Southend manager called Sunday’s clash ‘brutal’

Southend United manager Phil Brown says his side, quite simply, has to be the better than Stevenage in the second leg of their Sky Bet League Two play-off semi-final clash.

The tie is nicely poised at 1-1 following a blood and thunder encounter at the Lamex Stadium on Sunday.

Dean Parrett scored a wonderful goal that was cancelled out by Barry Corr, but the main talking point was a sickening collision between Bira Dembele and Michael Timlin. Both are a doubt for Thursday’s game.

“It’s quite simply a case of the better team being the one away from home at Stevenage. When you come back to Roots Hall we need to make sure we’re the better team. I thought Sunday was brutal, it was a feisty encounter with a good tempo,” he told the club’s official website.

“I’d take a draw at half time in any game of football as it gives you a reason to go out in the second half, play, and go and win the game.”

He added: “We’ll be trying to play a lot more football and to work the opposition. There’s no need for risks. We’re not going to try and win the game in the very first minute. There’s no away goals rule. We came away level and it’s a case of bringing our best game to the table.”

Southend’s defence has been exceptional at Roots Hall, keeping opposing strikers out for the past seven and a half hours of football, and Brown will look for them to extend that streak.

“The clean sheet mentality is something I want the team to have. We want to get both ends of the field right and need to go into the game with the right mentality,” he said.

After over 1,500 fans made the pilgrimage to the Lamex on Sunday, the Southend boss is expecting a capacity to crowd to roar is team on tomorrow night.

“It’s a cliché but they can be the 12th man,” he said.

“We want a full house and to make it another one of those big nights. If you ask Adam Barrett he’ll be able to recollect many a memorable night at Roots Hall. Let’s hope we have another one on Thursday.”

The game kicks-off at 7.45pm.