Steve Holland will perhaps be casting his eye nervously down the Yeovil, Cheltenham and Bournemouth team sheets in the coming weeks for the names of Simon Church, Damian Spencer and Sam Vokes.

His relegation-threatened side have now been haunted twice by former loan strikers. If the above trio - who include a pre-Christmas loanee and two January transfer window targets - repeat Lee Barnard's feat then League Two football will be a certainty.

And it will be anyway if his back four defend as they did in the opening half of another comprehensive home defeat as both Holland and assistant manager Neil Baker acknowledged afterwards.

-The Sentinel

Lee Barnard's double stretched Southend's unbeaten run to 10 games. But he only shared the honours, after keeper Darryl Flahavan saved penalties from Gary Roberts and Kenny Lunt.

Barnard, who spent six months on loan at Crewe earlier this season, struck in the second and 80^th minute.

He said: "Darryl did brilliantly. Id like Crewe to stay up but that was not doing them any favours."

-The Sun

Lee Barnard plunged his old club into desperate relegation danger - then admitted he hopes Crewe stay up. Barnard struck twice and along with James Walker's goal, left Crewe ruing Kenny Lunt and Gary Roberts' penalty misses and made Nicky Maynard's reply count for little.

"This was about three points today and I wasn't going to do them any favours. I would like them to stay up but I am a Southend player now and have a job to do."

-The Daily Star

Darryl Flahavan saved two penalties as Southend United extended their unbeaten run to ten games. He kept out spot-kicks from Gary Roberts and Kenny Lunt as his team maintained their promotion.

-The Times