That’s How You Welcome 2014!

Ryan Leonard has said that Southend and he couldn’t have wished for a better opening to 2014 and the second half of the season following the win over Portsmouth.

A two one victory, a brace and all three points delighted the midfielder and he told the Official Site that he hoped this would now be a basis for him on a personal level as the rest of the season progresses.

‘It was a great win and the celebrations at the end were brilliant, I didn’t really know what to do when I scored. It’s a great start to the year for me and the team and we just about deserved it in my opinion.’

Leonard goes on to say that the conditions certainly made it a tough game with the wind, but he felt we coped okay with that in the first half apart from when they scored their opener, and in the second half Portsmouth were obviously having a fair bit of joy from balls into the box, but he felt the defence were standing up well to their threats and he honestly thought it was going to finish one all until he struck the ball, and then he knew it was just going in.

‘It’s one of the best goals I’ve scored in my career, I couldn’t have hit it better I don’t think.’

Speaking briefly about his substitutions in recent games, he freely admits himself that his form hasn’t been what it should’ve been of late, and nor what he’s capable of, so again Portsmouth is a marker for him as he feels that showing was how he was playing prior to his three weeks out with injury, but that sharpness and confidence always returns after a few games and minutes on the pitch as rarely ever does a player return from injury in the form they were in when they suffered the knock.

Question is now, can we go five unbeaten against Millwall and register back to back victories again as a run like November would certainly welcome the New Year in nicely!