Analysis of Southend 3 Walsall 0

Same old Walsall, different day and now the Saddlers are out of excuses.

There comes a time when you have to hold your hands up and admit you're not good enough. The benefit of the doubt has been given, perhaps too often this season, but not anymore.

To perform like they did against a Southend side wracked with every kind of woe imaginable is unacceptable.

The basics were wrong and the commitment missing. It is baffling how they can go from sublime to ridiculous from game to game but yet they still do it.

True, Clayton McDonald's dismissal 10 minutes before half time didn't help but by then Walsall were already 1-0 behind and distinctly second best to a team who last celebrated a win at Christmas.

They made relegation haunted Southend look like play-off certainties and the next four opponents will be rubbing their hands with delight.

Exeter, Stockport, Wycombe and Tranmere – the rest of the bottom five – await and if the Saddlers continue to throw away points they will give survival hope to all.

The beauty of football is there is always another game but even that failed to console the dejected squad as they trudged out of Roots Hall.

The optimists can claim it was a new low and the only way is up from here.

But the pessimists can argue, quite successfully, that we have seen similar performances strewn throughout the season. What's to say it won't happen again?

The mantra of 'it's only one game' is trotted out after a big win. We were advised not to get carried away after a historic night in Leeds. Now we can see why.

The gutsy victory over Colchester on Saturday had given new hope of a grandstand finish – something needed to cap off a season which had slipped into disappointing mediocrity.

But it was just a prelude to a performance where every fallibly was exposed. There will be no complaints from those who played at Roots Hall – Jamie Vincent and Rene Gilmartin aside – should they be dropped at Exeter on Saturday.

They are honest men and the fans – while having every right to be angry – won't see them at close quarters and won't see how much they are hurting.

But the time for worrying about feelings is over. Some of them don't deserve to pull on a shirt on Saturday.

Matt Richards replaced the suspended Mark Hughes which saw Vincent move to the central role he had performed so well in recently.

Rhys Weston returned to the bench following his hamstring injury but Darryl Westlake again missed out with illness.

Without a victory in 12 games Southend desperately needed a positive result but despite some early pressure couldn't break through the Saddlers' rearguard.

Steve Jones steered a 20-yard effort over as the visitors responded but the hosts had made the better start.

Wingers Franck Moussa and Damian Scannell were causing problems and with 19 minutes gone Moussa grabbed the goal Southend's start had threatened.

Johnny Herd's long throw was headed out by McDonald but only as far as the Belgian winger who unleashed a rasping volley which flew into the bottom corner.

It was a stunning strike which gave Gilmartin no chance but already the Saddlers were threatening another off-night.

Troy Deeney and Alex Nicholls got little change from the robust United defence while Julian Gray and Jones were yet to impose themselves.

Moussa pinged another drive narrowly over on 33 minutes before McDonald was given his marching orders – the third time in four games Walsall had gone down to 10 men.

The former Manchester City man saw red for a rash two-footed challenge on Anthony Grant, leaving the Saddlers deep in trouble.

Josh O'Keefe was sacrificed as Manny Smith returned to bolster the defence as again boss Chris Hutchings kept two men up front.

And Richards almost equalised in first half stoppage time when his 25-yard free kick slammed off the crossbar and he could only watch as Gray headed the rebound over.

The left-back was replaced by Peter Till at the break after picking an ankle injury as Southend continued to belie their lowly position.

And six minutes into the second half they doubled their lead when dangerman Moussa crossed for Scott Spencer to steal ahead of Vincent and glance into the far corner.

The Saddlers had it all to do but had so far failed to demonstrate they had the creativity or cutting edge to force their way back.

It was all Southend as the Saddlers failed to muster a rousing response. They've had good practice playing with 10 men in recent weeks but at Roots Hall their preparation deserted them.

For a side whose last win came three days after Christmas last year Southend passed the ball around with extraordinary self belief as Moussa tore the Saddlers to shreds.

First he was denied by Gilmartin's outstretched foot before heading narrowly over from Herd's cross.

With 20 minutes still to play the Saddlers were well beaten, Nicholls and Deeney were unable to make a mark because of the inability of their team-mates to keep possession behind them.

Osei Sankofa's header clipped the bar as the Shrimpers aimed to pile on more misery but the ignominy of losing to a team – in terms of form – who were the worst in the country should be enough.

Grant curled just wide but the final act was left to man-of-the-match Moussa when he nodded in Grant's cross from close range in the final minute.

Same old story, different day.

By Nick Mashiter.