Post-Match Thread and Ratings Southend United 2-1 Altrincham

[EastGreenNutter]

Great to see the Southend press back again today (at times).

A very decent result against a neat side. Front two worked hard, Dackers getting into his grove now. Wes, Ralph & Crowther all looked on top of their games. Miley needs to stop giving the ball away maybe a spell on the bench.

Impressive from Demi - 3 games in a week didn’t look out of place.

Collin - gets better & better

Demi for me has been the difference.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

Well, what can you really moan about. Miley being sloppy? Yeah he can cut that out but he’s got a lot of credit in the bank for me.

Lots to be positive about. Many good crosses in the first half from the classy Ralph especially, we could’ve scored a few from those. Dackers was brilliant I thought, best game for us by far. Great hold up play and some lovely touches. Demi continues to play like a man 10 years his junior. Cards .. wow what a frontman. Sharpest I’ve seen him in ages. Great display and was harshly taken off in my opinion.
Crowther continues to do so well. What a signing.
Bridge was tying them in knots for a lot of the game.

Play offs?? Nah but we’ll be easily safe. Win all our home games, pick up a few points away and let’s finish as high as we can. Bit harsh the boos and chants for Mooney, maybe. Sometimes things just don’t work out.

One last thing…..did I actually hear the East stand sing at one point?!? Surely no.

 

[Dutch Branch]

I will travel back to Holland tomorrow happy as a cabin boy with access to a free barrel of rum and back on Tuesday.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Wow, two come from behind wins in four days.

Tonight’s selection was brave. Many believe you shouldn’t change a winning team but Maher thought the team need freshening up and after a less than convincing first half on Saturday was rescued by beating 10 men, I’m not sure I disagreed. The changes were perhaps also brave most would have wanted Wood I suspect. Waldron and Morton haven’t been in full time football long and the fitness maybe wasn’t there but it gave Maher an excuse to recall the influential Fonguck and give Dackers a start with his confidence on a high. Gus’ return was a boost and Kensdale’s absence a blow but I prefer Demi in that centre half role if we’re not having to defend: it’s a role that requires less sprinting and his ability on the ball and intelligence to find space can be a real boost to our attacking play.

We fell behind early after Miley gave the ball away in midfield again. About five years ago Demi would have probably had quick enough feet to recover and nick it away but instead Altrincham came away with it and finished well - although Collin may be a bit disappointed not to have done better.

That was one of the few down moments in what was otherwise a dominant half. We controlled possession, put plenty of dangerous balls in the area but the ball wouldn’t quite fall for us. The crowd started to get a bit restless and I began to fear the worst. Fortunately we got the goal our attacking endeavours deserved. Demi made a super defensive header that enabled us to retain possession and put Bridge away down the left. When the cross came in Dackers headed it back a cross goal where a rejuvenated Cardwell outfought his man and scored.

Soon after Wes danced through in the area, beat the keeper with his eyes and slotted the ball home. The score line was turned on its head in 5 minutes again.

Second half wasn’t as fluent and we seemed to have a fair few tired legs out there. The game became stretched but despite that there were few chances for either side. Whilst we controlled possession first half we saw much less of the ball second half and it was a different type of control keeping them at arms’ length.

Dackers had his best game since his return, showing how important confidence is. Cardwell was immense for an hour before tiring. He looks so much sharper than in recent weeks. He nearly scored another when he rolled his man and shot narrowly wide but it was the sign of a player back at the top of his game and bodes well for us.

In midfield things clicked with Wes back in the side. He’s the oil that keeps things moving. He drifts into space to open up passes, keeps the ball rolling and gets Bridge playing. Noor showed glimpses of dominance in a strong display. Miley was the only of the few not really firing on all cylinders although he still got stuck in. Gus was another but presumably not having trained for a while this was a gutsy performance where he guttsed one out for the team.

Crowther slid over to the central centre-half spot and didn’t look out of place. Ralph had another low-key very good game. He’s such a key player for us. Demi’s versatility is such an asset with a Hobson-esque ability to contribute to attacks from defence.

Eight days, nine points. Let’s win the next three and see how close we are to the play-offs. Winning can be a contagious habit and we look a different team with two forwards playing with confidence.

 

[Supershrimper]

Cav didnt have the best of games giving the ball away on a couple of occasions, and like on Saturday it led to a goal. Once Coker is back up to fitness I'd consider switching Miley for Coker or for Morten.

I though we looked comfortable at the back. Amazed at how good Crowther has just fitted in.

Thought the front 2 played well. Great knock down from Dackers to allow Cardwell to score. Cardwell worked the channels well and stretched Altrincham.

Bridge, Ralph and Wes at times were unplayable on the left. Wes especially in the first half seemed to be everywhere and great for him to get on the scoresheet.

Husin frustrates me. 2nd half the ball came to him and instead of having a shot he looked to pass it to another.

Colin didnt really have a lot to do, but when called into action did it well.

I was nervous when Mooney came on. Quite loud boos ringing out, an ex player and when he came on seemed sharp and determined to make something I was sure he would score or assist for an equaliser. Thankfully it didn’t come off for him.

10 points off the playoffs but more importantly 5 from the drop. However we have a game in hand on the teams around us so could be closer in the mix. Just have to keep doing what we have been doing fir the last 3 games and not worry about anyone else.

Onwards to Oldham.

 

[caseysea]

Must admit when I saw the line up I wasn’t sure how it would work. But the the energy and press was incredible. Ralph and Crowther hardly put a foot wrong and JD played like he has always been a centre back. Good to see Gus back and his energy.Noor tiding everything up and Cav one mistake apart still the boss. I really like Wes and the way he tries to bring something different to the attack . Cardwell work rate and effort and Dakkers best game
Bridge was my MOM for his unpredictability and made 1st goal.
10 all round best performance of season against a tough team !

 

[CorkShrimper]

Demi really is a fantastic role model. Will be a big plus for the squad going forward once he transitions to full time coaching as well, a huge credit.

So pleased that Ralph is having a generally injury free season, superb tonight. Wes and Dackers in the first half especially worked so hard, and love seeing Cardwell start to look back to his best. There's not many strikers at this level who can lead the line like he can when he's on one. Proper all round team performance tonight, without Kensdale for the first time too but the defence was solid.

We should have absolutely no fear for Oldham, a point wouldn't be the worst result but we have our tails up now. Coker being back on the bench was a boost, fingers crossed Kens is available too. Really looking forward to games again now.

 

[Texas Eslan]

Really good solid performance this evening. Not much controversy in the game to discuss but some players need a mention.

Crowther. What a signing. Great defender, strong in the air and dominant in the tackle. Not to mention a genuine threat going forward. How was this boy only playing NLS up until now? A league player all day long.

The old pros in Demi and Ralph have been superb the last few games. Showing proper game management and leadership. Great to watch.

Forward line starting to click. Cardwell seems to finally be shaking off the injury and starting to show early season form again. Dackers was superb alongside him today. Great touch and skill on the floor. Showed good ability in the air today as well. Slightly crazy under the high ball a few times but seems to be a real problem for defenders.

Finally, I thought that the quick ball into the box in the first half from wide positions made a big difference. Second half reverted back to the Bridge and Wes show with flicks and back heels all round and it really does slow us down and offers very little goal threat most of the time. We need to stick with the quick ball if we want to keep scoring at a good rate and win games.

 

[Supershrimper]

Just a note to add that Nigel Clough, Andy Hessenthaler and Peter Taylor were all in the directors seats.

 

[ColinMorrisWalksOnWater]

A very decent performance after a sticky start.

With 12 games left and only four with teams above us, but having just beaten two such teams and half of those games are at Roots Hall, let's have a solid end to the season, get this damn takeover completed and be in a position to give this league a damn good go next season.

Win our home games and a couple of the away games, finish top ten, strengthen and kick on next season.

We have the core of a play off team. The challenge for the three amigos and the scouting team is they have six months to turn us into a promotion winning team. The recent performances tonight and on Saturday have yielded good results, but another gift to the opposition could have cost us.

I don't care who makes them, they HAVE to be cut out, because it's happening too often and we can't be expected to keep giving teams a one goal start every match.

We are getting balls into the box quicker, and Dackers is building stamina levels up. It was great to see him get the assist for Cards' equaliser. Speaking of cards, two in two and his best ever return in a season. Let's hope he can keep going and have an injury free remainder of the campaign.

Surely Demi can't keep going, he's been great to have covering so well in the last three games, but we will need to get cover for right back/ rwb.

Crowther, another devastatingly good performance tonight. Another reason we must get promoted next season is if we don't, we may lose him, let alone all the rumours about Kensdale and Ipswich.

Collin wasn't tested tonight, another positive for the defence as collective praise. Jack is definitely looking to get the ball in earlier. and we are scoring goals again. Noor, great at linking between midfield and the attack, but please take some responsibility and shoot more often, three goals from someone with his talent in midfield isn't good enough in my book. At the very least it keeps the opposition defence on their toes knowing they can't commit to just marking bodies, as they seem to at the moment, because they are confident no shot is incoming.

Having Gus back was a bonus and another solid performance from Ralph. So many positives, there really are. Cav, I'm ignoring the goal, we know what needs eliminating, made some great tackles.

Perhaps we should drop Wes more often. Stand out goal and does show he has a contribution to make. Again though, work on shooting technique in the summer, never stop looking to improve the weaker elements of your game.

Oldham will be a benchmark for me on Saturday. Will we have the backbone to go to one of the most challenging away grounds this season and probably next season, as they are play off bound imo, and get something, or will it be another defeat in the north west for us?

Plenty of positives, and the run of the next five games could see us safe, with opportunities to get over the 50 point mark ,that is the first objective, especially after being ten points light. Then we can push on and finish as high as possible.

Definitely enjoyed tonight, great result and overall plenty to be positive about. And for a change holding on to a one goal advantage with a bit to spare made a nice change for us, another positive to take from tonight.

Looking forward to Saturday a bit more than I was ten days ago!

UTB

 

[OldBlueLady]

Huge credit to Fonguck for learning from being dropped and coming back with probably the best I've seen him play. Thought we absolutely bossed the vast majority of the game, though got quite frustrated with Husin not seeming interested in having a shot.

Yes, Cav gave the ball away a few times, I think he's still playing a bit of catch up from his long lay off, but my goodness, he made up for that with his challenges, particularly on that Conn artist of a number 10. That sharpness will return, and he's still such a key part of the team, dropping seamlessly into defence if one of those is out of position or high up the pitch. Felt Collin should have done better with the shot anyway - think it was said it went underneath his body?

Very impressed with the work rate of the front two, if we had those vest things, I reckon they'd have covered some distance between them. Confidence levels should be high.

Demi and Ralph were terrific either side of Crowther, who was rightfully given the MOTM by the sponsors. Fast turning into a fans' favourite. Composed, controlled and not afraid of a shot. Remind you of another Adam? Bridgey worked really hard and there were numerous crosses peppering the box throughout the match but particularly in the 1st half.

An enjoyable evening which we only just made in time, after a pretty difficult day moving Mum and Dad into their retirement flat only to find it in a disgusting state, and 3 hours past the time the previous people should have moved out.

Collin - 7
Gus - 7
Demi - 8
Crowther - 9
Ralph - 8
Bridge - 8
Miley - 7
Husin - 7
Fonguck - 8
Cardwell - 8
Dackers - 8

Subs:
Waldron for Cardwell - 6, bit disappointing, those fresh legs should have troubled the defence when he came on, but they didn't
Wood for Fonguck - 7, put himself about though without the success of Saturday

Officials - a lot better than Saturday but some inexplicably wrong calls.

 

[leeblue]

Ralph MOM for me. Dominant beast mode tonight.
1st half all round excellent (goal aside) two good goals.
Delighted to see cardwell score in consecutive games.
2nd half....Altrincham played some neat stuff and we weren't quite so dominant in the middle of the park.
Crowther.....fantastic signing.

 

[* ORM *]

Demi for me has been the difference.

It’s possibly unfair on a PMT to single out an individual but what a great servant JD continues to be. 36 but you’d never know it. Professionalism and experience that cannot be bought. We’ve had some great servants over the years that are sometimes overlooked. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen to Demi-God.

As to the result I was up at around 430am to catch the second half. Not necessarily a classic by the sounds of it but with key players out and a bit of squad rotation another win is priceless. Nowhere near out of the woods yet but not losing could become a habit.

 

[shrimpled]

Just a note to add that Nigel Clough, Andy Hessenthaler and Peter Taylor were all in the directors sears.

Barry Fry also. And a few other scouts too.

 

[Gt Yarmouth Shrimper]

but still look fragile in midfield to defence, better teams will have joy against us but

That's a red herring.
We're not as fragile as all the other teams in the whole league, only Halifax are anywhere near us in the 'goals against' column.

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

Thought the lads were excellent tonight. Battered them in the 1st half. Ok, we let in a soft goal, but we just upped the tempo and played them off the park. There were so many crosses by Bridgey and Nathan down the left, it was only a matter of time before they crumbled. 2nd half we looked tired but did enough to see the game out.

Cards MOTM for me (his workrate was non-stop), closely followed by Dackers, Bridge, Crowther and Ralph.

Thought our subs were a little too late in the game, but I don't want to be too critical after a fine performance. Well done Kev and the lads !

 

[Texas Eslan]

Barry Fry also. And a few other scouts too.

Any ideas who they came to watch? Would imagine Conn-Clarke is being watched closely.

 

[shrimperjon]

Three wins in a week and that by far the most impressive. We seem to have turned the corner in many ways but we simply must stop gifting these goals to the opposition. Today again Miley gave the ball away and JD was to soft in the tackle and Colin probably could have done better for the goal. However all three were excellent otherwise on the night. That’s now 2 come from behind wins against play off sides and we’ve found the scoring knack again and other than these odd mistakes defence is solid. Altrincham similar to Aldershot looked to hit us on the break with pace and the number 10 impressed. But their goal came against the run of play and in truth 2-1 at HT was the least we deserved. We moved the ball quicker and got crosses into the box quicker and eventually got the reward with Dackers heading down for Cards to finish well. Shortly after Wes finishes a good move to make it 2-1. The keeper made two very good saves from Cardwell and Crowther with a Colin the other end largely untroubled

Second half again we looked dangerous and they tried to counter attack but we always looked mostly likely to score again. In the end we didn’t need to.

Colin- 6 maybe could have done better with the goal but otherwise ok and little to do
Gus- 6.5 good game on his return and got the ball into the box numerous times from outwide
Ralph- 7.5 excellent from Ralph today, hardly ever loses a header and got forward well
Crowther- 8.5 mom slightly ahead of Cards. What a find this lad is, so,I’d at the back and dangerous in the oppo box
JD- 7.5 rolled back the years, lost the tackle in the build up to their goal but otherwise really good performance
Bridge- 7.5 becoming our main weapon again, making life easier for himself by getting the crosses in earlier and the rewards are there
Husin- 6.5 oozes class at times but also frustrates, really needs to be more selfish and shoot when he gets the opportunity
Miley- 6.5 nit at his best and gave the ball away for their goal but his break up play and tackling is vital to the team
Wes- 7 pick of the midfield three and scored the winner
Dackers- 7 probably his best all round game for the club, set up Cardwell for his goal and put a shift in
Cardwell - 8 best game since his return from injury, 2 in 2 so finding his goal scoring boots again and seems to have his pace back. Huge asset

Waldron and Wood- 6 didn’t have a lot of time but worked hard up top

Good to see Sandat, Morton and Coker on the bench, that’s as strong as we’ve had this season and gives Kev options to change things

So another big game Saturday away at Oldham but we should go with confidence of getting something from the game. Then three winnable home games on the bounce.

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

Any ideas who they came to watch? Would imagine Conn-Clarke is being watched closely.

Was that their No. 10 ?

 

[OldBlueLady]

Was that their No. 10?

Yes, a superb Conn artist!