8:56am Wednesday 27th January 2010
Millwall 2, Southend United 0 SOUTHEND United's struggles continued last night as they crashed to a 2-0 defeat at Millwall.
A goal in each half condemned the Shrimpers to a fourth reverse in six games.
And Steve Tilson's side are now just four points above the relegation zone.
In contrast, the Lions are pushing for a place in the play-offs and it took them just 25 seconds to create their first chance of the evening as Steve Morison headed over a Chris Hackett cross from 12 yards.
Southend hit back in the seventh minute with Franck Moussa bursting into the box and teeing up Matt Paterson who fired over from just inside the penalty area.
A clash between Damian Scannell and Lions left-back Tony Craig then livened up proceedings with the Shrimpers winger having to be calmed down by a number of his team-mates.
When the focus returned to football, Morison fired a low 18 yard shot straight at Steve Mildenhall but, on the half hour mark, Blues registered their first effort of the evening on target as a deflected drive from Paterson – from the left hand side of the penalty area – was smothered at his near post by Millwall keeper David Forde.
Millwall, who were missing their Eastwood-based striker Neil Harris with a groin injury, instantly replied with Shaun Batt curling a tame 16 yard shot into the grateful gloves of Mildenhall when he should have done better.
His strike partner, Morison, then fired over from close range while under pressure from Adam Barrett before Mildenhall easily gathered two glancing headers from Morison.
But, five minutes into first half stoppage time, Millwall made the breakthrough in controversial fashion as referee Karl Evans waved play on after what appeared to be a blatant foul on Simon Francis by Batt.
That enabled Hackett to deliver a right wing cross which eventually found Jack Smith whose scuffed shot picked out Schofield and he made no mistake from six yards.
Blues also felt Schofield was offside and assistant manager Paul Brush charged onto the pitch when the half ended to confront the match officials before being dragged away by the club's kit-man Steve Parmenter.
Southend made a change during the interval with Stuart O'Keefe coming on for Osei Sankofa in a switch which saw Jean Francois Christophe revert to right back.
And, at the start of the second period, Barrett fired over from long range before Scannell’s 20 yard effort did likewise when he should have opted to pass to the unmarked Paterson.
Despite enjoying more of the possession, the Shrimpers still struggled to keep hold of the ball in the final third and failed to trouble Forde in the Lions goal.
Millwall therefore looked far more threatening going forward and they doubled their lead in the 64th minute when Batt, who was making his debut after signing on loan from Peterborough, charged through the centre of the park and curled a controlled 14 yard shot into the bottom right hand side of the goal.
In reply, Franck Moussa then fired wide of the right post from the edge of the penalty area but Lions skipper Paul Robinson should have made it 3-0 in the 69th minute with a free header from close range which went inches past the right post.
Blues boss Steve Tilson responded by making a double substitution in the 72nd minute as Scott Spencer and Dougie Freedman entered the action for Paterson and Anthony Grant. Moments after the change, left back Scott Malone fired a tame 20 yard shot at Forde but Southend were unable to conjure up any late heroics as their poor run of results continued.
Southend United: (4-5-1) Mildenhall, Sankofa (O'Keefe 46) , Francis, Barrett, Malone, Scannell, McCormack, Christophe, Grant (Freedman 72) , Moussa, Paterson (Spencer 72) Subs not used: Walker, Herd, Crawford and Bentley.
Millwall (4-4-2): Forde, Smith, Ward, Robinson, Craig, Hackett, Abdou, Trotter, Schofield, Morison, Batt Subs not used: Sullivan, Dunne, Grabban, Martin, Barron, Price and Laird.
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