Coca-Cola League One

SHOCKING first-half defending made it one point from nine for Ronnie Moore’s Latics side as they floundered to defeat at a scorching Roots Hall.

With injuries forcing Moore to adopt a 4-4-2 system instead of the 3-4-3 seen so far this season, it was crossing from wide areas which proved their undoing.

Poor marking allowed 18-year-old debutant James Lawson and Mark Gower free headers and send Steve Tilson’s side into the top eight.

Amid the doom and gloom, it was the visitors who could have taken the lead within the opening six minutes as keeper Darryl Flahavan got down well to deny Chris Killen.

Southend capitalised from that escape to take the lead four minutes later as Mitchell Cole crossed for Lawson – enjoying the freedom of the penalty area – to head past Chris Day.

Former Manchester City striker Shaun Goater – earmarked as Southend’s main danger beforehand by ex-teammate Killen – was unlucky not to double their lead on the half-hour as his header crashed against the bar from Gower’s cross.

That was the cue for a slightly improved showing from the visitors as Paul Warne and Andy Liddell both fired in shots.

However, Southend made sure they had the impetus going into half-time with their second goal coming via Cole’s cross and Gower’s far-post header.

Chasing a two-goal deficit, Latics improved slightly after half-time – which did not say much for the opening 45 minutes – with Moore introducing Chris Porter and David Eyres, albeit without changing his system.

Hope sprung eternal with 20 minutes remaining though as Richie Wellens opened his account for Latics with a 20-yard curler beyond Flahavan.

Killen then squandered a fine chance to equalise as he fired Porter’s cross over the bar with Southend content to sit on their lead.

That was as close to an equaliser as Latics managed with Southend able to see out the remaining 15 minutes and leapfrog Athletic in the table.

After the match, Southend boss Steve Tilson said he had kept Lawson in the dark about his selection.

Tilson said: “That was a tremendous first game from James. One game won’t make him a professional player but if he keeps going like this then he will be on the road to a professional contract.”

“I knew Wayne (Gray) wasn’t going to be available on Saturday, but I didn’t tell Lawson because I didn’t want to put any more pressure on him.

“He didn’t find out he was playing until he came in today and he’s gone out there and had a great debut.”

LATICS defender Stefan Stam, who was in the frame for a starting spot on Sunday, suffered a hamstring problem in training on Friday.

The worst case scenario is a six-week spell out for the Dutchman who came back against Rotherham last week.

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