Coughlan silences the half-time boo-boys

GRAHAM Coughlan was as bemused as anyone after his Bristol Rovers side leapt into the playoff zone, having been booed off at half-time by the home fans.

The home side went into the break 2-0 down after goals from Tom Hopper and Brandon Goodship.

However, a Jonson Clarke-Harris penalty reduced the arrears, before Abu Ogogo restored parity.

Edward Upson put the Pirates in front, before Alfie Kilgour sealed victory.

Manager Coughlan found it hard to explain his side’s firsthalf failings. “Who can understand footballers?” he said. “For 45 minutes our performance was totally unacceptable.

“At halftime I told the players their Christmas party tonight was off and I would be having them in tomorrow. Thankfully, I was able to think again.

“Yet again they have shown fantastic spirit. We are fifth in the table and no one could have imagined that a year ago.

“I don’t think we are getting the credit we deserve. It doesn’t bother me, but I would ask the supporters to throw themselves fully behind the players.”

Struggling Southend played some excellent first-half football and deservedly led at the break through Hopper’s close-range shot after 13 minutes and a 36th-minute finish from Goodship after he had broken through the middle.

But a needless foul by Elvis Bwomono on Clarke-Harris saw the Rovers striker get up to convert a 48th-minute penalty and it turned the game.

Ogogo equalised with a 56th-minute shot, before Upson made it 3-2 after 75 minutes with a glorious right-footed volley from 25 yards and Kilgour made sure of the points with an 82nd-minute header.

Southend boss Sol Campbell was outraged by his side’s capitulation. “For 45 minutes we were brilliant,” he said. “Then we chucked everything that had made the display so good out of the window.

“What were the players thinking? That we were 2-0 up and they weren’t going to fight back? Get in the real world.

“I am sick to the core of this sort of thing happening.

“I try to give them confidence, but it is difficult when you are continually losing games. Somehow we have to keep going.

“We had chances to put the game to bed. I can’t accept how the performance changed in the second half.”