Southend United 0-2 Brighton

Southend United slipped to their first league defeat of the season in a game they did not deserve to lose.

Franck Moussa was sent off in the 63rd minute for a challenge in the middle of the park in what seemed to be a 50-50 ball.

The Blues will indeed rue their luck, with Alex Revell hitting the post in the first half and Lee Barnard seeing a header cleared off the line with the game at 0-1.

Referee Jamal Singh will have to look carefully at his woeful performance tonight - the usually excellent man in black was inconsistent throughout the game and the Blues have confirmed they will appeal the straight red shown to Moussa.

However, Steve Tilson may also take some of the blame for a very tactically niave substitution. With the game finely poised at 0-0 and the Blues down to 10 men, Tilson subbed the impressive Revell for the inexperienced Chelsea loanee Lee Sawyer on 71. It was his ill-timed foul on 75 that led to the free kick, which ultimately resulted in the Seagulls taking the lead.

Once the visiting side had their noses in front they largely snuffed out any Blues threat, except for Barnard's headed effort on 84. Effectively tiring the home side with their best spell of passing, Brighton doubled their lead with just a minute of normal time to go when Nicky Forster's turn and shot beat Steve Mildenhall.

The south coast team were ahead with 15 minutes to go when that needless free kick was dispatched in the area, and Glenn Murray turned well in the box and fired past Mildenhall.

The Southend 'keeper had no chance with that goal, but maybe should have done better with the second. On 89, Forster produced a near carbon-copy of his team-mates' effort, spinning and dispatching a low effort via Mildenhall's glove and into the net.

It could have been so different though. Southend virtually controlled the first half, looking sharper to balls in midfield and stronger at the back. Up top, Revell was lively but was booked on 5 for a lunging challenge on the Brighton 'keeper Michel Kuipers (more of him later). And on 12, he could have made it 2 goals in as many games. Some fantastic link-up play from Dan Harding and Kevin Betsy resulted in Revell being left in space. He took the 20-yard shot early but was denied by the far post.

Harding - despite being jeered by Brighton fans for the whole game - was Southend's best player. He hardly put a foot wrong all game and offered the Blues an added dimension on the left wing. At the back he was solid, while going forward he looked a class act, delivering telling crosses either from dead-ball situations or moving play. Simon Francis - on the other hand - was lively in the first period, but not so in the second. On the night where it's reported a Sunderland scout was watching the right back, it was interesting to see the difference in the two halves.

Hal Robson-Kanu on the other hand was the exact opposite. Found wanting and slightly off-pace in the first period, the Reading loanee who re-signed on a month's borrow from the Championship side, was far better in the second half, closing space and enjoying a good deal of possession against a decent visiting side.

Brighton 'keeper Kuipers was bonkers. Time and again he took unnecessary risks, racing out of his area on numerous occasions to clear balls, and fumbling crosses. Barnard was nearly the grateful recipient of this madness on 50. Closing down the 'keeper after a backpass, Kuipers got to the ball a fraction earlier than the Blues' forward, but instead of the ball flying downfield, it cannoned off Barnard and sailed just wide of the post. The last time that sort of thing happened was during Simon Royce's ill-fated return to Roots Hall with QPR back in Feb '07. Kuipers got lucky tonight, Royce didn't.

Many reports and fans suggest the real turning point in the game came with Moussa's red card on 63. I concur to a degree. Of course going down to 10 men restricts what you can do in a game. Tilson opted to switch Revell to right midfield and leave Barnard as the lone striker. But whether the management saw tiredness in Revell or whether they wanted to give youth a chance, the imminent substitution clearly backfired. What was he doing sending on a 19-year old player with no first team experience at any level, in a game delicately balanced at 0-0??

It really struck me how out of his depth Sawyer was - not because of his ability, but because the game was so heated and on a knife-edge. Sawyer's first telling moment came on 75 when he was booked for a rash challenge. The free kick resulted in the goal and the game was over, as Brighton very cleverly closed the gaps. It's not Sawyer's fault - I repeat NOT Sawyer's fault. I'm sure he wanted to get stuck in but at that time in the game and down to 10 men, isn't it absolutely crucial Southend keep their shape and get something out of the game?

A disappointing result, but not as bad as some are suggesting on the messageboards. Southend were very good in the opening 60 minutes, just a shame about the last 30!

LONGPIER RATINGS:

Mildenhall 5 - not confident enough tonight, punching was awful
Francis 6 - game of two halves; good in first, not so in second
Clarke 7 - strong again, works hard
Barrett 7 - good once more, positional play is great
Harding 9 - Got forward all the time, yet was a rock at the back, excellent addition
Besty 6 - Good in patches, drifted completely out of game in second half
Grant 5 - Too many heavy touches on the ball
Moussa 5 - Sent off, but up to then was ok
Robson-Kanu 6 - Struggled to get into it in first 45, better in second half
Revell 7 - Good running, effective night
Barnard 6 - Still needs something extra alongside him

SUBS:
Sawyer (71) 4 - Oh dear, a debut to forget but as I say NOT HIS FAULT

Ref:
J Singh 4 - Appalling. Usually good at Roots Hall but too inconsistent tonight

Attendance:
7,976