Post-Match Thread and Ratings Rotherham United 0-3 Southend United

[Evening Echo]

A SECOND half brace from Britt Assombalonga helped Southend United record a fantastic 3-0 win at Rotherham this afternoon.

More...

 

[Pubey]

Rotherham 0 - Southend 3 (Three)

Wow that was fun, a tight first half which resembled pinball at times exploded into life in the second half.

Smith - 6 - Nothing to do, looked fine

Clohessy - 8 - Immense in defence and worked really well going forward, great passes to Tomlin and Assombalonga and some good crosses

Barker - 8 - Best game in years, a rock. Some great anticipation

Cresswell - 6 - Perhaps slightly nervous at the start but solid in the air and the victory obviously meant a lot. Went off with cramp but came back at the end for a huge celebration

Straker - 6 - Worried me in the first half with losing possession and clearances across the goal, settled down though and had little trouble in the second half

Martin - 9 MOTM - Fantastic performance, picked players pockets and battled hard. Great cross for Britt's goal and good anticipation for his. His workrate was excellent

Timlin - 8 - Excellent, worked really hard and got the ball down and played some neat stuff to the forwards

Leonard - 6 - A good foil for Timlin in the middle but I felt he was a bit quiet and poor decision making on the ball

Hurst - 8 - A touch of class and picks the right option. Great short and long passing and set pieces. A real find.

Tomlin - 7 - Worked hard and used the ball well but sometimes his composure lacks him down. Missed with a tight finish.

Assombalonga - 9 - Just a natural finisher. Great attitude and workrate, his first goal was on a plate from Martin but his second showed how good his is in the box, a good turn and finish and didn't panic.

Subs:
Coughlan/Clarke Harris. Both looked ok but Clarke-Harris seemed very raw and got frustrated.

Great team spirit I think, everyone celebrating the goals and at the end. Onwards and upwards!

Rotherham were poor, the ref was fine, the stadium is nice. Saw Ronny Martini making a quick exit from the carpark in the back of his chauffeured limo after the game, a fan was talking to him through his window.

 

[southendkid]

People who missed the first half were lucky, it looked destined for 0-0 at half time, whatever Sturrock said at half time must have worked because we made Rotherham look non league for the rest of the match, a very convincing win.

 

[ryansm05]

Smith - 6 - Very little to do, but done what he needed to well.

Clohessy - 8 - Very good performance both defensively and attacking.

Barker - 7 - Not as dominant as Cresswell in the air, but made up for it with his reading of the game.

Cresswell - 7 - Decent performance, dominated the majority of arial balls against a really strong lad.

Straker - 7 - Grew as the game went on, very solid second half performance.

Martin - 8 - Very poor in the first half, but made up for it in the second and was involved in all three goals.

Timlin - 8 MOM - Brilliant performance, was a rock in the middle of the park and used the ball well.

Leonard - 7 - Done a job, his versatility is a real asset.

Hurst - 7 - Same as above really.

Tomlin - 8 - Works ever so hard, and his ball control is fantastic. Clearly not a natural finisher, but compliments Britt ever so well.

Assombalonga - 8 - Still very raw, but such an instinctive finisher and is certainly becoming a fans favourite.

Overall a great afternoon and a well deserved 3 points.

 

[shrimperjon]

A lesson for us at home really, another good positive away performance where the team se to play so much better. We must learn to get behind the team at roots hall, it could make all the difference in the end. Well done to the boys today though, brilliant every one if them.

 

[JStevo96]

Great to hear that David Martin is playing well and with confidence now, hopefully he continues this form and gets a couple more goals and assists. Also it's great to hear Britt continuing to score for us, can his loan be extended again?

 

[silentshrimper]

Great to hear that David Martin is playing well and with confidence now, hopefully he continues this form and gets a couple more goals and assists. Also it's great to hear Britt continuing to score for us, can his loan be extended again?

Yes it is great, it has slowly been coming this performance, getting slightly better every game!

Sounds like the lads did very well! As long as we hold onto the playoff positions, I feel we could really push on later in the season.

 

[rlb999]

Again, away from home we're a solid well organised outfit, characteristic of the Sturrock era. Today we were assisted by Rotherham's defence falling to bits in the second half, but take nothing away from the boys - this was a team performance from 1 to 11. A special mention to some players who come in for stick on these forums - Dave Martin, Michael Timlin, Chris Barker at centre half - all played really well. It's said we're short in midfield - that wasn't apparent today. Now all we have to do is find a way of not dropping silly points at home.

 

[Norwichshrimper]

Last year we went up to Rotherham about this time, IIRC we had Grant and Hall missing through suspension and we all thought we were in for a caning. We won easily and went off on an amazing run of form.

Wonder if history will repeat itself?

 

[mickcod]

Thought we took them apart second half. Agree with people rating Martin's performance. He has that little bit of extra time on the ball to create a chance. Tomlin is never going to be a twenty goal a season man but I thought he knitted the attack together really well and it is great to have an inform striker like Britt at the mo. 472 was an excellent away support. Happy days.

 

[jamesmut2000]

Martin was woeful first half - but whatever Luggy put in his half time tea worked a treat! He was a different player second half! And capped it off with an assist and a headed goal.

Why the **** Evans let Cresswell go and plays those two centre halves instead is beyond any reasonable comprehension!

 

[stickyboy]

missed the first 25 minutes but sounded like that may have been a good thing. Great 2nd half so made the journey worth while in the end!

 

[Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset]

Great display, Assombalonga, Martin (second half) and Leonard (made the difference in the middle) were the pick of the bunch for me.

Couple of pics attached:

 

[Reefs]

That second half was almost magical - particularly pleased for Timlin and Martin, both of whom have been under fire in recent weeks...their best performances, respectively, for many a game.

Really excited about the next couple of away games now. The only negative I can muster at this time is that we don't have Assombalonga for the rest of the season (yet).

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

Kids! Eldest nearly made us miss our train looking for her Uggs and much later remembered her sister is wearing them to get to her ballet lesson. She had prawn toast and pineapple for breakfast, pitta bread on the first train then a cheesecake at St Pancras. Her b/f has come with us for his first away day and had 3 boxes of sushi then dipped wine gums in the soy sauce whilst listening to hip hop in one ear and sharing headphones with eldest to listen to Adele in the other ear. Kids! I had to phone his parents and explain that there is an EDL demo in Rotherham but that we'd hold back in Sheffield till just before kick off to keep away from it. 'I'm taking your son to stand side by side with UAF comrades for pre-match street reclaiming and scuffles' would obviously be the preferred option but I gotta be responsible.
Sheffield has way cool buildings all round the train station starting with the long metal water sculpture, the building with vultures wall art done out in brick and the thing that looks like loads of badly stacked cardboard boxes, but in metal. We went into the Millennium Gallery and saw a 3 headed monster made out of spoons, and crocheted coral reef and a (never heard of him) Paul Morrison exhibit. He does a nice line in regal looking characters with a twist such as an anchor tattoo - drawings mainly but best was as a large gold sculpture. Also did some Barbara Riley style monochrome drawings but with flowers in the middle to break up the fuzzy eye. Local train to Rotherham (one on the way back looked like a bus, proper small town style) and as we got off a load of EDL protesters were getting on - genuinely made my flesh crawl, nasty little ***** and every one of them had the aura of being people that were so low they would look for something to hate because that's all they can identify with. Miserable dirty looking *******s the lot of them. I heard a local saying that the police kept them apart from UAF so they started fighting amongst themselves - the Yorkshire EDL against other factions. At the ground cheerleaders danced to Sham 69 who in the late 70's were adopted by NF skins (much to the disappointment of the band), which seemed a little odd today considering.
Train Shrimper Norman was well miffed that they'd run out of programmes which does seem like very bad organisation. The players come out to 'New York, New York' in their new New York stadium - Green Day(?) version before Frank's one. The ground has a cool stepped look along the roof at either end and just two floodlights that weren't used today but must be the height of scientific endeavour to shine more than four normal ones. 12,000 capacity but as the whole ground is on one tier it gives the impression of looking quite small. Chants of 'you're a town full of racists' made light of the other event in the town and chants of 'UAF' were a pleasing surprise and these carried on even when less enlightened members of the crowd turn up late (made me wonder why, hopefully just traffic issues). Rotherham are crap but still manage to create the first real chance 12 minutes in with a well struck shot just wide of the post. 5 minutes later and Cresswell has a shot tipped over. Their number 15 (soz, no programme, no names) was king of lack of composure but after dispossessing him Staker 'cleared' the ball right across our goalmouth. Within the next 10 minutes he had done that twice more, the second time putting the ball out for a throw on the opposite side to where he was playing, which was better than the clearance straight to one of their forwards. Tomlin was noticeably standing up to challenges but just as he dips by failing to get passed his man twice Straker picks up with a well read ball down the wing. We are forcing corners but putting in crosses that are too high. The midfield are not creating defensive pressure like they have recently and the defence are looking strong (except the cross the goal clearances) and the first half looks every bit the 0 - 0 that it is. In fact the best thing about the first half is the rainbow that shines over the end opposite us - and it didn't even rain.
Second half is like a different match. 10 minutes in and Brit starts us off with an unstoppable header. And the mood in the team changes and everyone can sense a big win. Martin gets past 3 players before failing to get passed the fourth, but that seems to trigger self belief. Seconds later he puts in a great ball winning tackle that signifies his intent. The whole team are now focussing all efforts on attacking play. On 24 minutes great build up play - ball winning from Martin, cross from Clo, but when it reaches Brit he is too tight for space with two defenders on him but he calmly pulls it back and rifles it into the roof - glorious. Minutes later Hurst is clean through but chooses to try to tee Brit up for his hattrick but that and a whipped in Martin cross minutes later are both just out of reach. Tomlin is also creating lots in the 2nd half and 30 minutes in he turns his marker and puts in a sweet cross to Brit who's looping header comes back off the crossbar for Dave Martin to usher into the net for a deserved goal. Timlin after each goal runs over to Tomlin's family in the front row to dedicate the goal to them. Tomlin has a great effort just skid wide of the goal before Brit tries from outside the area after a one-two with Martin. The loanee comes on for the last 5 minutes (no Fred? I suspect a 'we pay if you play him' deal with Peterborough) but is barged away from a cross as soon as he is on and generally looks a bit rabbit caught in the headlights. Three goals and a very convincing win in the end with Timlin again coming over to express just how much he loves being at the club but even he didn't look as ecstatic as Cresswell who after going off with cramp came back on to celebrate as if we'd won the league. Hopefully that is good practice for when we do - you never know.

 

[sufcwatcha1]

I've got a head ache reading that

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

I've got a head ache reading that

then put down that scruffy cigarette and go out and get some fresh air!

 

[WESTY_SUFC]

Anyone else think the bigger pitch helped a lot with our formation and style of play? Tomlin and Martin had so much more room than at Roots Hall and enabled us to stretch them. We scared their defence to death with the pace going forward from Assambalonga and the 2 wide men.

 

[IloveShrimp]

Kids! Eldest nearly made us miss our train looking for her Uggs and much later remembered her sister is wearing them to get to her ballet lesson. She had prawn toast and pineapple for breakfast, pitta bread on the first train then a cheesecake at St Pancras. Her b/f has come with us for his first away day and had 3 boxes of sushi then dipped wine gums in the soy sauce whilst listening to hip hop in one ear and sharing headphones with eldest to listen to Adele in the other ear. Kids! I had to phone his parents and explain that there is an EDL demo in Rotherham but that we'd hold back in Sheffield till just before kick off to keep away from it. 'I'm taking your son to stand side by side with UAF comrades for pre-match street reclaiming and scuffles' would obviously be the preferred option but I gotta be responsible.
Sheffield has way cool buildings all round the train station starting with the long metal water sculpture, the building with vultures wall art done out in brick and the thing that looks like loads of badly stacked cardboard boxes, but in metal. We went into the Millennium Gallery and saw a 3 headed monster made out of spoons, and crocheted coral reef and a (never heard of him) Paul Morrison exhibit. He does a nice line in regal looking characters with a twist such as an anchor tattoo - drawings mainly but best was as a large gold sculpture. Also did some Barbara Riley style monochrome drawings but with flowers in the middle to break up the fuzzy eye. Local train to Rotherham (one on the way back looked like a bus, proper small town style) and as we got off a load of EDL protesters were getting on - genuinely made my flesh crawl, nasty little ***** and every one of them had the aura of being people that were so low they would look for something to hate because that's all they can identify with. Miserable dirty looking *******s the lot of them. I heard a local saying that the police kept them apart from UAF so they started fighting amongst themselves - the Yorkshire EDL against other factions. At the ground cheerleaders danced to Sham 69 who in the late 70's were adopted by NF skins (much to the disappointment of the band), which seemed a little odd today considering.
Train Shrimper Norman was well miffed that they'd run out of programmes which does seem like very bad organisation. The players come out to 'New York, New York' in their new New York stadium - Green Day(?) version before Frank's one. The ground has a cool stepped look along the roof at either end and just two floodlights that weren't used today but must be the height of scientific endeavour to shine more than four normal ones. 12,000 capacity but as the whole ground is on one tier it gives the impression of looking quite small. Chants of 'you're a town full of racists' made light of the other event in the town and chants of 'UAF' were a pleasing surprise and these carried on even when less enlightened members of the crowd turn up late (made me wonder why, hopefully just traffic issues). Rotherham are crap but still manage to create the first real chance 12 minutes in with a well struck shot just wide of the post. 5 minutes later and Cresswell has a shot tipped over. Their number 15 (soz, no programme, no names) was king of lack of composure but after dispossessing him Staker 'cleared' the ball right across our goalmouth. Within the next 10 minutes he had done that twice more, the second time putting the ball out for a throw on the opposite side to where he was playing, which was better than the clearance straight to one of their forwards. Tomlin was noticeably standing up to challenges but just as he dips by failing to get passed his man twice Straker picks up with a well read ball down the wing. We are forcing corners but putting in crosses that are too high. The midfield are not creating defensive pressure like they have recently and the defence are looking strong (except the cross the goal clearances) and the first half looks every bit the 0 - 0 that it is. In fact the best thing about the first half is the rainbow that shines over the end opposite us - and it didn't even rain.
Second half is like a different match. 10 minutes in and Brit starts us off with an unstoppable header. And the mood in the team changes and everyone can sense a big win. Martin gets past 3 players before failing to get passed the fourth, but that seems to trigger self belief. Seconds later he puts in a great ball winning tackle that signifies his intent. The whole team are now focussing all efforts on attacking play. On 24 minutes great build up play - ball winning from Martin, cross from Clo, but when it reaches Brit he is too tight for space with two defenders on him but he calmly pulls it back and rifles it into the roof - glorious. Minutes later Hurst is clean through but chooses to try to tee Brit up for his hattrick but that and a whipped in Martin cross minutes later are both just out of reach. Tomlin is also creating lots in the 2nd half and 30 minutes in he turns his marker and puts in a sweet cross to Brit who's looping header comes back off the crossbar for Dave Martin to usher into the net for a deserved goal. Timlin after each goal runs over to Tomlin's family in the front row to dedicate the goal to them. Tomlin has a great effort just skid wide of the goal before Brit tries from outside the area after a one-two with Martin. The loanee comes on for the last 5 minutes (no Fred? I suspect a 'we pay if you play him' deal with Peterborough) but is barged away from a cross as soon as he is on and generally looks a bit rabbit caught in the headlights. Three goals and a very convincing win in the end with Timlin again coming over to express just how much he loves being at the club but even he didn't look as ecstatic as Cresswell who after going off with cramp came back on to celebrate as if we'd won the league. Hopefully that is good practice for when we do - you never know.

Sorry this post is too long, didn't even bother to read it!

 

[WESTY_SUFC]

Sorry this post is too long, didn't even bother to read it!

Have to agree. After 3 lines of nothing about SUFC or interesting i gave up.