Reserves - Half-time

[Maldon Blues]

Milton Keynes Dons 0
Southend United 1
(Ademeno 44)

 

[Shrimper2thecore]

Well done Charles!!

 

[Hazey]

Is there anywhere where we can see our reserve top-scorers this season. Just curious to know lol

 

[MK Shrimper]

Was going to slip away from work but got tied up...grrrr

 

[JoshC]

i was on the train home from col ewe in a carriage of around 7 youth players Charles was 1 of them, they all seemed like down to earth guys

 

[mattytheshrimper]

id really like to see ademeno

 

[Einstein]

id really like to see ademeno

Ask him out on a date then !! :flamer:

 

[mattytheshrimper]

Ask him out on a date then !! :flamer:

hahahahahahahahahaha that was good :hilarious:

 

[Maldon Blues]

Is there anywhere where we can see our reserve top-scorers this season. Just curious to know lol

Pretty sure it's Gary Hooper, I suspect followed by Matt Harrold.

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Is there anywhere where we can see our reserve top-scorers this season. Just curious to know lol

I doubt it, I tried to find the league table out a couple of weeks back & it hadn't been updated since early September!

 

[Exiled Shrimper]

Firstly, many apologies for the confusion over the goalscorer - I had a brainstorm and texted everyone (including MB and the official site) with Ademeno, who set up the goal, instead of Moussa, who scored it.

The complete list of 'competitive' reserve team goalscorers is as follows:
Matt Harrold 6
Gary Hooper 5
Lee Bradbury 4
James Lawson 3
Peter Clarke 1
David Cowley 1
Richie Foran 1
Franck Moussa 1
Billy Paynter 1
Spencer Prior 1
Lloyd Sam 1
Jay Smith 1
Efetobore Sodje 1
Che Wilson 1

Today's win was not enough to keep up our assault on the Pontin's Holidays Combination League East Division title - Ipswich Town drew 2-2 at Luton Town this afternoon top win the title. We can get to within one point if we win our last three games, which are all at home. We trail Colchester United by one point with a game in hand.

The table looks like this:
1 Ipswich Town Pl17 W12 D2 L3 GD22 Pts38
2 Colchester United Pl17 W7 D8 L2 GD10 Pts29
3 Southend United Pl15 W9 D1 L5 GD8 Pts28
4 Luton Town Pl15 W7 D3 L5 GD7 Pts24
5 Northampton Town Pl16 W7 D3 L6 GD4 Pts24
6 Norwich City Pl14 W4 D5 L5 GD-3 Pts17
7 Leyton Orient Pl13 W3 D7 L3 GD2 Pts16
8 Milton Keynes Dons Pl14 W4 D1 L9 GD-14 Pts13
9 Stevenage Borough Pl14 W2 D4 L8 GD-8 Pts10
10 Oxford United Pl15 W1 D4 L10 GD-28 Pts7

 

[Andy_S]

Good stuff, Rob. Shame we still don't get to see you cover the reserves as you did in the past.

Any thoughts on Cowley, Moussa and Ademeno? Any chance for them in the first team next season do you think? :confused:

 

[Hazey]

Cheers mate

 

[Exiled Shrimper]

Good stuff, Rob. Shame we still don't get to see you cover the reserves as you did in the past.

Any thoughts on Cowley, Moussa and Ademeno? Any chance for them in the first team next season do you think? :confused:

Well, I'm still reporting on the away games for both the Reserves and the U18s on the OS and in the programme, so I'm still there a bit. I just believe that Southend supporters should get a bit of detail behind how people are playing outside of the first team, so I'll always do that.

As for that trio (and I'd better watch out as you never know who's reading!):

Dave Cowley: the kid has got bags of talent, delivers a good set-piece and is reasonably sharp and crosses well. Unfortunately, he will always be up against it in the professional game as he is very short, and he won't be able to put those inches on. I know some have made it - someone like Dennis Wise, for instance, or even our own JCR - but Cowley probably doesn't quite have that extra quality for League football.

I heard mixed reports from his spell on loan at Heybridge Swifts. After he had a trail match with Chelmsford City, I told a mate who supports the Clarets that he would be the ideal sort of signing for them, but initially he wasn't strong enough for the Ryman Premier at Scraley Road, although he did go on to score a couple of goals. I would say that he would do a very good job at Conference/Conference South sort of the level; maybe at a push he could make it in League Two, because he is a scrapper.

Franck Moussa: the thing that I always notice about Moussa is that he has absolutely buckets of time on the ball. It is something that I've always looked at and admired in sportsmen - a batsman with time to play his strokes in cricket or a tennis player that can make a split-second decision almost in slow-motion. Moussa has that, probably more than anyone else at the club.

Most people here will have seen little snippets of him in the League, if only for a couple of seconds, or a reserve game, but he has stood head and shoulders above everyone else in that side this year. Whenever I get asked the MotM for the second-string, I always end up saying "Moussa".

He has made the step from youth team to reserve team, he has played international football at Under-18 level for his country, he is a good passer, thinks ahead of experienced players and can net the odd goal, even from distance.

My one worry is that his position is currently occupied by Kevin Maher, and Maher is the club captain. They are a similar sort of player, and with Maher having been consistently excellent in the last three seasons, what sort of opportunity will he get to force his way into the side? Central midfield is well-stocked in terms of Maher and then Alan McCormack, although there's not a lot behind them now Guttridge and Smith have gone. He'll get a chance with suspensions and maybe injuries, but that's my major worry at the moment.

Charles Ademeno: Charles is the most powerful and strong player I have seen come through the youth set-up at Southend United. Even last year, he was physically ready to go into the reserves as a 16-year-old, and he has done well out on work experience at Bishop's Stortford and Cambridge United.

I suppose if there was a criticism, it would be that as a striker he does not get enough goals, and the Under-18s have struggled at times for goals, despite their League position. When we needed some to scramble the ball in at the Ricoh Arena in the F.A. Youth Cup, for instance, Ademeno just couldn't quite be relied upon. He is a real battering-ram of a front man, though, and he will create opportunities for others - hopefully he learnt a bit from Shaun Goater last season, and maybe he will increase his strike ratio accordingly.

 

[Andy_S]

Cheers, Rob, that's superb. I'd much rather rely on your thoughts than some others it has to be said, hence why I asked! :)

It would be nice to see at least one of those break through. Sounds very hopeful about Moussa then. Good stuff. :D

 

[Fiftyone]

Rob,thanks for your thoughts on Cowley,Moussa and Ademeno - what do you think of the other youngsters Kearns and Ledgister?.

 

[Exiled Shrimper]

Kearns is a really versatile player - I've seen him play right across the back four and in the centre of midfield. Good passer, decent in the challenge, probably not quite good enough to be offered something for the years to come I'd imagine, but it is a sign of the players that are coming through that we are discussing youth teamers as viable first-team players.

Ledgister is someone who I think is a little bit special. He's a winger with real pace, good crosser of the ball, decent set-piece delivery. I would be very pleased to see him sign for another year. He's been out at Gravesend this year and has scored twice in 14 appearances (5 starts), and that experience will really stand him in good stead.

 

[Fiftyone]

Rob,thanks for your thoughts - pretty much agrees with my feelings on these players although I have seen much less of them than you.:)

 

[Pubey]

Kearns is a really versatile player - I've seen him play right across the back four and in the centre of midfield. Good passer, decent in the challenge, probably not quite good enough to be offered something for the years to come I'd imagine, but it is a sign of the players that are coming through that we are discussing youth teamers as viable first-team players.

Ledgister is someone who I think is a little bit special. He's a winger with real pace, good crosser of the ball, decent set-piece delivery. I would be very pleased to see him sign for another year. He's been out at Gravesend this year and has scored twice in 14 appearances (5 starts), and that experience will really stand him in good stead.

really agree with your reports, especially about ledgister. seen the reserves a couple of times this season and ledgister really stood out for me. quick and 2 good feet. kearns and cowley aren't good enough from what ive seen. ademeno looks good and tilly must agree. for me moussa and ledgister are 2 big prospects

 

[gilbo90]

On the OS it says Moussa grabbed the goal yesterday yet on the report on this thread it says Ademendo, so i was just wondering who it was who scored IMO i belive the OS ut can anyone just confirm.