With just five league games to go, Southend are the unlikely pace-setters in League Two after last Saturday's 2-0 win against Bristol Rovers saw the Shrimpers leapfrog long-time leaders Yeovil. That victory against the Pirates saw Southend extend their unbeaten run to a club record 17 matches and Steve Tilson's men are now the new favourites to lift the title. Givemefootball's Mark Shail caught up with key defender Spencer Prior and the former Norwich, Leicester and Cardiff man spoke about their promotion challenge as well as this weekend's LDV Vans final against Wrexham.
Q:YOU MUST BE DELIGHTED WITH THE CLUB'S RUN OF FORM OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS?
A:Yes, we've been on a great run and to go 17 games unbeaten is no mean achievement. That run has given us a winning mentality and we have become very hard to beat. We've not been behind in many games during our unbeaten run, and even when we have gone a goal down we've shown enough character to bounce back.
Q:HAS YOUR UNBEATEN RUN GIVEN YOU THE CONFIDENCE AND BELIEF THAT THE CLUB CAN GO ON AND WIN PROMOTION?
A:Confidence is a massive thing and we have got a real togetherness amongst the squad on the back of that run. The manager brought in a couple of new players during the transfer deadline but before then there were no arrivals since last summer – and that gave us the chance to have a settled side, which has made a big difference. Steve Tilson brought in the players he wanted in the summer and credit to him because he didn't panic even when we had an indifferent start. He stayed faithful to the squad and we have managed to turn things around.
Q:WITH YOU BEING THE SENOIR PLAYER IN THE SQUAD – HOW MUCH RESPONSIBILITY IS ON YOUR SHOULDERS OVER THE REMAINING GAMES?
A:I think there is a lot of responsibility because the management can only do so much from the sidelines. The most important thing is that we stay positive and continue to try and play the passing game that has got us into this position. I'm not the greatest passer in the world, but we have to make sure we don't resort to just pumping the ball long and play into the hands of some of the more direct sides in this league.
Q:YOU SEEM TO HAVE STRUCK UP A GOOD UNDERSTANDING WITH YOUR CENTRAL DEFENSIVE PARTNER ADAM BARRETT?
A:We didn't start off too well – in fact, in November I think we had the second worst defensive record in the division. But since then things have clicked and we've now got one of the best records. I think a lot of that is down to us having a settled back four for most of the season. Having said that, our defensive record isn't just down to the back four, it's the result of how we defend all over the pitch.
Q:HAVE YOU BEEN SURPRISED BY YEOVIL’S RECENT SLUMP?
A:To be honest I haven't been paying much attention to other team's results – I'm more focussed on what we are trying to achieve. What ever happens, Yeovil have had a tremendous season and they have continued to try and play the game in an attacking way – which is great for their supporters.
Q:ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS WEEKEND'S LDV FINAL AGAINST WREXHAM?
A:It should be a great occasion for the players and the fans, and it gives us an opportunity to go and relax and enjoy the atmosphere of the Millennium Stadium without the pressure of needing to get three points.
Q:IS THERE A DANGER THAT THIS GAME MAY DISTRACT YOU FROM YOUR TITLE CHASE?
A:No I don't think so because we have shown all season that we can compete successfully in both competitions. In that respect, it is a good distraction and we are all looking forward to it. A win could give us the momentum to do well over the last five league games.
