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Again, this isnt too complimentary but at least we are getting some coverage at last.
From todays edition of The Times
Eastwood spots chance to save Southend
By Paul Connolly
Southend United 1 Lincoln City 1
AS THE RUNNERS glimpse the finish line, their legs tighten and their lungs gasp for oxygen. They struggle to remember what it was that brought them to the head of the pack and they plough on stiffly, just concentrating on not making mistakes, desperate for the relief of the end.
This excruciating draw between two sides with tightening limbs at the top of Coca-Cola League Two would have offered sustenance to those who dismiss football as just 22 men chasing leather around a field. Southend United, who before Saturday’s game were in the third automatic promotion place, must take much of the blame for the 86 incident-free minutes that passed before a late flurry of activity. After all they have something of a reputation for being the fourth tier’s footballing aristocrats, their sweet, succinct passing regularly bringing an average of 5,400 people to Roots Hall, an increase of 1,000 on last season.
They are also the division’s form side, this being their thirteenth straight game unbeaten. Indeed, Ben Futcher’s 87th-minute headed goal for the visiting team was the first home league goal that Southend had conceded since Christmas. Given this backdrop, you would have been forgiven for expecting them to administer a footballing lesson to their promotion rivals.
Keith Alexander’s Lincoln City side, like many of their predecessors, have a reputation for concentrating on the less edifying aspects of the game. They press hard, they battle hard, they like getting the ball to their strikers quickly and they rely on man mountains at the back. However, the only lesson doled out on Saturday was that fear of failure is the enemy of creativity. Southend were awful — tentative, nervy and lacking focus. Lincoln, to their credit, were slightly better and in Gary Taylor-Fletcher had the most dangerous player.
But it is all relative. Until Futcher nodded in Kevin Sandwith’s corner and Freddy Eastwood equalised three minutes later from the penalty spot after Lee Beevers’ clumsy foul on Mark Bentley, there had been little of merit on display, least of all the limp performance of Clive Penton, the referee. His poor game gave both managers something to focus on away from their teams’ atrocities. Steve Tilson, the Southend manager, said: “Their goal should have been disallowed and the penalty was the first decision that we got all afternoon.”
The amiable Alexander was slightly more florid. “It was a perfectly good challenge from Beevers. I was amazed when he pointed to the spot,” he said. Most of us were merely grateful that the official eventually blew for full time.
From todays edition of The Times
Eastwood spots chance to save Southend
By Paul Connolly
Southend United 1 Lincoln City 1
AS THE RUNNERS glimpse the finish line, their legs tighten and their lungs gasp for oxygen. They struggle to remember what it was that brought them to the head of the pack and they plough on stiffly, just concentrating on not making mistakes, desperate for the relief of the end.
This excruciating draw between two sides with tightening limbs at the top of Coca-Cola League Two would have offered sustenance to those who dismiss football as just 22 men chasing leather around a field. Southend United, who before Saturday’s game were in the third automatic promotion place, must take much of the blame for the 86 incident-free minutes that passed before a late flurry of activity. After all they have something of a reputation for being the fourth tier’s footballing aristocrats, their sweet, succinct passing regularly bringing an average of 5,400 people to Roots Hall, an increase of 1,000 on last season.
They are also the division’s form side, this being their thirteenth straight game unbeaten. Indeed, Ben Futcher’s 87th-minute headed goal for the visiting team was the first home league goal that Southend had conceded since Christmas. Given this backdrop, you would have been forgiven for expecting them to administer a footballing lesson to their promotion rivals.
Keith Alexander’s Lincoln City side, like many of their predecessors, have a reputation for concentrating on the less edifying aspects of the game. They press hard, they battle hard, they like getting the ball to their strikers quickly and they rely on man mountains at the back. However, the only lesson doled out on Saturday was that fear of failure is the enemy of creativity. Southend were awful — tentative, nervy and lacking focus. Lincoln, to their credit, were slightly better and in Gary Taylor-Fletcher had the most dangerous player.
But it is all relative. Until Futcher nodded in Kevin Sandwith’s corner and Freddy Eastwood equalised three minutes later from the penalty spot after Lee Beevers’ clumsy foul on Mark Bentley, there had been little of merit on display, least of all the limp performance of Clive Penton, the referee. His poor game gave both managers something to focus on away from their teams’ atrocities. Steve Tilson, the Southend manager, said: “Their goal should have been disallowed and the penalty was the first decision that we got all afternoon.”
The amiable Alexander was slightly more florid. “It was a perfectly good challenge from Beevers. I was amazed when he pointed to the spot,” he said. Most of us were merely grateful that the official eventually blew for full time.
