the behind the scenes stuff can start to work it's way out. Any less and the gap may be too wide for even Tilly's management skill to rescue. Southend player markings: Mildenhall - 9, Francis - 7, Baldwin - 7, M'Voto - 6, Barrett - 7, Scannell - 7 (Malone 71 - 6), Christophe - 5, McCormack - 8, Watt - 6 (Laurent 66 - 5), Paterson - 7 (Moussa 57 - 6), Vernon - 6.
