SOUTHEND United manager Phil Brown believes his side’s poor run of results against Morecambe could have played on their minds at Roots Hall on Saturday.

Jack Redshaw’s early goal secured the Shrimps all three points, meaning Blues have still not beaten them in the nine league meetings between the sides.

And Brown insisted the previous setbacks could have affected the Shrimpers’ thought process at the weekend.

“What is it with Morecambe, I don’t know but maybe it’s something in the players’ heads now,” said Brown.

“It’s something you would have to ask them but it’s definitely not in my head and I’m very disappointed to have lost.”

Morecambe bagged the only goal of the game after just five minutes, with Redshaw volleying home.

Blues wasted a number of chances to draw back level and that failure to finish in front of goal infuriated Brown.

“We were lacking confidence and were devoid of ideas in the final third which I found surprising on the back of four wins” said Brown.

“It was a frustrating off day for us but the opportunities were certainly there for us to win it, especially in the first half.

“And if we had come in level at half-time then we could definitely have gone on to get three points but it wasn’t to be.

“We also had quite a few players below par who had been head and shoulders above their opposition in the last three or four games.”

The defeat kept Blues fourth in the League Two table.

But, despite being frustrated by their game plan, Brown also praised Morecambe for their performance.

“You have to give Morecambe credit and they looked dangerous on the counter attack in the second half,” said Brown.

“We like to play football and make it a spectacle but they did things differently.

“I don’t really like that but they had more nous than us to win the game.

“We looked a young side out there and we needed to grow up by finding a way to win the game but now we’re going to have to grow up by learning from losing it.”

However, things could have been different had substitute David Worrall managed to convert a late flick from Luke Prosser which went just inches wide of the left post.

And Brown could not understand how the ball did not hit the back of the net.

“It looked like a tap in for Dave and I don’t think anyone really knew what happened,” said the Blues boss.

“I wasn’t sure if the post got in the way but I asked him and he said he was at full tilt but just couldn’t quite get there.”