sufcintheprem
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They say to win promotion you have to win games where you're not at your best. I'm not sure what 'they' would have to say about a team that so rarely dipped in to their reserves of talent but still run in victorious.
There was an air of empty anticiaption around Roots Hall - a misplaced confidence that Southend would easily win combined with an awareness that no one-goal Soutehnd lead is ever safe. Fears of this ilk were were quickly confirmed as a Bournemouth counter-attacked from a Southend corner and the lonely striker really should have done better. The raging finger-waggers barely had time to sit down before Francis picked Barnard out superbly who wasn't too shabby in killing the ball and tucking it in.
Perhaps well aware that Southend clean sheets are something of a novelty, Gower, Bailey and Black industriously tried to move the ball around to create a second opening but the woodwork denied a Southend second. Instead, it was Bournemouth who levelled the game - Pearce seemingly unmarked to easily nod in to the net. It has to be said that Bournemouth were worthy of their equaliser for both their ambition and application. It's only a shame that against Southend you'll score if you put more than 3 or 4 deent crosses in.
Chants of E-I-E-I-E-I-O had quickly been muted and the Southend reaction in the second half was similar. McCormack seemed extremely wasteful with the ball and some way short of his tenacious best being beaten through the tackle time and again. Tommy Black seemed most likely to make any inroads but whenever the move broke down, Bournemouth came storming forwards creating several decfent openings.
Just when it seemed the game would peeter out in to a mess of looping balls and bad first touches, a surging Black run caused mayhem in the box and the ball was tucked in at the second attempt by Walker who was impressively quick to re-set himself. There was still time for Walker to try to battle for miss of the season but Graham of Carlisle will still be sitting top of that league.
Whatever 'they' might have been saying after the match, one would imagine it was not touting Southend as genuine promotion contenders after this fairly tepid performance.
There was an air of empty anticiaption around Roots Hall - a misplaced confidence that Southend would easily win combined with an awareness that no one-goal Soutehnd lead is ever safe. Fears of this ilk were were quickly confirmed as a Bournemouth counter-attacked from a Southend corner and the lonely striker really should have done better. The raging finger-waggers barely had time to sit down before Francis picked Barnard out superbly who wasn't too shabby in killing the ball and tucking it in.
Perhaps well aware that Southend clean sheets are something of a novelty, Gower, Bailey and Black industriously tried to move the ball around to create a second opening but the woodwork denied a Southend second. Instead, it was Bournemouth who levelled the game - Pearce seemingly unmarked to easily nod in to the net. It has to be said that Bournemouth were worthy of their equaliser for both their ambition and application. It's only a shame that against Southend you'll score if you put more than 3 or 4 deent crosses in.
Chants of E-I-E-I-E-I-O had quickly been muted and the Southend reaction in the second half was similar. McCormack seemed extremely wasteful with the ball and some way short of his tenacious best being beaten through the tackle time and again. Tommy Black seemed most likely to make any inroads but whenever the move broke down, Bournemouth came storming forwards creating several decfent openings.
Just when it seemed the game would peeter out in to a mess of looping balls and bad first touches, a surging Black run caused mayhem in the box and the ball was tucked in at the second attempt by Walker who was impressively quick to re-set himself. There was still time for Walker to try to battle for miss of the season but Graham of Carlisle will still be sitting top of that league.
Whatever 'they' might have been saying after the match, one would imagine it was not touting Southend as genuine promotion contenders after this fairly tepid performance.
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