Chesterfield's 'quality' was difference, says Southend United manager

Goals from James Berry, Joe Quigley and Armando Dobra secured Town’s 18th home win on the bounce and moves them 16 points clear at the top.

Southend had some chances in the first-half but failed to take them and they paid the price.

“I’m not disappointed with the performance but I am with the result,” Maher told the Southend Echo. “It didn’t feel like a 3-0 but credit to them.

“We wanted to go toe-to-toe and we wanted to do that to see where we are at.

“For a long period of the game we were taking it to them but we didn’t do enough in their box in terms of more clear cut chances. We had one cleared off the line and Marcus (Dackers) has had one he couldn’t get enough power on the shot.

“We had so many opportunities in and around the final third but we didn’t get the final ball quite right.”

Maher added: “For long periods we felt on top of the game but we’ve ended up losing because of the quality they’ve got in the final third and the quality they’ve brought off the bench.”

The defeat leaves Southend in 15th place and 10 points off the play-offs.