Well it's taken a while but we finally persuaded somebody to write an awayday review for the game at Southend.

1 - The Match
This was a huge six pointer game for both teams involved and if you were a neutral watching the game - and there'd have been a fair of them as this game was shown in front of a live audience courtesy of Sky Sports - then at the final whistle you'd have been left with the impression that the home side were world-beaters, whilst the away team looked like a side ready to hang out the white flag in surrender of its place in the Championship.

The game began with a comedy goal in the opening ten minutes and after that it was always going to be an uphill battle for us. Southend were determined to capitalise on their early lead and surged forward at every opportunity. They had their confidence up and there was some crisp passing going on between them. However, for all their possession, they couldn't increase their lead in the first half, and if the referee on the night had not bottled giving us a penalty down the other end (and I received texts from other fans watching on the box who said it was a nailed on one) the game could have been totally different as going into the break 1-1 might well have given us that extra bit of impetus required going into the second half.

Alas, it was not to be, and with 15 minutes of the game remaining Southend scored what would prove to be a pivotal goal because not only did it basically mean game over for us, the home side upped the ante. Following a corner which they scored from, with ten minutes of the game to go, we were 3-0 down. This signalled for many of the QPR fans in attendance at Roots Hall to begin to make their exits from the ground, which in turn coincided with the team basically leaving the pitch…well they might as well have done, Simon Royce just appeared to stand on his line when he could at least have made an effort for an incoming shot, and there it was, ball in net, with Southend 4-0 up. And still the home side weren't finished, because with a couple of minutes left, they won a free kick, which was probably the best goal of the game to be honest.

5-0 to Southend United and whilst a total disaster from a QPR view point, from a Southend one, it was probably their home performance of the season so far! For neutrals, it would have been a good game to watch with good performances from Maher and Sodje for them.
7/10

2 - Rangers' Performance
You know, I still maintain that our performance up until 75 minutes wasn't that bad. We were sitting down the front of the stand and so got a perfect view of the comedy goal. To be honest I felt that both Lomas and Royce mucked up between them both, Lomas with the lazy pass, and then Royce unable to clear properly from a low kick.

Once that happened it was always going to be an uphill battle. I don't know how it looked on the tv but in the first half the defence looked alright, and Bolder in midfield was giving his all for the cause, though unfortunately it did look as though he was giving away a few free kicks here and there.

Had we been given the penalty in the first half, and assuming we'd have scored from it, then it could have been different. Of course it's a results business, especially when fighting for your lives at the bottom of the league and the collapse in the last quarter of an hour or so was really quite horrendous.

We'd been playing with the 3-4-3 or, depending on how viewed, a 4-5-1 formation, which at home in the previous game against a lacking in confidence Burnley side paid off for us. However, those of at Roots Hall could see this was just not working on the night and we needed to get either Nygaard or Jones on to help a lonely looking Dexter up front by taking off one of either Rowlands or Ainsworth as the middle area was just looking far too cramped.

John Gregory though decided to stick with his formation and during the decent spell we had at the start/middle of the second half, it was clear that Dexter was missing having someone to interact with, he looked lost out there without a partner which was a real shame.

Perhaps he would have made the change up front but with 20 minutes or so remaining, Sampsa Timoska had to go off after sustaining an injury, and was replaced by Zesh Rehman. I'm not for one moment blaming Zesh, he came on (some booed him, which was hardly going to do his confidence any good anyway) and his first touch of the ball was to put in a decent cross into the Southend box. However, the counter attack down the other end that followed was a classic move of a team taking its chance on the break. It seemed as though Zesh and Mancienne both froze before the chance was put away and with around 15 minutes remaining on the clock, 2-0 was a real choker. It kind of reminded me of what happened when Rose went off at Leeds a couple of years ago, the same thing this evening, the moment our left back went off we went to pieces. Why?

We then made a second substitution, which by then was too little too late and I felt sorry for Ray Jones because he'd only just come on, Gregory had taken off a defender in Cullip, they won a corner and from that, due to us being an experienced defender down with Cullip off (two including Sampsa) the inevitable 3rd occurred. When the 3rd goal went in it was the signal for quite a lot of QPR fans to leave at that stage. The game was over and yet for the remaining 10 minutes or so we saw more of Lee Cook who seemed to relax, it was almost as though the players knew the game was over and they seemed to be able to relax on the ball more! How bizarre is that?

The 4th goal was the one that annoyed the girls and me more because it just looked as though Royce just stood there without even making an effort. Since when did he turn into Tony Roberts? The 5th looked a good free kick to be honest and by that stage there were probably around 200 or so R's fans left.

A totally disastrous final 20 minutes for us and up until then I'd have given us around a 6 mark for performance but of course it's what happened in that final period which will always stick in our minds, hence the low score accordingly.
2/10

3 - Rangers' Support
Around 900 QPR fans in attendance for this one, which on a Friday night, having to negotiate the M25, is good in my opinion! Plenty of noise all game was generated from our end and even when we went 3-0 down, the hardy souls remaining still gave it their all. Around 200 or so left at the final whistle and whilst ordinarily I would lose us a couple of points due to fans leaving early, in this instance I would say those fans were totally entitled to do so! Brought back bad memories for yours truly as the only game I have ever left early was at an LDV cup drubbing we received a few years ago……at ermmm Roots Hall! Lose a couple of points though for the boos I heard directed at Zesh Rehman!
8/10

4 - The Ground
Roots Hall is one of those grounds that you tend to think of quite fondly, a traditional old-fashioned type of ground, but one that you are glad is not your club's ground! It's about a mile or so from the sea-front at Southend, and is tucked behind a parade of shops on the main road en route. Can't speak for the home sections but the away stand isn't particularly great for legroom. This part of the ground was originally a terrace and so seats have been bolted on, hence the lack of legroom and lack of height between the rows too. Our seats were at the back of the stand where it was really cramped but once the game started we moved down to our favoured position at the front and sat behind the goal. Away fans generally get allocated the whole section that runs behind the goal and houses I suppose around 2000 fans, as it also curls round to a side bit (though we weren't allocated this part for this particular game, though I remember sitting in that part at the LDV game).

The good thing though about this stand is that it is covered and lots of noise was generated from it. With it being covered it also helps to provide shelter from the elements and with it being a particularly cold night (we'd had the snow only a couple of days before) was quite grateful for this cover, especially when it started raining in the second half.

As for the facilities. Well, last time we went there in the LDV game, I recall having to buy a hot drink from a van in the away end as you enter downstairs. This time around there was like a café type establishment up the stairs where you entered and there were also tables and chairs available for those that wanted to eat/drink inside there. It was different I'll give them that (a nice different) and the ladies serving were nice and friendly.

The toilets (ladies anyway) were a different story and the less said about them the better!

The programme was sold from a hut just inside the ground, and again, pleasant chaps there selling them. I have to be honest though, I glanced through it before the game and have not looked at it since as I don't want all the bad memories of those final 15 minutes coming back to me. I'll probably look through it properly during the close season!
6/10

5 - Atmosphere
A good atmosphere from both sets of fans, which was probably one of the better highlights from this particular trip.
8/10

6 - Pre-Match
Drinking in Southend pubs for three girls alone is not to be recommended, and seeing as I was driving, once we were parked up, we took ourselves off to the Fish House chippy which is not far from the ground (nor from where we had parked) to get a fish and chip supper, which we took back to the car with us to eat in. I thought it was gong to be a pretty special meal to be honest as I'd heard so much about this place beforehand, but it wasn't all that; overrated in my opinion.

This establishment is a busy one pre-match and this particular evening was no different. There were queues outside of people waiting to get tables inside and as we were in the takeaway queue we heard some chap come in behind us who was obviously their voice of local gloom because the lady serving us said that he goes there every game, bemoans about how they are not going to win, and upsets their customers! I said to her that he should be a bit positive because the last we went there we got done over good and proper by them. I really should learn when to keep my mouth shut….

I have no idea if there were any half time entertainment going on on the pitch because I was too busy during the interval texting and speaking to others who had been watching the game on the box.
5/10

7 - Journey
Like I say, I drove to this one, picking up my daughters after school and then negotiating the M25 on a Friday afternoon/early evening. There was a fair bit of stop start but it wasn't actually that bad (though we had got away early) with the worst of the traffic I found being the main road into Southend after coming off the M25. We found a parking space quite easily not far from the ground round one of the residential streets, though I would imagine that it would be rather tricky finding somewhere nearer to kick off.

Coming back was a dream. Although heavy rain, the M25 was fine and we were home just after 11pm.
8/10

8 - Police/Stewards
There was the usual police presence outside the pubs en route to the ground but I didn't notice them much to be honest. It might have been a different story for those that travelled on the train mind. The stewards in the ground I found to be friendly enough and I don't think I noticed any hassling anywhere as such. Can this be right?!
8/10

Total - 52/80

Photo: Action Images

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