WE’LL BE STRONG AT THEIR FORTRESS First leg holds the key to tie – Brown
THE last time Phil Brown set foot in Broadhall Way, his Southend United side were on the wrong end of a 4-2 hammering.
But as the 55-year-old prepares for a high-stakes return in today’s League Two play-off semi-final first leg, he’s warned Stevenage boss Graham Westley to expect a much tougher test.
“The defeat at their place in February was a huge turning point in our season,” says the former Hull manager.
“We came in on the Sunday morning, put the world to rights and had a real heart-to-heart. Basically, it boiled down to us asking the players, ‘What do you want to achieve this year?’
“They answered that by going on this unbelievable run, culminating in something like 30 points from 14 games.”
That run included a remarkable sequence of seven straight wins and eight consecutive clean sheets which left the Shrimpers on course for automatic promotion – until last weekend’s shock 3-1 defeat at Morecambe allowed Bury to snatch third spot.
It was a cruel blow for the Essex outfit, especially after suffering play-off heart-break at the hands of Burton last term, but Brown insists there are no lasting scars.
“The mood’s been fabulous,” he said. “The group of players here are second to none and I equate them to the type of mentality I had at Hull City in 2008.They never say die, they’re always trying to learn, always asking questions. They work their proverbials off on a daily basis.
“We’ve got a good solid spine of experienced pros like Michael Timlin, Adam Barrett and Barry Corr who allow the younger players to blossom. They’ve been flying this week.
“Yes, promotion was in our hands. But it was only in our hands because of the run we were on. We’d won seven games on the bounce, hadn’t conceded in eight. We were the form team in England, let alone League Two. Whatever happened against Morecambe, you have to remember that we’re in pretty good shape.
“The run had to end somewhere and I’d rather it was in the final game of the season than in the play-offs. This way, you still get a second chance.”
In contrast to that mauling at Broadhall Way, Brown says the 2-0 win over Stevenage at Roots Hall earlier in the campaign was his side’s best of the entire season.
“We were excellent,” he said. “Graham himself actually said that a 2-0 defeat flattered them.”
And Brown believes that contrast between Boro’s home and away form holds the key to winning the tie.
“For me, the first leg is where this game will be won or lost,” he added. “They’ve got something like 48 of their 72 points at home. The maths is simple – that’s twice as many points on their own ground.
“You’ve got to defend properly at Stevenage, stop them getting a result and make sure you do the business at Roots Hall.
“When it comes to pressure games, it’s all about seizing those moments and having the bottle and the nous to see them off.