WE need to press on now after getting back to winning ways at Gillingham.

Up next is Crewe Alexandra at Roots Hall this weekend and we will be pushing hard for another three points.

Crewe’s players come through their academy being taught a passing style but they are also able to mix it up which you often have to do at this level.

They also have one of the best away records in the league and will make life hard for us.

But we want to start improving our home form because we know that could prove to be crucial in the final few months of the season.

I think we’ve got only one victory in our last eight games at Roots Hall and that’s certainly not like this club.

Traditionally, Southend have always done well at home and, apart from the relegation seasons, that’s certainly what I remember.

However, it hasn’t been going our way recently and we will all very disappointed to lose at home to Rotherham on Friday night.

Just like many of the fans, we all look forward to playing on a Friday and to play like we did and lose was very frustrating.

When you play badly like that, you have to accept any criticism that comes your way.

Having sat in the stands for many years watching the team myself, I have always found Southend’s supporters to be very knowledgeable and when you’re not on form for a little while you have to expect people to notice that on the sidelines.

You can’t moan about it though and have to be mentally stronger to come back and play better.

We got the result we needed at Gillingham even though it wasn’t pretty.

The form we had been in we knew we would need to dig in against them and do the ugly things well – which is what we did.

BILEL LOOKING SLICK

THE Gillingham game was shown live on Sky Sports and it was funny how a few of the players seemed to take a bit more care about their appearance.

Bilel Mohsni was in front of the mirror for quite some time before kick off and was putting two tubs of what looked like vaseline on his hair!

Liam Dickinson had quite a sharp hair cut for the game and physiotherapist Ben Clarkson was wearing a wonderful pair of tights which he somehow managed to get over his calfs which are the biggest I’ve ever seen!

The win kept us top of the league and that’s testament to how well we were doing at the start of the season.

It was important we picked up those points while we were doing so well. But, without being arrogant or getting carried away, we have what would appear to be winnable games coming up and we have to cash in on them.

FULL COLUMN IN THURSDAY'S COLUMN