SOUTHEND men’s first team go into the Christmas break top of Eastern Division Three South East following a handsome 7-1 win over Brentwood.

Southend started the game with the same intensity as the previous week, pressuring Brentwood from the off, with Lee Styles and Ben Aldridge keeping feeding the attack from midfield.

Despite a barrage of chances, Brentwood held firm, with their goalkeeper pulling off a string of saves, and keeping a rampant James Lockwood at bay.

It was Brentwood who took the lead, late in the second half, through a short corner routine, but Southend responded with a goal of their own from James Beardwell, to make it 1-1 at half time.

The boys in blue came out firing in the second half, determined to take a hold of the game, stretching Brentwood with inventive play from Billy Taylor and stoic defending from Kevin Johnson.

James Beardwell was the beneficiary of the play, with man-of-the-match Rich Hill, providing him with multiple chances, which resulted in four sublime goals.

Not content with a 5-1 lead, Southend surged forward again, Aaron Pitts bravely connecting with a trademark thunderbolt strike from Lee Styles.

It was down to the evergreen Rich Hill to wrap up the game though, jigging round two opposition players and planting a Christmas cracker of a shot into the bottom left corner.