Walsall came into this match with confidence following the performance of the team at Scunthorpe last Tuesday and the addition of young Robin Shroot on loan from Birmingham City who was named as a substitute to give Chris Hutchings options.The team remained unchanged from the previous game and were looking to build on their six game unbeaten run to keep their slim play-off hopes intact.
The game got off to a somewhat scrappy start for Walsall who were finding it hard to get into their stride and both sides were guilty of one or two robust tackles that went unpunished by referee Rob Styles.Michael Ricketts was
the victim of one such challenge and when an obvious foul on Alex Nicholls was waved away he did a reckless challenge on Southend's Alan Mc Cormack right under the nose of Styles who wasted no time in giving him a
red card on 14 minutes.The marksman had no case to protest, just produced a broard grin and made the walk much to the jeers of the home fans who remembered his ill-fated spell at Roots Hall a couple of years ago.
With this being the third time he's been sent off for the Saddlers this season there must be question marks about his future at the club.To miss 25% of the season with so many suspensions is criminal.
With this incident so early in the game, the visitors were always going to be up against it.Chris Hutchings went for 4-4-1 with the hard-working Troy Deeney the loan striker.
Southend tested Clayton Ince soon afterwards with a low shot from around 20 yards but the keeper had it covered and two minutes later really had to stretch to keep out and tip over the bar.
Walsall fans were finally treated to a bit of worthwhile play which resulted in Deeney firing just over the bar following a deflected shot from Zaaboub.Paul Boertien clearly fouled ex-Saddler Kevin Betsy but suprisingly Rob Styles would not hear of it. Walsall were holding out though and the longer the half went on the more comfortable they looked.
Just five minutes after the interval however all real hope of getting anything from the game vanished when Betsy fired home.He had arrived late on the right, cut in and unleashed a low angled shot that Ince couldn't get to.
Just after this setback Hutchings knew he had to try something to get back into the game and went for 4-3-2 with Jabo on for Zaabo. With immediate effect the Saddlers attack had a bit of bite but just when hopes of salvaging an unlikely point were raised, Southend made sure of all three points Betsy set up Robinson who from about 12 yards shot past Ince.
Shroot came on for Alex Nicholls who had put in plenty of effort with little reward.The youngster started running at their defenders and with Jabo gave Saddlers a change of direction. On one promising move Shroot beat his man and cut in with Jabo looking for a pass only to see the lad go for a bit of glory
and shoot against the legs of the two defenders who raced to close him down.Late on the hosts had several chances to add to the scoreline and Ince made one vital stop with his legs.
So the weary Walsall players trouped off well beaten and the travelling fans fustrated that the pointless sending off of Ricketts had dashed any hopes they had of getting anything from this game.The league table don't make good reading after this and although the next three games are at home its going to be a big ask now. The journey home seemed long and the talk on the coach kept on reverting to one man - Michael Ricketts