Matt the Shrimp
aka Harry Potter
Well, it's about the only time I get to start a "just got back" thread, so I thought I'd do it. Actually, I got back 30 minutes ago - one of the few redeeming features of tonight.
Random thoughts from the game...
* The approach to the ground... blimey, it's like something out of Mad Max - you're herded down a long passageway with tall metal fencing on either side from the station all the way to the away end. They really are a club apart, the Lions...!
* The ground - pretty impressive. Decent catering, albeit that they woefully underestimated the travelling numbers (I'd put us at about 1,300 tonight, at a guess), decent acoustic, and it'd be an amazing sight if the ground were full.
* Nicky Bailey. Blimey. How long can we hold onto him? Head and shoulders above anyone on the park, from either side. A truly sublime goal, on the volley, from the edge of the area (you really should catch the goal!), then, from the kick-off, a defensive header off the line. Supreme engine, always looking for the ball, anticipating movement, and finding space. I'm not sure another Southend player had a shot on goal all night - Bailey had three or four.
* And, er... that's it, really. We were poor tonight, really poor. We cannot ride on Bailey's shoulders to the playoffs, because that's how we looked tonight - a one-man team.
* The referee was abysmal, incidentally. Constantly swayed by the home fans and players, giving pretty much every 50/50 decision to Millwall, not even booking an appaling lunge / scythe on Black in the first half, and then sending off Scannell from what appeared to me (and admittedly, I had a poor view, being behind the melee of players) to be a one footed tackle in which he won the ball. I'm sure Cousin Weir will opine at far greater length on this subject in due course, but how clowns like that get to referee football league games is beyond my ken.
Ratings to follow.
Matt
Random thoughts from the game...
* The approach to the ground... blimey, it's like something out of Mad Max - you're herded down a long passageway with tall metal fencing on either side from the station all the way to the away end. They really are a club apart, the Lions...!
* The ground - pretty impressive. Decent catering, albeit that they woefully underestimated the travelling numbers (I'd put us at about 1,300 tonight, at a guess), decent acoustic, and it'd be an amazing sight if the ground were full.
* Nicky Bailey. Blimey. How long can we hold onto him? Head and shoulders above anyone on the park, from either side. A truly sublime goal, on the volley, from the edge of the area (you really should catch the goal!), then, from the kick-off, a defensive header off the line. Supreme engine, always looking for the ball, anticipating movement, and finding space. I'm not sure another Southend player had a shot on goal all night - Bailey had three or four.
* And, er... that's it, really. We were poor tonight, really poor. We cannot ride on Bailey's shoulders to the playoffs, because that's how we looked tonight - a one-man team.
* The referee was abysmal, incidentally. Constantly swayed by the home fans and players, giving pretty much every 50/50 decision to Millwall, not even booking an appaling lunge / scythe on Black in the first half, and then sending off Scannell from what appeared to me (and admittedly, I had a poor view, being behind the melee of players) to be a one footed tackle in which he won the ball. I'm sure Cousin Weir will opine at far greater length on this subject in due course, but how clowns like that get to referee football league games is beyond my ken.
Ratings to follow.
Matt