Southend United 1 Gillingham 0

Match 17/11/904 - Tuesday, 13 September 2011 - League Two

Southend United (0) 1 Phillips 87
Gillingham (0) 0
Att. 4,598

Entrance: £19
Programme: £3.00
Mileage: 132/1,220

Match Report

This is getting really frustrating now. Gillingham’s lack of a strike partner for Danny Kedwell was further highlighted as they tumbled to a single goal defeat to a Southend side that played for the final half-hour with a man short. On the night, 15 shots at goal were registered for the visitors but less than clinical finishing and an inspired performance from Glenn Morris in the Shrimper’s goal consigned Gillingham to a fourth consecutive game without a goal from open play and also increased the games without a win total to four.

On the first chilly evening of the season, Gillingham looked pretty in pink as they paraded their new third choice kit for the first time and in a drab first half the shirts were pretty much the bright spot. Southend struck the bar just after the quarter-hour mark when Blair Sturrock lobbed the ball over the outstretched arms of Ross Flitney, who perhaps got the faintest of touches to direct the ball against the bar. Morris made good parrying saves from Rooney, Martin and Spiller during a first half that was evenly contested.

Three minutes of absolute madness from Bilel Mohsni threatened to turn the game in Gillingham’s favour. The French-Tunisian had already riled the visiting support with his histrionics and tested referee David Phillips patience once too often for a needless foul on Garry Richards. Time to stay out of the referee’s face one would have thought, but Mohsni blocked the tacking of a free kick and the referee dished out the red card. It was probably harsh, and it should not be a sending off offence to be a total twat, but Gillingham fans could not contain their laughter at his departure.

A clash of heads led to Matt Lawrence being substituted with concussion with 15 minutes remaining and this had a bearing on the outcome of the game. Stefan Payne, on as a substitute for Danny Spiller, had a rasping shot beaten away by Morris, who saved everything but caught nothing all night. Three minutes remained when Gillingham’s reorganised defence cracked in an irritatingly straightforward way. A corner from the right was met, unchallenged by Mark Phillips who guided a header home from six yards, it was a terrible goal to concede.

Gillingham piled on the pressure in the remaining time but Morris and his parrying hands were equal to efforts from Rooney and Payne, leaving 550 visiting supporters scratching their heads as to where the next goal, let alone points are going to come from.