Match Thread - Stanley v Southend Sat 23rd Jan 2019

[choirboy]

Another BIG match in our little run of four Home matches.

It's a chance to reverse the 3 - 0 loss away at 'The Shrimpers' earlier in the season!
We should have Sam Finlay back in the fold after his ban. I hope that Sam has learned form the experience. If selected Sam should bring some 'Steel' into our midfield.

We need to build on our hard earned three points v Oxford on Tuesday! They were very unlucky IMHO!
Now, from the four home games we should be looking at getting a couple of wins and a draw or two....as a minimum.......so 7 or 8 points to at least maintain our position in mid table.

Should we win three and draw one or .....even win all four and then gain points from our matches 'In Hand' then we could still be in touch with the play offs!

We need a good turn out tomorrow, and for every STANLEY SOUL to give everything in urging our players on to VICTORY.
I hope that the Ultras can provide a Flag Display tomorrow because I think that it definitely fires up our players!

COME ON ONE AND ALL!
SING AND SHOUT AND CLAP THE TEAM ON TOMORROW.
ON STANLEY ON

LEAGUE ONE?....... I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE WE ARE WHERE WE ARE!

[Kiwi John]

Won't be here for this one ( dropping last parasite of at Uni -YEHAAAA ), ...come on STANLEY.

[choirboy]

To me the match today v Southend seemed a very tough and bruising affair to be involved in as a player. My initial impression of Southend after the first ten minutes was that they were a 'Robust' and 'Uncompromising' physical team. I also thought that they would be very difficult to break down.
Having said that I thought that we had started well in the first twenty minutes. Then when Big Ben made the misjudgment that led to the Southend goal and the subsequent injuries to Humphreys and Maxted, we seemed to lose our flow going forward. The match became very bitty and was not helped by some unprofessional play which made the job of the officials much harder. To his credit the referee today was not afraid to make bookings in the first half to try and exert full control of the match. In the second half the play continued as in the first half and we seemed to lack the 'guile' to really break down their defence. Of course Southend, like Oxford, looked like they could score on the 'Break'.
A real moment of pure 'BRILLIANCE' finally unlocked the away defence when BARLASER struck the ball beautifully for a wonderful strike to make it deservedly level. I was spectating in my usual place in the Clayton End and the shot came absolutely straight towards me! It was struck so sweetly that the ball did not deviate or spin or swerve....it just BIGGER and BIGGER as it hurtled towards me and INTO THE CORNER OF THE NET!
After the goal the match returned to being a messy and very physical match.
In the end I feel that it was a hard earned point against a team who make it very difficult to play against.
I thought that the vocal support from The Ultras in the Clayton End was magical and it was nice to see 'Andy Cap' making an appearance as the players came onto the pitch.
ON STANLEY ON

[Spartacus2nd]

Workmanlike performance today, but i cant hel but feel we shouldve gambled with 2 subs in the last 20. Looked taylor made for an all legs n arms cameo from Zanzala today

[Lord Stiffupperlip]

Yesterday's match proved less like the beautiful game & more like of a battle of attrition.
First 45 minutes, Southend created a curtain of steel across the midfield so effective that, for long periods, our defence seemed in a constant state of siege.
The result was we barely got out of our own half as each attack broke down before we'd even crossed the half-way line.
Our off-the-ball movement from midfield was so static that defenders struggled to find a red shirt available to pass to. Kick it anywhere became the only option.
Their intense pressing soon paid dividends with the blunder which gifted them the lead.
Don't know who was more culpable, Big Ben for misjudging a high bounce, or Maxted for diving in after Humphry had already headed the ball goal-ward.
The latter both paid a heavy price for the mistake. Humphry stretchered-off with serious concussion & a broken nose into a waiting ambulance, followed quickly by Maxted.
By the way, some of the moronic shouting aimed at the injured lad, even after a doctor had been called onto the field, was shameful.
Things improved slightly in the second-half when we upped our game. Barlaser, who always tries to be creative when he gets the ball, deserved his match-saving equaliser.
Southend had obviously watched the Sunderland video, as they marked Smyth closer than a shave from Sweeney Todd.
Rarely was he given the space he thrives on, being constantly barged, pushed or muscled-off the ball by his big minders.
Armstrong proved a much better attacking option when he eventually got on the field - much too late in the day.
All in all, a deserved draw salvaged from the jaws of defeat & another valuable point in our battle to remain in League 1.

[ferret man]

Cant agree with you choirboy about the Ref he failed to show a yellow to the guy who sent Billy crashing to the deck in the first few mins. (think it was Billy)

[choirboy]

Originally Posted by ferret man

Cant agree with you choirboy about the Ref he failed to show a yellow to the guy who sent Billy crashing to the deck in the first few mins. (think it was Billy)

I think you have misunderstood what I said about the referee ferret man.
I didn't suggest that he had a 'good match' but that he did try to exert some kind of control by making some bookings in the first half. I agree with you that he should have booked the lad for the assault on Billy and also think that he should have booked their player who tried to con everyone with a blatant dive in trying to get a penalty in the first half.
The Shrimpers made the refs job very difficult yesterday with their tactics and uncompromising play.

[ferret man]

Ok