SOUTHEND United manager Phil Brown insisted he was proud of goalkeeper Daniel Bentley for setting a new club record for clean sheets in his side’s 2-0 win against Newport County.

Bentley made it 11 shut outs in a row at Roots Hall to beat the previous best set by Mervyn Cawston back in 1981.

And Brown was full of praise for the 21-year-old.

“I’m very proud of him and I made reference to him in the team talk at the end of the game,” said the Blues boss.

“You have to take your hat off to a goalkeeper who has kept 11 clean sheets in a row at Roots Hall.

“His distribution tonight was top class and everything he does is very professional.

“I’m certainly proud of him and he should be proud of himself too.

“I think it was probably written in the stars too because he had to get to 67 minutes to break the record and I think that’s when they hit the post.”

However, Bentley has still not conceded a goal at Roots Hall since October.

And Brown was delighted the shot-stopper’s latest clean sheet was able to secure all three points against Newport.

“It’s a great result and I thought we played some great stuff in the first half,” said Brown.

“We could’ve had four or five but then we took our foot of the gas.

“Towards the end we’ve had to ride our luck a little bit and if they had got a goal it would’ve been a nervy finish. “

Despite the victory, fifth placed Blues remain five points below the automatic promotion places.

But that does not concern Brown.

“We will just keep doing our job and see where that takes us,” said the Shrimpers chief.

“We have four games to go and we will do our best to get all 12 points.”