Southend United 1 Charlton Athletic 2

What happened? I listened to the 1st half and there wasn’t much to get excited about. At half time I had to go out for the remainder of the afternoon. Later I checked the final score and all hell had let loose.

Grant did well to win the ball out wide and feed Lyle Taylor who tapped home. But then Southend equalized within a couple of minutes. After that Grant had a goal scratched off for offside, but Tarique Fosu was on and was getting in some good positions. From a corner in the 87th minute, Josh Cullen put in an accurate ball and Krystian Bielik headed crisply home in front of 1,600 travelling Addicks.

If chaos ensued in that away end, it got worse on the pitch when it all kicked off following a bad tackle in the corner on Fosu. He was then kicked whilst on the ground. Fosu reacted and then for no apparent reason Southend’s keeper ran over to the fisticuffs and planted a punch on the wholly innocent and rather good looking face of George Lapslie.

Fosu, just back from injury, was sent off and will miss three games. Michael Kightly and Mark Oxley followed and injury time was over 11 minutes before the game ended with a magnificent 3 points returning to SE7.

The travelling support was fantastic and they witnessed a proper battling performance, a long lost virtue in recent seasons, a characteristic being brought back by Bowyer and Jackson.

New boys Bielik and Cullen came for a lot of post match praise as did the returning Fosu and Vetokele.

Addicks at Roots Hall:
Bow: “I’m just glad that we got the three points as it wouldn’t have been fair if we didn’t get it again today.”
Elsewhere: Charm merchant Steve Evans was sent off as Peterborough were held by Doncaster. Pompey beat a surprisingly struggling Plymouth 3-0, Barnsley beat Gills 2-1 and 10-man Sunderland came from behind to draw at home to Oxford. Burton beat Wimbledon 3-0 in front of 2,800 and Rochdale won at Coventry.
Photo credit: @K_AndrewsPhoto