ACCRINGTON STANLEY – 1 SOUTHEND UNITED – 2

DEFEAT to Southen United means Accrington Stanley have now lost their last three matches in League One.
The Reds started poorly as Charlie Kelman gave Southend the lead before Dion Charles equalised before half time.
A Jason Demetriou penalty early in the second period gave the visitors all three points on a poor day for Stanley.

After 10 minutes, Kilman gave struggling Southend the lead after a really poor bit of play by the home side.

Sam Finley gave the ball away just outside his own box and Kelman smashed it into the back of the net from 20-yards out – there was absolutely nothing Joe Bursik could do about that one.

Tom Hopper drove forward with the ball after being given acres of space to run into, Johnson tried to get across and the strikers shot was saved.

Up the other end, Jordan Clark played in Joe Pritchard and his shot across goal was cleared off the line.

It didn’t take long for the Reds to draw level as Finley’s deep cross was met by the head of Mark Hughes, his header was then glanced home by Charles.

Stanley started to play some good stuff and could have taken the lead 25 minutes in, but Finley’s shot was well saved by Mark Oxley.

Colby Bishop missed a guilt edge chance to give Stanley the lead as Clark crossed perfectly onto his head, but he headed over from just a couple of yards out.

Southend certainly weren’t sitting back and had a great chance through Hopper, but he put his header wide of the post after a poor kick by Bursik gave the Blues the ball.

Five minutes of the second half was all that was needed for Sol Campbell’s men to regain the lead after Demetriou sent Bursik the wrong way with his penalty.

The penalty looked to be a soft one as Brandon Goodship threw himself theatrically after Clark hung out a leg.

Stanley pushed in the second half as they looked for the equaliser, but they looked short of any creativity and invention in the attacking third.

Finley looked most likely to produce a bit of magic for the Reds as his shot span just wide with 15 minutes to go.

Southend almost guaranteed the three points, but Bursik produced two fantastic saves to keep his side in it.

Stanley XI: Bursik, Johnson, Hughes, Sykes, Alese, Clark, Conneely, Finley, Pritchard, Bishop, Charles
Subs: Savin, Sherif, Zanzala, Maguire, Barclay, Rodgers, Diallo
Southend XI: Oxley, Bwomono, Milligan, Dieng, Hopper, McLaughlin, Kiernan, Mantom, Kelman, Demetriou, White
Subs: Bishop, Goodship, Barratt Hutchinson, Rush, Phillips, Kinali