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Post-Match Thread and Ratings Weymouth 0-1 Southend United

Nice to hear the other fans singing “your nothing special, we lose every week” for a change. They were right we were not special, but we were resolute, hard working and never in danger of conceding. Very reminiscent of the Kings Lynn game, score early, blaze numerous chances over the bar. Even started to go back too deep at times but Weymouth were woeful up front meaning Steve Arnold had an easy afternoon.
The new system of 3 up top, meant we kept Weymouth back and always looked a threat going forward. It also meant Neal & Atkinson had an awful lot of work to do and got overrun and lost possession at times. But they were excellent and run themselves into the ground. Atkinson gets better every week and is getting more adjusted to the pace of the game and still has a good engine. Certainly the right experienced choice to marshall young Neal in midfield. Atkinson must have earned a contract extension until the end of the season. Maher obviously favours him as more reliable with Fergie on the bench and Gard in the stands.
We have now beaten the three teams to get relegated, Dover, Kings Lynn & Weymouth all 3 very poor teams. Good we are now on the rise with plenty of Home Games still to play 14 of the last 24.

Arnold 7
Demetriou 7
Hobson 6
Lopata 7
Ralph 6
Clifford 6
Neal 8
Atkinson 8 MOTM
Dennis 7
Dalby 7
Murphy 6

Rush 5
Ferguson 5

Great 3 points but really should be talking much larger victory. Word on Matt Rush, noticeable how easy he was brushed off the ball compared to Dennis. Think he should build his strength a bit, especially in this league in order to be more effective. UTB
Slipping one of the defenders into midfield and leaving a back I think would have helped our midfield and better utilised a front 3. Really don't like the 5 at the back setup ! Ralph out left with maybe ferguson on for clifford would have made it more balanced.
 
SOUTHEND United boss Kevin Maher is pleased to see Matt Dennis making the most of his chance with the Shrimpers.

Read more on this story


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It is SO good to read that Kev wants to adopt a more attacking policy. We have the strikers to do this and I believe we will gain more points this way rather than trying to keep a clean sheet and hope to get a breakaway goal with one striker upfront.

I know that Molesley didn't have the luxury of three strikers so I don't blame him. PB though was unnecessarily defensive with a better squad. Kev has arrived at the best solution. Come on You Shrimpers!!
 
On way home now. Don’t care how we played, don’t care how many chances we missed. When it mattered Dennis put his chance away. Weymouth however are awful and my main criticism would be that it could and should have been at least 3-0. No idea what game the Weymouth fan was watching, don’t think Arnold had a save to make. But a win is a win and these are the games we have to pick up points in. Clean sheet also huge for confidence

Won’t give marks as thought whole team were terrific and played for the badge.

Neal after a shaky start and a booking became more composed and looked good.

Lopata, Hobson and Ralph faultless.

Also Will A had a terrific game and never stopped running.

JD and Clifford played well but both had trouble crossing today.

Upfront the front three worked so hard and linked up well. Just a shame they didn’t all get in the score sheet and deserved more for their efforts but need to gut the target when chances are presented

Fans - what can I say, I’ve sung myself horse, never stopped all game and credit to the club once again. Don’t know how many but would guess around 400 or so

So on to Tuesday, another big game and need to start picking up points at home and keep this run going

But things are starting to come together

SOUTHEND TIL I DIE
Agree, we should have won at a canter
 
There seems to be a feeling we missed chances and that we should’ve won more than 1-0. But from what I can gather Arnold was rarely troubled. Missing chances is a damn sight better than not creating any. Wins, however we get them, are not bad things and every one we get helps confidence and belief. I think this is a huge positive, but we need to ensure we keep working and earning points especially from those teams in and around us.
 
It was a brave move by Maher and his team to go for the win (rather than just grind a result of some description) and they've been rewarded for their bravery. It just shows that we're not a bad side, we were just wofeully short of confidence. Just hope he's able to bring in a couple of new faces as the squad does look very thin
 
He has scored in the last 3 games. So with a game on Tuesday you would have to be a real dumb manger to run him into the ground whilst winning on a Saturday.
I take your point, but the game was by no means won when Dennis went off.
All things equal, and had MD not been out on his knees, one of the other two would/should have been hooked.

I'm guessing KM has told MD to surge at every run, like the goal, and hope we can still attack with venom without him.

Before you and other Zoners say Dalby and Murphy have contributed 12 goals between them, the decent, and I mean very decent chances they've squandered in 22/23 games, Murphy in particular, must be three times the conversions.

Yeah, I know they're NL players, but it would be nice for either to take the weight and expectation of Dennis's shoulders a bit.
There was a hint of desperation in Murphy's aerial punt just before half time when he should have slid in Dennis for a better chance, so Murphy too must be feeling the pressure.
 
A good win and a rare clean sheet. We need to get the second goal to be more comfortable, a better team than Weymouth could well have denied us the win. Lack of goals from midfield is still a worry, this needs to be addressed.
 
I take your point, but the game was by no means won when Dennis went off.
All things equal, and had MD not been out on his knees, one of the other two would/should have been hooked.

I'm guessing KM has told MD to surge at every run, like the goal, and hope we can still attack with venom without him.

Before you and other Zoners say Dalby and Murphy have contributed 12 goals between them, the decent, and I mean very decent chances they've squandered in 22/23 games, Murphy in particular, must be three times the conversions.

Yeah, I know they're NL players, but it would be nice for either to take the weight and expectation of Dennis's shoulders a bit.
There was a hint of desperation in Murphy's aerial punt just before half time when he should have slid in Dennis for a better chance, so Murphy too must be feeling the pressure.
Murphy's having a bit of a lean spell but his movement is so good, one is bound to go in soon. Possibly against his former club on Tuesday?
 
I take your point, but the game was by no means won when Dennis went off.
All things equal, and had MD not been out on his knees, one of the other two would/should have been hooked.

I'm guessing KM has told MD to surge at every run, like the goal, and hope we can still attack with venom without him.

Before you and other Zoners say Dalby and Murphy have contributed 12 goals between them, the decent, and I mean very decent chances they've squandered in 22/23 games, Murphy in particular, must be three times the conversions.

Yeah, I know they're NL players, but it would be nice for either to take the weight and expectation of Dennis's shoulders a bit.
There was a hint of desperation in Murphy's aerial punt just before half time when he should have slid in Dennis for a better chance, so Murphy too must be feeling the pressure.

Kev did not make a wrong decision just because you don't like them. Murphy wastes chances because he is a real nuisance and always involved. If the oppo could choose one of ours to miss out he would be that player.

Dalby is being used to hold the ball up and has improved this season. A priceless skill when your one up away from home. Target/hold up man is the same as keeping, it takes years to learn your trade. Made even harder in the modern world where defenders can openly fail without being punished by weak refs. Two handed shoves that border on whiplash and clear shirt pulling have always been a foul and still are.

With a stack of home games to come the best thing us fans could do is remind the officials of the rules of Association Football. I dot mean an East Green moan after we don't get the decision..... I mean a collective roar while the ball is in the air at the first sign of offence. That way the ref goes for his whistle in a state of pure "I won't get out of here alive" panic.......Thats what being a fan is all about. :Winking:
 
We looked like a side who understood how to play 5 at the back. It wasn’t square pegs in round holes it was patient, side to side, high up the pitch and the amount of times we won the ball back in their half was great to see.

We should have won by more but the performance itself was thoroughly professional and definitely a sign of progress.

New kid in the middle looked like a good player. Got stuck in and a few times resisted the urge to shoot from 25 yards instead picking out a pass to either wing back.

Shoutout to Goodship - I am always fearful that an ex player will score against us but yesterday he was woeful. I can’t believe he was signed for us when in L1, I guess that sums up our decline! His best bit of play was when he stormed down the tunnel after being subbed!
 
A win always welcome & feels so good after expecting & getting beaten week in week out ?

Well done to the travelling fans as always, amazing support ?
 
A very professional performance. I thought it was the best we had looked in midfield all season. Seeing a lot of comments about Will Atkinson and his asset was always his stamina, he never had great pace but he finally looks to have got his engine back, I thought he was excellent and covered an awful lot of ground.

I thought Neal looked very composed and he will add a bit of steel to the middle, a shame he got the pretty early yellow card really because I'm sure he will be someone who loves a challenge. Love the throwback to the tucked in shirt!!!

We created an awful lot of chances which was very refreshing. A clean sheet is obviously a massive plus but when you've only scored one you do start to think I've read this script before and they could always nick one and for as poor as they were there is always that chance when you don't put a game to bed

Second half especially it wasn't a contest, we pasted them but a 1-0 win makes it look a close game. So that is my only criticism, we should have come away with at least a 3-0 win

That being said, I still realise we're in the very early stages of the rebuild and Kev has only been operating without an embargo for about 7/10 days so delighted with any 3 points that come our way and with largely the same group of players the performance compared with that of Chesterfield under Brown are completely night and day

Moving in the right direction slowly but surely
 
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