A FINE header from Gus Scott-Morriss secured Southend United a 1-0 win at Canvey Island tonight.

The pre-season clash was just the Shrimpers’ second 90 minute clash of the summer.

And it was a well-taken effort from Scott-Morriss which saw Blues bag the victory.

Southend went into the game without the injured Jack Bridge, Callum Powell and Noor Husin while the fit-again Harry Cardwell was restored to the starting line-up after recovering from a hip problem.

After an even start to the game, Blues midfielder Oli Coker sent a long range shot wide of the left post before Wes Fonguck sent a neatly controlled left footed shot straight at the goalkeeper after being teed up by Tom Clifford.

Moments later, Fonguck headed over from close range before Cardwell was denied by the Canvey goalkeeper from six yards.

Jack Wood – who netted a hat-trick at Bishop’s Stortford on Saturday – then saw a low right footed shot ruled out for offside before Cardwell saw a left footed shot blocked the legs of the keeper.

Wood was denied by a sliding defender at the start of the second half before the Shrimpers made their first change of the night in the 57th minute with George Pulham replacing Cardwell in attack.

Jacob Bland then replaced Fonguck in the centre of the park but, shortly after the alteration, Blues goalkeeper Collin Andeng Ndi did well to come off his line and stop a Canvey striker in his tracks with a well-timed challenge with his foot.

But, after surviving the scare, the Shrimpers broke the deadlock in the 78th minute when a fine right wing cross from Harry Taylor was brilliantly headed into the bottom left hand corner of the net by Scott-Morriss.

Blues immediately made a trio of changes with youngsters Zak Hammond, Ronnie Blake and Jamal Sharp all entering the action before teenagers Jake Huet and Luke Corello came on three minutes from time and helped the Shrimpers see out the closing stages.

Southend United: Andeng Ndi, Scott-Morriss (Blake 79), Taylor (Corello 87), Kensdale (Huet 87), Ralph (Hammond 79), Clifford, Coker, Miley (Sharp 79), Fonguck (Bland 66), Wood, Cardwell (Pulham 57) Subs not used: McGonigle