Tom Pope struck again as Port Vale stunned Exeter City
RYAN Leonard had been linked with a move away from Southend in the summer but manager Phil Brown was delighted to have hung onto the midfielder after he earned all three points against Bury.
The 25-year-old, who was a target for Millwall and Sheffield United, netted an excellent longrange effort six minutes from time to secure all three points at Roots Hall.
And Brown was full of praise for Leonard, whose strike was the standout moment of the game.
“It was a real moment of magic from Lenny and I’m pleased it was one of our players who did that to send the fans home happy,” said Brown.
“The highlight of the whole game for me was Lenny charging back 70 or 80 yards to bail out one of his teammates and he’s shown top-drawer commitment.
“There was a lot of speculation about him in the summer but he’s put his name down again to show just what kind of footballer he is.
“All parts of his game have improved and he’s playing with freedom too which for me is the sign of a good player.”
Leonard netted from 25 yards via the underside crossbar with a goal which was not in keeping with the rest of the game.
Both sides struggled in the windy conditions but it was Bury who had the better of the chances.
Shakers midfielder Chris Maguire had an early 25-yard free-kick tipped over by Southend goalkeeper Mark Oxley before the Shrimpers shot-stopper denied Maguire again just moments later – blocking his lofted effort.
Bury striker Michael Smith then headed wide of the right post when well-placed inside the penalty area before Harry Bunn’s wellstruck shot was pushed onto the crossbar by Oxley.
But, after surviving the scares, Southend hit back to triumph when Leonard netting from long range after his initial effort had been blocked.
And Bury boss Lee Clark – whose side have now not won in seven away league games this season – was frustrated at the display after the break.
“We didn’t do enough in the second half,” said Clark.
“I think we came out in the second half with the mindset that we thought we’d done the hard bit.
“We’d defended against the wind and made some good chances in the first half but in the second we haven’t done enough.
“I know it’s an excellent goal that’s ended up beating us but we didn’t have enough confidence in our attacking play.”