SHRIMPERS LEFT TO REU THEIR VERY SLOW START
TWO goals in the opening eight minutes ensured Yeovil Town won their third league match in a row for the first time since November and saw them leapfrog their opponents in the process.
In-form Reuben Reid took just over three minutes to break the deadlock and when Tom Knowles doubled the advantage four minutes later, the Glovers were in cruise control.
And in proved to be a lead they never relinquished as Darren Sarll’s men comfortably held on.
“We have picked up some momentum and young players have to go through trial and error,” Sarll said. “We always worked hard, but so many of them are back in form.
“I was delighted for Reuben [Reid]. He looked like a new man. He played wonderfully well, and I told them at half time we had to utilise his skill even more.
“The midfield had a big part to play in that. Player form comes and goes but these are young players and it looks like they have come out of this troublesome period. They look to have really come alive now.”
The game started with a celebration of the life of Yeovil captain Lee Collins’ as the anniversary of his untimely passing edges closer – with his young family in attendance.
The two sides sit mid-table, with little but pride to play for, but it was the home side that came out all guns blazing.
Reid poked the ball home after a wonderful pass from Lawson D’Ath for his second goal of the season – and second against Southend.
And D’Ath was involved again four minutes later when his quickly-taken throw in found Charlie Wakefield and his perfectly weighted pass found Knowles, who tapped the ball home from close range.
Reid almost turned provider as his pass found Wakefield in space before he then had a header cleared off the line as the home side had to settle for a two-goal advantage at the break.
It was a first half to forget the visitors with Matt Dennis going close on 30 minutes with a header, but he couldn’t connect with the ball for their only real chance of note.
Despite a change in defence at half-time, and reverting to a back four, the visitors failed to cope with the threat of Yeovil, who pressed in numbers early on.
The introduction of Josh Neufville and Olofela Olomola gave the Glovers fresh legs to pressure on the wings once again. Ben Barclay nearly headed home from a corner midway through the second half, before Wakefield fired over.
Southend’s two new loan signings Joe Gubbins and Kenny Clark had a tough afternoon against a confident Yeovil Town side and they failed to really test Yeovil keeper Ted Cann throughout.