Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 1, Bury 1 - Southend win 3-2 on penalties

[Mick]

Even when it goes it, I think it is disrespectful and wrong.

Disrespectful ?????????

A penalty is a contest between the taker and the keeper. Each will try to outwit the other; the keeper will usually dive a little early and hope to guess right (is that disrespectful too?). Sometimes the kicker will try to take advantage of the keeper moving early and just dink the ball in. It's not about respect, it's a tactic which, needless to say, went badly wrong on this occasion. I'd like to think he wouldn't have tried it we didn't have the two miss cushion.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Agreed on Bentley having a good game, however not one person has picked him on punching a few crosses, whereas Smith would have been slated on here for doing exactly the same thing.

Bentley did punch twice. On both occasions they were good solid punches directed out of danger rather than weak undirected punches into dangerous areas or the backs of players.

 

[fbm]

Do not under estimate just how difficult the playing surface was last night. Was close to the pitch and you could hear the surface crackling as players ran by. This had a profound effect upon ability to play our passing game. Yes, we did resort to aerial route but often it was because any further touch was fraught with danger. And with BBBC up front we did try to find him but as others have said, Sodje had him well shackled all night. Thought Fred was fine, some wayward passes but so did others. He needs a run to get match fit. Wonderful strike in extra time, and the penalty... has one ever hit the net at RH so hard.Luggy will have to think long and hard about who is in sticks on Sat. DB oozed confidence last night. Smart saves in normal time and superb in shoot out. And in a superb gesture at the end DB got a huge hug from Cam Belford. Nice to see such warmth on such a freezing night. The long, long foggy journey back to Norfolk was all the sweeter for the prospect of Sat v Bradford. Sadly shall be in Manchester to see a great band called the Gramotones (check them out on You-tube), having first taken in Latics v Swindon with brother-in-law and a chance to see the touchline antics of D d Canio once more.
Full marks to all involved in at RH last night. And don't forget the serious money we get for progressing to round 3. Very important in current climate.

Leon Clarke's pen v Crewe is the hardest I've ever seen, harder than Freddy's last night. Check it out here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNi0sqIoyxg

 

[tallboyblue]

I think both sides should be congratulated for serving up a decent game in difficult conditions. What`s more it`s£27000 in the bank for us.

 

[BILLERICAY BLUE]

Bentley did punch twice. On both occasions they were good solid punches directed out of danger rather than weak undirected punches into dangerous areas or the backs of players.

Sorry DWB, if Smith had done the same last night, you'd have been on here like a shot slagging him off.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Sorry DWB, if Smith had done the same last night, you'd have been on here like a shot slagging him off.

Trouble is Smith wouldnt have would he. He would have punched into the path of a Bury player or into a dangerous area. You can't compare the game Bentley played last night to that of Smith. Bentley played 10 times better than Smith has all season.

 

[BILLERICAY BLUE]

Think we're going to have to agree to disagree. I think Smith has done well for us so far this year. I can't think of any goals that have been solely down to his errors, and the defensive stats, and results when he has played are top notch. One thing I will give you though, is that Bentley did play very well last night, and has grown this season. In 18 months time, he should be our 1st choice keeper on merit, and could well hold that position for a long time.

 

[McNasty]

No mention of the punch Bentley made that went directly to the Bury guy who couldnt shoot .

 

[Norwichshrimper]

It's bad enough that every Match Report thread ends with endless circular arguments about the poor sod Smith.......but this time he didn't even play and it's still turned out like that!

 

[davewebbsbrain]

No mention of the punch Bentley made that went directly to the Bury guy who couldnt shoot .

It was far too foggy for me to see that :winking:

 

[undercovershrimper]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRSXMrO0Yog

video of pens taken from East Stand

 

[griblet]

I have to say Bentley's all round game last night was superb - besides the shoot-out heroics, he made a couple of excellent saves and his kicking, catching, organising, positioning and punching were spot on. QUOTE]
And to me its Bentleys kicking and positioning where he scores over Smith - I dont know how many times I have seen Smith kick the ball out of play from a goal kick or clearance this year but I do know its far too many. Bentley in every showing I have seen is far more accurate

 

[henry18]

Awful penalty from tomlin BUT i guess it shows just how much confidence he has at the moment to attempt something like that. Bentley didnt make just the one good save he made a number of saves 3 in particular that stood out was the two in the first half one from a header that the fella was offside from and the second a good height on his right hand save, lastly the one he tipped over the bar infront of the north bank was different class that ball was struck well and he couldnt have seen it till late. very good and deserves to start the next game. he also punched when needed to and caught when the time was right. VERY GOOD performance for the lad!

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Missed the first three minutes as the trains were delayed. Don't think I missed much.

Ratings

Smith 4 he punched on a number occasions when he should have caught it, couldn't hear him (there was one occasion when he should have claimed it and instead Cresswell hoofed it long), failed to block their goal and had a couple of kicks that failed to reach the half way line and others that went straight out of play
Clohessy 7 excellent work for the goal
Barker 5.5 turns good passes into bad ones with his lack of mobility
Cresswell 5 awful, awful mistake for their goal and he made one later on as well, it was almost as if he didn't want it to go to extra time
Prosser 6.5 defensively sound, but his clearances invariably picked out an opponent
Timlin 8 superb
Laird 7 quietly effective, held the team's shape well and meant that Bury never got to run at our central defence.
Hurst 6.5 flashes class at times
Martin 5 it was too slippery, some might say too cold, for him
Corr 6.5 probably should have gone off earlier as 57 year old Efe Sodje finished stronger, but when up against their other centre-half he showed what he was about.
Tomlin 8 and I don't care about the Panenka penalty. Good on him for trying it when we're 2 goals up, shows his confidence is high and why wouldn't it be when he's playing like that.

Subs
Eastwood 4 gets extra marks for a good penalty. Can we lay to rest the idea that he has good vision? I think he sees space but not his colleagues. Every pass was to a defender, even when Tomlin was waiting to be slipped in through the middle and then Hurst out wide.
Benyon 7 didn't have long to impress but showed a bit about him with an opportunistic effort to win a corner that would have been a terrific goal.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Obviously missed the fact that Bentley was in goal :hilarious:

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Obviously missed the fact that Bentley was in goal :hilarious:

Oops.

Bentley 9 great saves in the penalty shoot out, apart from obviously the ones he didn't save.

 

[eastling]

Great to see the shootout again. Tomlin aside, fantastic pens taken by our players.
The game itself was affected by the conditions. The threatening, swirling freezing fog did little to help the quality of the game during the first half and it was even thought the game might have to be called off.
Second half started foggy but (as if by magic) the fog lifted soon after kick off and that's when the better football started to be played. Bury got their goal from a rare Cressy mistake after what appeared to be a passing mix up in our area between him and Prosser but that aside the team soon got level with Tomlin's strike. After that, both teams had a few decent chances but ultimately finished 1 apiece at the end of normal time. ET was a more lively affair and I thought we shaded it and the lesser spotted Benyon forced their keeper into a great save right at the end.

The Penalty shoot out was great and helped warm the crowd.

Certainly cold last night but I think the league defeat against Rotherham in February was colder still. Still at least we won last night.

MOM for me was Bentley. Prosser, Timlin and Barker all had good games. Big shout to Sodje too who as others have mentioned kept Barry quiet at the ripe old age of 40.

 

[Neil 24]

Guess work?

 

[londonblue]

Timlin best player by Far. Great night for Bentley. Not the most entertaining game ever but great to get win when we didn't play very well. most enertaining part was watching one bury fan take on about 4 stewards. Bloody cold. Freddy Eastwood...uummmm not sure what's going on there. Tomlin should buy Bentley a pint tonight

And Cresswell should buy Tomlin a pint, which really means Creswell should buy Bentley a pint...

 

[MK Shrimper]

Oops.

Bentley 9 great saves in the penalty shoot out, apart from obviously the ones he didn't save.

So Smith gets a 4 and Bentley a 9? How does that work?