Sturrock furious with Shrimpers

Paul Sturrock has blasted his Southend players for throwing away a two-goal lead by `playing football'.

The Shrimpers conceded a brace of goals in the last five minutes of Saturday's game with Plymouth and the Scot was angry with the way they failed to finish Argyle off.

"In the first half we were so dominant," he told BBC Essex. "We were in their faces and the right positions. It could have been more at half-time but in the second (half) we've come out with the wrong attitude, that we were going onto bigger and better things."

The former Sheffield Wednesday manager was unhappy not to take maximum points, which would have put them top of the table, after controlling the majority of the game.

"We decided that 2-0 is what it's about and you can't do that. We decided we were a football team and played it square and back."

"That is two points dropped. You can't dictate a game like we did and then come away with a point. Why all of a sudden, did we become footballers?"