This piece from Geordie:

Just as hope was starting to morph into expectation, bang on cue the Saddlers produced a display to remind us that this is likely to be a season of inconsistency.

Whether that was due to the absent Mattis and Ishy exposing a lack of depth in the squad or because several players just didn’t perform is open to debate, but there was no hiding from a return to a pedestrian display punctuated by key defensive errors.

Southend were a tidy outfit, just how good was difficult to tell as second gear was enough for them yesterday. The trio of Bailey, Gower, and Leon Clarke clearly had a good understanding and they cut through the home defence as early as the fifth minute to send Ince scrambling to save from the white-booted Gower. The warning signs were there

Neither side produced much attacking flair in the first half, and Saddlers’ ample possession often looked problematic with Dann and Gerrard having one of those uncomfortable days on the ball. The visitor’s opening goal on 37 minutes resulted from a woefully defended corner, Peter Clarke heading home unchallenged, an effort similar to the opener conceded at Doncaster.

DD shuffled his pack at the break with Wrack replacing McDermott in a 442, but despite an increase in noise from the the occupants of the Floors 2 Go the fightback was over before it began.

Gerrard conceded possession, Gower waltzed through on the left again and when Ince parried the shot Leon Clarke reacted sharper than the home defence to net, 0-2 game over.

As the game meandered on, Nicholls and Hall replaced Deeney and Bradley, but despite a flashing header from Mooney and a neat shot from Hall The Saddlers were merely jabbing at a opponent that by now had them at arms length as expectation reverted to hope once again in the hearts of the Saddlers faithful.

Mooney took the sponsor’s man of the match for his usual industrious display, but it wasn’t a difficult choice as unfortunately few others reached the standards of recent weeks.