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" They were stubborn were Southend, and we have said this before, if people want to come up and open up as Crewe did and as Yeovil did a little bit then we have got to work round those things. This team has come with a very solid 4-4-2 and someone like Dougie Freedman can always find a chance and put it away. From his point of view it is a terrific finish in a half of a game in which very little has happened, a lot of stop-start.
" The weather was unpleasant and the wind makes it difficult, we have just said that we have got to try to focus on the things that we have got to do. Rather than other factors that might be upsetting us or annoying us or frustrating us, to be fair after half-time the boys came out and did that. The football wasn't flowing and it wasn't fluid but it is a victory and over 46 games in League One you are going to have to dig out victories, even at home here. We have done that today and I am really pleased for the boys that they have managed to do it.
" We have one of the few jobs in the world where people are actually phsyically trying to stop you doing it as well as you want. No-one stops a plumber or an electrician do they physically so we have got to beat opposition who are organised and are sensible and are good players. It is exactly what Southend are, they have come with a couple of big defeats and they are not going to open up, but at the same time they have got some very good players.
" They won't be languishing for too long with that group of people so we had to respect them massively, particularly when we were a goal down as well. We have had to dig very deep to get our result and in some ways that pleases me more than the fluent play that we saw last Saturday when we managed to put three goals away in the second period. We have fought very, very hard to get this win today against a good side. "
" We have managed to score first before so we are OK. Obviously we don't always want to go a goal behind but the game had very little to offer in the first period for players and supporters alike. The half-time talk from Greg (Abbott) and myself was that we hadn't done a lot wrong but that we wanted to do more things right. It wasn't a shouting match at all, we just said that we needed to up the tempo and take the game on.
" Because the crowd are quiet, the weather is dull, the game is dull, we have got to go and lift something up. When Michael (Bridges) came on it lifted the crowd, they like to see him come on, we have got a penalty immediately and the whole thing just fitted into place. It gave a lift around Brunton Park though for the last half an hour of the game though and allowed us to win it.
" Looking at the penalty I think that we have got to be fortunate, I am not looking for a penalty, I am not expecting a penalty, I have not really seen a foul myself. So you are pleased that you have got the decision, that is all that I can say. We have had one or two strange decisions we felt from the dugout but the referee gives what he thinks he sees and he has seen one in our favour and I will take it.
" Winning and losing is always a fine margin, and that is something that when it goes in your favour. I am not saying you are lucky but when it goes in your favour you say that it was a good clearance from Danny Livesey and a good save off Ben (Williams). That is when you are pulling those guys in to say that they need to do their bit for us now, Ben has pulled off a stop and Danny Livesey is always going to put his body on the line for the team. "
" They can take as much pleasure as the boys at the other end who have found a couple of goals. So the team effort has been exceptionally good in terms of having to dig deep to get something from the match. If you watch us training then you will probably see Ben make those saves in training and Danny Livesey make those challenges even on a Friday morning. So the attitude is right in there to be brought forward on a Saturday afternoon and help us with results.
" He (Cleveland Taylor) found his goal, the lads are ribbing him in there telling him that he nearly missed it, but the fact is that he didn't and he is in the right spot. We have talked about being in the right places and I think that we were all probably expecting Danny Graham to put it away but he got in a bit of tangle and he found Cleveland and in it goes.
" Everybody, you saw the response of the team and how much they feel for Cleveland and what they think about him in their group. Everybody is absolutely thrilled for the lad, after last Saturday's really good performance and his standing ovation he has found a winning goal, so he will be a happy boy.
" It is an excellent start, we were just saying down there that now it is becoming a really good start for us. We have had to do that, we have seen Oldham win again today and Leeds are on the rails aren't they coming, so we have got to keep that working. When we can't get fluent football we have got to dig deep like we have done today. There will be many games like this I guess all around the country for ourselves and we have got to work at it. We need the supporters with us, which they were today and we thank them for that.
" I think that we knew we would have an away draw in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy on Friday, before they had made the draw it tends to be Carlisle away, I think that is how it comes out of the pot. At least it is not too far though, it is another game, I can't even get to think about it at the minute. Fortunately it is not too far away, we just get on with it and deal with it the best that we can. "