Southend United too strong for Rovers.

Great Wakering Rovers 0-7 Southend United
Brian Jeeves reporting from Burroughs Park
SOUTHEND United got their pre-season activity underway with a resounding 7-0 success in their annual curtain raiser with Ryman League Division One North outfit, Great Wakering Rovers, at Burroughs Park.
Blues started strongly, and in truth, rarely looked troubled by their non-league opponents. Trialist Nile Ranger nodded over after Jermaine McGlashan had picked him out from the left, while Gavin Gunning’s powerful header was scrambled away as the Blues looked for an early opening.
Gunning appeared to be in the mood, again troubling the Rovers rearguard when nodding over from close range, while McGlashan’s probing forays forward always looked likely to create an opening for the visitors.
Nevertheless, it was a more familiar name who handed Southend the lead. David Mooney rose unchallenged to head Jason Demetriou’s pinpoint centre beyond Rovers goalkeeper Matt Belcher, via the underside of the crossbar. Clearly buoyed by their start, Blues quickly doubled their advantage. This time Ryan Leonard supplied a finish, this after Demetriou and Mooney had fashioned the opening.
Spirited Rovers almost reduced the arrears when Billy Johnson dragged his effort wide, meanwhile Demetriou’s thundering effort crashed back of an upright as Southend searched for a third.
Unsurprisingly Blues continued to dominate. Ranger was a whisker away, heading Demetriou’s centre the wrong side of an upright, but Southend did add to their account when Leonard bagged his second of the afternoon, sending a looping effort over the stranded Belcher. As the half drew to a close, Belcher produced a superb save to deny McGlashan. While at the other end, Jacob Cleaver’s effort was wayward as the Rovers looked for a foothold.
Phil Brown made wholesale changes at the break, but the Blues continued to press with intent. Adam Barrett fired over after John White had centred, while Belcher did well to turn away efforts from Jack Bridge and White. Nevertheless, Blues added to their account when Ronan Murray directed Atkinson’s delicious centre high into the net. Jason Williams almost added a fifth, but his attempt came back off the woodwork. However, Murray added his own second of the afternoon, sending a fizzing dead ball effort beyond a full stretch Belcher.
Renei Batlokwa made it 6-0 from the penalty spot, this after he had been felled. Then in the closing stages, Nico Cotton made it 7-0 with an exquisite strike from distance.
Speaking after the match, Blues boss Phil Brown said: “You’ll probably start every pre-season interview with the scoreline, but in truth it means absolutely nothing. The goals, the passing and the movement, it was probably ahead of itself, that’s the thing I’m looking at from a coaching perspective. We’ve not really done any coaching with these guys, it’s just been fitness work for a week. The fitness levels looked good, but against non-league opposition you would expect them to be good. The quality was good, but I’m not bothered about the scoreline. At the end of the day, we’ll have our hiccups in pre-season, but it’s all about August 6. If we are ready for that, great, that’s all well and good.
Rovers manager Gary Ansell told Yellow Sport: “To be honest, this game was always set up for the club. It wasn’t perhaps for us to showcase our own abilities, it was for us to graft, put the work in and get out fitness levels up. I take great pride in Southend coming down because they know they are going to get a workout, they know it’s a decent facility to come too. Overall I’m quite pleased. There were times when I wanted a bit more work from our boys, I think some of them looked at it thinking they could take their foot off the gas when they should have been grafting for forty-five minutes.
Ansell continued: “There were spell during the game when we had the ball and didn’t look bad. I’m encouraged by the players we have brought in. They are going to influence and make our side better this season.”
Great Wakering Rovers: Matt Belcher, Ellis Sands, Eljay Worrall, Nick Hilder, Lewis Sparrow, Alex Hause, Chris Newby, Jacob Cleaver, Leon Gordon, Billy Johnson, Jack Adlington
Southend United (first half): Ted Smith, Jason Demetriou, Adam Thompson, Gavin Gunning, Ben Coker, Luke O’Neil, Ryan Leonard, Michael Timlin, Jermaine McGlashan, David Mooney, Nile Ranger
Southend United (second half): Josh Bexon, John White, Adam Barrett, Tom Rosenthal, Harry Kyprianou, Nico Cotton, Will Atkinson, Ronan Murray, Jack Bridge (Renei Batlokwa), William Edjenguélé, Jason Williams