SOUTHEND United manager Phil Brown felt his side’s disappointing 0-0 draw against struggling Dagenham & Redbridge showed the Shrimpers are still lacking a top class striker.

Blues, who had centre-back Cian Bolger sent off in the 70th minute at Roots Hall, were unable to convert a series of chances at the start of the second half.

And Brown was left ruing Southend’s inability to get the ball in to the back of the net.

“Their goalkeeper has made a couple of great saves but there were also one or two opportunities we should have done better with,” said Brown.

“We needed to be braver or have a bit more nous to get the ball over the line.

“We weren’t at our best in the first half but we could have been two or three up in the opening 10 minutes of the second half.

“Everyone is talking about the final third and a goalscorer where we’re concerned and I agree that’s the only thing missing for us at the moment.

“It’s certainly something we will look at when the transfer window opens again too.”

The share of the spoils keeps the Shrimpers sixth in the League Two table after they secured their third clean sheet in a row.

That was despite Bolger being sent off after he appeared to headbutt Dagenham’s Joss Labadie.

But the Irishman will not be facing strong disciplinary action for his dismissal.

“I won’t be coming down heavily on Cian,” confirmed Brown.

“I might have done if we had lost but his team-mates have got behind him and backed him up.

“I think they felt like an injustice had taken place and we probably played even better with 10 men.

“The original incident was an old fashioned centre half challenging a goalkeeper.

“It was a foul and probably a booking.

“But having got himself to his feet and tried to get away from it he came together with their player.

“He must be six foot three tall and yet he goes to ground so easily.

“If you call that doing your job then the game has changed and it’s become almost unrecognisable to what it used to be.”

Blues are now waiting to discover the length of Bolger’s ban after he was also sent off at Plymouth Argyle, for two bookable offences, earlier on in the season.