SOUTHEND United manager Phil Brown was left fuming with his side’s inability to defend set pieces after they sunk to a 2-1 defeat at Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday.

The Shrimpers twice conceded from dead ball situations during the first half at Adams Park.

And Brown now wants his team to man up and immediately improve.

“I’m disappointed because we’ve let in two more goals from set pieces and we’ll be known as a soft touch if we aren’t careful,” said the Blues boss.

“That’s four goals in two games from set pieces which includes three free headers and that’s just not acceptable.

“We need to be manful, stand up to the task, spill blood and get in people’s faces and we aren’t doing that.

“We didn’t put our bodies on the line either and we have to do better.

“We thought set pieces could have been Wycombe’s Achilles heel but it turned out to be ours.”

Blues enjoyed sustained spells of pressure against the Chairboys.

But Brown insisted that counted for nothing because of the final score-line as the Shrimpers suffered a second successive 2-1 defeat.

“It doesn’t matter after the huff and puff in the second half or that we were camped out in their half because we’ve got nothing from the game,” said Brown.

“Finish first you’re first, finish second and you’re nothing and one or two let the side down.

“We’re playing good enough football to win games but we’re getting done on detail. They’re getting the information but they’re not taking that on to the field of play.

We should’ve got something from the game but it’s about lessons and they’ll get them this week.”

Blues will now be bidding to bounce back when they host Morecambe at Roots Hall on Saturday.