SOUTHEND United manager Phil Brown has defended his decision to make five changes to his starting line-up for tonight’s Carabao Cup defeat to Newport County.

The Shrimpers were seen off 2-0 by the Welshmen at Roots Hall.

But Brown insisted he needed to use the game to learn lessons about his squad.

“People will ask why make so many changes but I have to make the changes because I have to see things,” said Brown.

“I have to see if Ted Smith is good enough to question Mark Oxley’s place and if John White is going to be good enough at centre half.

“I have to see if Rob Kiernan is fit enough or will Theo Robinson be getting 90 minutes at this level. There are loads of questions to be answered and you only tend to get them in performances.

“But we’ve been beaten by a team who have also made five changes and a lot of teams will be doing it.”

The defeat was also the Shrimpers’ seventh first round exit in the competition.

And their latest setback came just three days after beating Blackburn Rovers 2-1 on the opening day of the League One season.

“We’ve come back down to earth with a bump after Saturday, “said Brown.

“Newport played a certain way and we couldn’t deal with it.

“We played some half decent stuff but didn’t do enough to get the ball over the line and it’s very, very disappointing.

“Our record isn’t the best in this competition but it’s not for the want of trying.”

A second half brace from Shawn McCoulsky saw Blues suffer their latest setback.

And Brown always felt the game’s first goal would prove key.

“At half-time the message was clear that the first goal was always going to win it and unfortunately it came from a mistake of ours,” said Brown.

“A second one followed and we couldn’t get back into it.”

And that left Brown short of positives at the final whistle.

“Dru Yearwood’s first start was a massive positive for me and so was 90 minutes for Rob Kiernan,” said Brown.

“But there weren’t many others.”