SOUTHEND United chairman Ron Martin has played down a heated exchange between the club's two star midfielders Alan McCormack and Nicky Bailey during yesterday's 1-0 defeat at Tranmere Rovers.

The duo clashed after Antony Kay headed home the only goal of the game and had to be pulled apart by team-mates Adam Barrett and Peter Clarke.

At one point, Bailey also seemed to push his forehead towards McCormack but Martin insists the incident has already been forgotten about.

"Some of our players are more hot-heated than others but this just shows that they care," said Martin.

"While we would obviously prefer our players to get on at all times it isn't always possible but I'm glad they are hurting at conceding a goal.

"That's the way it should be but it's already been forgotten about. Nicky and Alan get on very well together and as soon as the final whistle went I'm sure they were back to being friends again."

Blues were below par at Prenton Park but Martin believes the players may already have one eye on the play-offs. "It wasn't all of them but maybe one or two were worried about getting injured and missing the play off matches," said Martin.

"That may explain the loss." The row went unpunished by referee Graham Laws and Blues boss Steve Tilson echoed Martin's thoughts.

"I think both of them were just disappointed at the goal going in," he said.

"And that's understandable."

Tilson was also disappointed by Kay's winning goal but refused to be too critical of his side whose slim chances of securing automatic promotion have now disappeared.

"It was a bad goal from our point of view," he said. "We let a runner go and we didn't put enough pressure on the player playing the ball into the box either but I can't be too hard on the lads.

"We've been on a 13-match unbeaten run and they've been fantastic. I'd rather lose now than in the play-offs and that's what we've got to focus on."

Tilson's troops, who are fifth in the table, finish off their league season at home to already relegated Port Vale on Saturday.

But the boss will again be absent from the dug-out as he completes a two-match touchline ban for insulting referee Danny McDermid following the 2-2 draw at Leyton Orient in February.

"You do get a better view from up in the stands but I'd rather be in the dug-out," he stressed.

"I will be for the play-offs though and we have to go into those games with our chests out and our heads held high because we've done superbly to get into them and this defeat doesn't change that."