Bond: We’ve achieved nothing yet

Posted Monday, April 22, 2019 by PA

Southend manager Kevin Bond insists he will not get carried away by the Shrimpers’ vital 3-2 victory against Burton.

The entertaining triumph boosted Southend’s survival hopes and also handed them their first win since January.

But Bond knows the Shrimpers, who had not won in their previous 15 games, are not safe yet.

“The lads are so pleased and I can let them be pleased tonight but we recognise we haven’t done anything yet,” said Bond.

“We’ve won one game and it’s a nice feeling but we will need the same next week now and then the week after that too.

“It was exhausting watching, to be honest!

“We gave ourselves a two-goal cushion twice but we never make it easy for ourselves and gave a couple of goals away.

“But we performed really well against a really good team who play some terrific football and we showed great character too.

“It’s been tough for the players but the fans got behind the lads fantastically well and you could see what it meant to everyone at the end.

“However, we have to keep this going now.”

Southend opened the scoring with a well-worked goal in the 18th minute when a superb right-wing cross from Simon Cox was fired home by Sam Mantom.

The Shrimpers doubled their lead in the 48th minute when Harry Bunn converted a cross from Cox, whose original effort had been parried out by Brewers goalkeeper Stephen Bywater.

Burton hit back on the hour mark with John Brayford volleying home Reece Hutchinson’s deep left-wing cross.

However, Southend restored a two-goal cushion in the 77th minute with Timothee Dieng heading home Michael Kightly’s free-kick and held on despite Marcus Harness’ well-taken late goal.

Burton have now suffered successive defeats but boss Nigel Clough felt his side should have picked up points in both games.

“Performance-wise it’s the same as Friday and I think to play as well as we have done in the last two games and get no points is incredible,” said Clough.

“But the next step we have to make is not losing these games and ultimately winning them. The young players especially have got to learn how to win games and get something out of them.

“They have to learn that is what happens in football.

“It’s a hard game and that was brilliant for them today to experience that.”