Southend United 1 Ipswich Town 3SUBSTITUTE Billy Clarke proved the inspiration as he scored one and made one as Ipswich outclassed the Seasiders. Although Town were unchanged from the team that went two up against Preston but then folded in the second half to lose 3-2, early injuries meant changes that proved serendipitous.

Southend United 1 Ipswich Town 3

SUBSTITUTE Billy Clarke proved the inspiration as he scored one and made one as Ipswich outclassed the Seasiders.

Although Town were unchanged from the team that went two up against Preston but then folded in the second half to lose 3-2, early injuries meant changes that proved serendipitous.

Clarke went on for Jon Macken who was struggling with a hamstring pull and earlier Shane Supple had replaced Lewis Price, who had been clattered by Matt Harrold after just five minutes.

Clarke put Town ahead on the half hour when he was unmarked to head in a Jaime Peters cross.

Frenchman Sylvain Legwinski volleyed Ipswich into a two-goal lead a couple of minutes after the break after a Matt Richards cross was only cleared as far as the 22-yard mark.

Teenager Clarke played apart in Town's third when he picked out fellow Irishman Alan Lee who calmly beat the keeper with a low drive.

Town's hopes of a first clean sheet in ten games crumbled when Simon Francis pulled one back for the Seasiders after double substitution.

See this weekend's GREEN'UN for a full match report and your local soccer round-up

AND then Monday's EADT and EVENING STAR for the full Southend/Town reaction