Southend United 1 Eastleigh 3

Vanarama National League, Saturday 28th January

I was back over at Roots Hall in late January to see Eastleigh complete a league double over Southend United after goals from Alfie Lloyd, Charlie Carter & JJ McKiernan saw the visitors to the points in their Vanarama National League encounter & also hand the hosts their first defeat of 2023.

The Blues have been, like many others at this level, starved of any competitive football since the turn of the new year due to the weather, with frozen pitches being the order of the day lately, but the thaw over the last week or so meant this match could take place, and In the three competitive games Southend had played so far in 2023 they had won two of them and drawn one.

A goalless draw at sixth placed Bromley were followed by a comfortable home win over mid table Solihull Moors before a stoppage time win at home to Darlington in the FA Trophy two weeks ago proved to be their last game headed into this one, and it left them just a point outside the playoffs and in a pack of sides who were only a win or so away from the top seven.

One of those sides are Eastleigh, the hosts opponents today, they sit down in eleventh but only four points off the top seven despite having lost more games than they have won in what has been a very mixed campaign so far for the south coast side, and like Southend they had only managed three competitive games since the turn of the year, although they had lost one of those matches but won the other two.

A thumping home win over Dorking Wanderers was followed by defeat at another of those play off chasing sides in the shape of Wealdstone, and then they also managed to win in the FA Trophy last time out two weeks ago too, narrowly defeating National South side Braintree Town, so this one was a hard one to call going into this encounter, although many felt the Blues may have the edge being at home perhaps. Although when the two sides met in August, Eastleigh did edge it 2-1.

The hosts had the bulk of the attacking threat in the opening half hour but found there final ball to be lacking, but eleven minutes before the break they were to fall behind when after hosts keeper Blondy Nna Noukeu had come for a cross and failed to deal with it, the loose ball fell to Charlie Carter and although his low effort was cleared off the line, Lloyd was on hand to fire home and hand the visitors the edge.

The home fans and players were getting more and more agitated with the officials and the visiting side, they probably should have had a spot kick when it seemed a defender had hauled down the forward, but nothing came of that, and adding to the frosty atmosphere at times was the chants of 'We want Martin Out' and 'Get out of our club' and 'We want our club back' amongst others in the direction of the chairman Ron Martin, whose relationship, or lack of, with the clubs fans is well documented after recent events of the field.

This coupled with their clubs lack of cutting edge up front was not helping, and it has to be said it was playing right into the hands of the visitors as their well organised back line was also making it hard for the hosts to play their way in too, they were a solid well organised side, and also knew how to get under the hosts skins too, which was playing right into their hands, 

The hosts though continued to search for the leveller and saw an effort from Jack Bridge crash off the crossbar, but with eighteen minutes left the atmosphere was to turn even more frosty as Eastleigh netted a second after The Blues had failed to deal with a long throw from Corey Painter and saw the loose ball fired in by Carter in front of the 69 travelling fans behind that goal, and it looked as if that would be that.

The Blues needed a response before the atmosphere turned anymore toxic as the chairman continued to het the brunt of the abuse, and with twelve minutes remaining found a lifeline when excellent work from Rhys Murphy saw him eventually find Harry Cardwell who netted from close range and ramp up the atmosphere inside the stadium, giving the 5,000 plus home fans hope.

And with seven minutes left they really should have been level, Cardwell managed to pull the ball back across the face of goal but Murphy somehow put the chance over from point blank range, although the final touch looked to have come off a defender, but it was a guilt edged chance and one that would have levelled the game up from nowhere, but instead The Blues still had to find a leveller to claim at least a point.

However, with three minutes of the ninety to play that hope was totally distinguished as a shot from JJ McKiernan from outside the box bounced just in front of keeper Blondy Nna Noukeu and he made a total mess of trying to save it, tipping it into the net instead of saving it, it was a howler and it had killed off any hopes of a comeback that was for sure as most fans made for the exits thereafter.

Not a good day for the hosts then, although I think they played ok, just found the final ball and cutting edge in front of goal lacking, whereas for Eastleigh it was job well done after some solid play and good defensive work, and taking any chances that came their way, that was ultimately the difference in this one, meaning the hosts stay eighth and one point off the play off places, whilst Eastleigh rise to ninth and are just a point off themselves and only below The Blues on goal difference too.

Full time Southend United 1 Eastleigh 3