BROWN’S STILL PHIL-ING FINE!
SOUTHEND missed out on automatic promotion after suffering defeat at Morecambe – but boss Phil Brown is not about to hit the panic button ahead of a play-off push.
Victory at the Globe Arena would have secured third place and automatic promotion for the Shrimpers.
But a fine second-half performance saw Morecambe come out on top to condemn Southend to the play-offs, where Brown is now demanding a big reaction.
“With one draw, one defeat and seven wins in nine games you would have to say we’re still going into the play-offs in good form,” said Brown.
“It was disappointing because it was in our hands and to have missed out like this is a bitter pill to swallow.
“We pinned them back at the start of the second half but their second goal killed us.
“The game was very open after that and we had to throw caution to the wind. Unfortunately we couldn’t get back into it but to end the season with 84 points is a great total, and we do still have another chance now.”
Morecambe, who have not lost to Southend in the ten league meetings between the two teams, opened the scoring after just four minutes when Jamie Devitt sped into the right-hand side of the penalty area before delivering a low cross into the path of Jack Redshaw, who fired home a first time finish.
However, Southend were behind for just six minutes as Jack Payne soon brought them level with a neat close-range finish after good work from David Worrall down the left.
Southend were initially on top at the start of the second half but, with 54 minutes on the clock, Morecambe regained the lead with a scrappy goal from Aaron Wildig. The midfielder broke free inside the left-hand side of the penalty area and unleashed a low shot which trickled past goalkeeper Daniel Bentley before Ben Coker’s attempted clearance struck the underside of the crossbar and nestled in the back of the net.
The Shrimps came close to extending their lead when Kevin Ellison headed against the crossbar, but Southend almost levelled when Payne unleashed a well-struck shot which Andreas Arestidou could only parry out to Kevan Hurst, whose tame effort from the follow up was cleared off the line by Laurence Wilson.
However, Morecambe immediately made the most of the let-off by extending their lead in the 66th minute when the impressive Devitt was allowed far too much time and space to fire a low shot into the bottom left-hand corner of the net. Morecambe manager Jim Bentley said: “Southend were unfortunate because they had so much to gain, but we owed it to ourselves and the people of Bury to get a win against Wycombe, and it was the same against Southend here today. “It was a great way to finish and we deserved to win too. We played some great stuff and scored some good goals.”