When the League leaders come to town, Tranmere have on the whole had a good recent record and hopes where high amongst the home faithful that Rovers could get something from the game.

The game took a long time to get going but once it did, it was an entertaining encounter in which either team could have snatched all three points at some stage, but neither side did as Rovers played out their third consecutive 0-0 draw.

Brian Little made two changes to the side that began the most recent of those 0-0 draws at Hartlepool last Saturday with Jason McAteer starting in place of Steven Jennings and the suspended Ian Goodison being replaced by Delroy Facey as Rovers began the game with a 4-3-3 formation that paired Greenacre, Facey and Zola in attack.

Rovers began relatively well and forced an early corner that came to nothing before Southend created a couple of chances of their own that were quickly cleared by a combination of the Rovers defence and goalkeeper Dino Seremet.

After nine minutes, Calvin Zola was presented with a great chance to put Rovers in front but his shot went wide of Flahavan’s post.

Rovers continued to push the leaders back and had further chances, first through a free-kick from Gareth Roberts and then a Chris Greenacre chance deflected off a defender and went out for a corner.

Rovers continued to have the best of a fairly unentertaining first half as Danny Harrison shot wide after a great team build up and then Ian Sharps headed a Gareth Roberts cross over the bar.

A poor defensive header from Mike Jackson looked to have set up a chance for Wayne Gray for the visitors, but Jackson’s saving tackle more than made up for his initial error as the danger once again passed for Rovers on the half hour mark.

As the half drew to a close, Jason McAteer from distance and Freddy Eastwood exchanged chances at each end but both failed to find the target and the half ended goalless.

Only an excellent save by Flahavan in the Shrimpers goal denied Calvin Zola a goal just minutes after the re-start after excellent build up play between Jason McAteer and Delroy Facey and McAteer was in action again just a few minutes later as his free-kick sailed just wide after Sodje had fouled Zola just outside the penalty area.

As the home side continued to dominate, they had two penalty appeals turned down within the space of ten minutes when first Zola looked to have been felled and then Jackson appeared to be hauled down in the area but on both occasions the referee waved play on and Rovers were denied.

Freddy Eastwood looked the most dangerous of the Southend players and on 73 minutes he almost put his side ahead from long range but his shot hit the crossbar and went over although the fact that a corner was given suggested Seremet may have tipped the ball onto the bar.

Zola played in Facey who shot wide a few minutes later before Zola and McAteer made way for fresh legs in the shape of Sam Aiston and Paul Linwood as Rovers moved to 4-4-2 with Linwood employed at left-back.

Facey fired over after good work by Greenacre and Sam Aiston’s seemingly endless run towards the Southend penalty area ended with the winger forcing Flahavan into a save as Rovers still looked the most likely team to break the deadlock.

In the end though neither team could break the deadlock despite late efforts from Eastwood for the visitors and Roberts and Sharps for Rovers.  Rovers will no doubt be happy to take a point but they will feel it should have been all three against the team that had topped the table at the start of the day but now slip down to second after Colchester won.

Rovers are now in 15^th place in League One and travel to Bradford next Saturday in the hope of getting a decent result and on the back of this showing they should be able to achieve that.

Tranmere Man of the Match

Michael Jackson:  The defence has a whole performed well for the second successive game and Harrison and McAteer did well in midfield.  However the captain was the anchor at the back and gets the award.

The Team Line-Ups

Tranmere Rovers: Seremet, Francis, Sharps, Jackson, Roberts, O’Leary, Harrison, McAteer (Aiston 75), Facey, Greenacre, Zola (Linwood 75).           

Substitutes Not Used: Wilson, Jennings, Rankine.

Southend United:  Flahavan, Jupp, Prior (Wilson 58), Barrett, Gower, Maher, Gray (Goater 86), Pettefer, Bentley, Sodje, Eastwood (Lawson 89)

Substitutes Not Used: Hunt, Cole.

Booked: Harrison (Tranmere), Bentley (Southend)

Referee – Russell Booth (Nottinghamshire)

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