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We piled into two taxis and demanded they spare no horses to get us to the 'Golden Lion' just outside Roots Hall which it turns out is the designated 'Away' team boozer this season. The landlord is delighted with this turn of events as he is likely to make a bundle from thirsty punters from all over this great nation of ours over the coming nine months.
Having quenched our raging thirst we took our seats in the stadium (not a lot of legroom) and waited for the festivities to begin. Fifteen minutes late. The first surprise was Joe's haircut that from the rear looked like he had been axed. Let's hope he never marries someone like Posh or gawd knows what he'll end up doing to himself. Suffice it to say that the new barnet did not improve his shooting.
The first half was pretty low key with scoring opportunities limited, although every time Defoe got the ball he looked livewire, and it was he who registered the first goal just before half time with a good strike from just outside the box which hit the inside of the right hand post and cannoned into the left of the net. Southend were game but lacked any real quality apart from full back Damon Searle who went close with a drive past the upright, and the fantastically named Barrington Belgrave who was all over the park (geddit).
Repka who looked very solid but is still prone to rash challenges was made to pay in the second half when he upended Barrington outside the area. Searle hit a cracking free kick that took a slight deflection, and screamed past the steady Van der Gouw into the net.
There were a number of changes to the side after the equaliser with among others Di Canio being replaced by Freddie Kanoute, and Tithead Camara, Scott Minto and Seb Schemmell getting unexpected run-outs. It was Kanoute who restored the lead with about a quarter of an hour to go. I am a Kanoute fan and just don't understand some of the criticism leveled at him sometimes. I know he can look a bit lethargic at times, but he has great physical presence and superb ball control. He demonstrated the latter with a take down with his instep from a cross and a cool shot across the face of the goal from six yards to make it 2-1.
Labant made it 3-1 with the last kick of the game after a sweet curling left foot free kick. Good thing really because he did not demonstrate any aptitude for defending as a fullback or any creativity or positional sense as a left sided midfielder when he was moved there later on in the match. Game over, but it was fun to listen to the Shrimpers making their way out of the stadium spouting off about how they were the better team and the score flattered us. Get a life we were only messing about.
At the final whistle it was a mad dash back to the station as the last train on the Tilbury line left at 10.28pm! What a transport system.
So a satisfactory performance and a reasonable result, things don't look too bad at this stage. We still have Sinclair and James to return, Di Canio appears fit and eager, and Jermain looks mustard. A few new signings and who knows?
Up the Hammers.
Team: Raimond Van der Gouw, Tomas Repka, Vladimir Labant, Michael Carrick, Ian Pearce (Scott Minto 80), Christian Dailly, Richard Garcia, Joe Cole (Sebastien Schemmel 61), Jermain Defoe (Titi Camara 86), Paolo Di Canio (Fredi Kanoute 67), Laurent Courtois (Nigel Winterburn 45).
Subs unused: David Forde, Grant McCann, Anton Ferdinand, Izzy Iriekpen, Ragnvald Soma.