Goals from Billy Clarke, Sylvain Legwinski and Alan Lee gave the Blues a 3-1 win at Southend United. Town thoroughly deserved the three points, despite coming under late Shrimpers pressure and Simon Francis pulling a goal back.

Town, making a rare appearance in the white away kit, were unchanged from the side which lost 3-2 to Preston in the week. That meant no place for new loan signing Gary Roberts, who was left on the bench.

As the match kicked off the rain started to pour. The first action came two minutes in, when Lewis Price grabbed a ball played through the middle well ahead of Southend's Dave Harrold who flew into the Wales keeper's midriff. Price looked to be winded and received several minutes' treatment before carrying on. Referee Clive Penton surprisingly failed to award even a freekick.

Price struggled on for five minutes but was clearly feeling a lot of pain from his hip whenever he kicked and was replaced by Shane Supple. On 13 Alex Bruce exacted some revenge on Harrold for the tackle on Price with a fair but very firm challenge in the middle of the pitch which the Southend player, whose every touch was booed by the Town support, clearly felt.

Soon after, Jon Macken sent Matt Richards away on the left, Shrimpers' keeper Darryl Flahavan saving his shot low to his right.

Dan Harding picked up a very harsh yellow card in the 14th minute for a foul on Simon Francis, a caution which looked particularly bizarre when compared to Harrold's challenge on Price. From the resultant freekick Steven Hammell sent in a ball which was cleared to Kevin Maher on the edge of the area but he shot wide.

Town were forced into their second substitution in the 22nd minute when Jon Macken succumbed to a hamstring problem. Billy Clarke joined Alan Lee up front. The Irish youngster was quickly into the thick of the action and saw a shot deflect wide after good work from Legwinski and Noble.

Just before the half hour the Blues went in front. An interchange of passes on the right led to Legwinski playing the ball wide to Jaime Peters who sent in a deep cross which Billy Clarke headed back across Flahavan and into the net for his fourth goal of the season.

The game had started scrappily with the interruptions for injury not helping matters, but gradually Town had started to pass the ball around and dominate, much as they had during the first half of Tuesday's game with Preston.

Southend came close to a goal in the 34th minute when Kevin Maher's goal-bound strike was deflected out for a corner by Fabian Wilnis.

Clarke was close to extending Town's lead in the 42nd minute when he reached Mark Noble's cross from the right but headed straight at Flahavan. Three minutes later the confident Corkman sent in a 35-yard looping effort which the keeper gratefully watched past his post.

Southend's star striker Freddie Eastwood, linked with the Blues earlier today despite his price tag being wildly beyond Town, should have had the ball in the net in injury time when through one-on-one with Supple. The former Grays Athletic man, who appeared to have been offside by some distance, slid the ball wide of the keeper but hit the outside of the post.

This seemed to rock the Blues and the final few seconds of the half were an anxious period in which Supple spilled a deflected Francis shot and saved from Harrold before referee Penton finally blew his whistle.

Town were worthy of their lead at the break, despite the shaky last few moments. Clarke's pace and clever movement coupled with Lee's power and aggression had given the Southend backline constant trouble after the 18-year-old's introduction.

The Blues extended their lead only two minutes into the second period. Matt Richards crossed from the left, Adam Barrett headed the ball to the edge of the area, from where Sylvain Legwinski volleyed the ball all along the ground into the net for his first Town goal.

Noble picked up his sixth yellow card of the season for a foul on Eastwood on 49, but the ball was soon back in the Southend net. The West Ham loanee played a cleared Shrimpers' corner down the left to Clarke who took it on a few paces before spotting Lee unmarked on the other side of the field and finding him with an inch perfect pass. Lee took his time before hitting the ball through the advancing Flahavan to chalk up his fifth goal of the season.

Town were by now completely dominant. Peters shot over, then Richards cleverly played in Clarke but Flahavan was equal to his strike.

Southend pulled a goal back in the 64th minute as the Blues started to sit back on their lead with Clarke moving into a five-man midfield. Simon Francis twisted and turned inside the Town area before hitting a shot which beat Supple after coming through a crowd of players.

Shrimpers' sub Efe Sodje headed a long ball out of the Town defence against Alan Lee in the 67th minute, Adam Barrett pulling the Irishman back 25 yards out and receiving a yellow card. Mark Noble wasted the freekick.

The goal had given the home side a boost and led to a minor revival of the shakes which had so gripped the Blues in the second half on Tuesday.

Alex Bruce was given his seventh yellow card in 11 games for the Blues in the 73rd minute, prior to Simon Walton replacing Mark Noble, who had developed a groin strain.

There was a big scare for Town with 13 minutes remaining when Mark Gower's corner was headed against a post by Peter Clarke, Shane Supple doing well to grab the loose ball. Legwinski was booked for an off the ball clash with Francis in the 83rd minute after the referee had consulted with his fourth official.

As the game entered the last five minutes Billy Paynter headed straight at Supple before Wilnis got his name in the book for a foul, referee Penton by now punishing virtually everything with a yellow card.

In injury time a one-two between Lee and Walton saw the Irish international cross for Clarke, whose header was well saved by Flahavan. There was only enough time for the referee to book one more Town player, Walton receiving his fourth yellow card of the season after timewasting at a freekick, before the whistle was blown for the final time.

A performance more in line with the first half of the match against Preston than the second, despite the late panic. After the disjointed start the Blues gradually took charge and, aside from the frantic minute or so at the end of the first half and Southend's late push, were generally in control. Legwinski, Noble and Richards were at the heart of Town's best work, while Peters with benefit from his key role in the first goal.

Defensively, there was less organisational confusion than has been the case in recent games and Supple looked generally calm and assured after replacing Price. Up front, Billy Clarke persists in making a case for his introduction from the start, while Lee continues his good run of form, both in general play and in front of goal.

Town: Price (Supple 7), Wilnis, Harding, De Vos, Bruce, Legwinski, Noble (Walton 75), Richards, Peters, Lee, Macken (Clarke 22). Unused: Roberts, Currie. Att: 11,415.

Photo: Action Images

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