SHRIMPERS END THEIR IRON JINX TOO EASILY

SOUTHEND United’s near 40-year long wait for a win away at Scunthorpe United came to an end in comfortable fashion.

The Shrimpers had not won at Glanford Park since it opened in 1988, but Jack Bridge’s first-half penalty and second-half strikes from Noor Husin and Shaun Hobson secured them three points in their 17th attempt against the already-relegated Iron.

“I’m delighted with the performance and the win,” Southend boss Kevin Maher said. “Obviously we knew Scunthorpe were relegated and they’re going through a tough time, but we still had to come here and produce.

“It was a thoroughly professional performance – we had good control of the game in the first half, we just needed to be a little bit cleaner with our passing and we could have opened them up a few more times.

“Once we got the first goal it was important to go on and get the second and I’m pleased for the players that they got their just rewards for how they played.

“Noor has got the ability to score more goals than he has this year – he’s got to trust himself to get in those sorts of positions a bit more – and I’m delighted for Hobbo, he turned into peak Messi for that one!

“The one galling thing was to concede late on because we wanted a clean sheet, but that’s me nit-picking. The main thing was to put another three points on our points tally.”

Neither side had carved out much in the way of chances before Bridge broke the deadlock from the spot in the 35th minute, although the decision to award the away side a penalty following Reagan Ogle’s nudge on Callum Powell looked harsh.

The second half, though, was pretty much one-way traffic. Southend players were queuing up to shoot when Husin drilled in the second seven minutes after the break, before centre-back Hobson showed great feet to round keeper Owen Foster and roll in a third soon after.

Danny Elliott bagged an injury-time consolation for the hosts – a goal which sparked a mini pitch-invasion from disgruntled Scunthorpe fans, on what was another afternoon to forget for the hosts.

“In the first half we were in the game, but in the second we showed a lack of appetite,” Iron boss Jimmy Dean said. “I don’t want to be too harsh because I’m flogging a dead horse, but for the second and third goals, they walked it in – it was unacceptable. I can’t do anything about questions about my future. It’s up to me to answer them next year.

“I’ve made errors, but the issues here were in place before I came in. Performances have fallen off a cliff. Ultimately, it falls on me because I’m the manager but it needs a restart – stripping back to the wall and starting again.”