Stunning strike seals Shrimpers success over Forest Green Rovers

Nathan Ferguson has gone viral on social media, as his 42-yard strike stunned Forest Green Rovers in a 3-1 victory for Southend United.

The Shrimpers opened the scoring in the 20th minute as centre-half Shaun Hobson stuck a sweet volley past a hopeless Lewis Thomas. From then on, Rovers never seemed to be able to find a route into the game and the promotion hopefuls were mostly left chasing shadows.

Mark Molesley’s side doubled their lead ten minutes after the half-time interval as Simeon Akinola weaved in and out of the host’s defence before laying off perfectly to Timothée Dieng who was given the time to open up his body and fired a neat finish into his far corner.

It was his midfield partner who would steal the midweek headlines, as he sent an exceptional, fierce strike into the top corner of Thomas’ goal from 42 yards out. You will struggle to find a better goal this season, the intent was there, the 25-year-old knew exactly where he wanted to put the ball, and he made no mistake in doing so.

Mark Molesley signed Ferguson in the latter stages of the January window, and many Blues fans were unsure of what role he would play within the side. Fans of his previous club, Crawley Town, had high praise for him as he made the switch to the South Essex club, with comments largely along the lines of, “Great on the ball, not so good off it.”

He has been utilised in a holding midfield role since his arrival, sitting behind two other central midfielders varying from Dieng, to Kyle Taylor, to Jason Demetriou. It has to be said that within all combinations of these central midfielders, Ferguson has shone brightest and seems to be a real coup for the League Two strugglers.

His ability on the ball has so far been very impressive for the Shrimpers, and his strike against Forest Green only backs that up.

He has a lot of experience playing in non-league, so it was no surprise that Molesley had a keen eye on him and has so far been getting the best out of him.

The 25-year-old has made five appearances since signing for the Shrimpers and scored twice. Meanwhile, at the other end of the pitch, the Blues have only conceded two goals whilst he has been on the field.

In his four starts, Southend have picked up seven points from a possible 12, including the recent victory against Forest Green along with three points against promotion-chasing Newport County and a respectable draw against top of the table Cambridge United.

So it is fair to say that he’s made a big impact on the side. Previously, Alan McCormack would have been one of the first names on the Southend team sheet as a holding midfielder, but for now, Ferguson seems to be holding down that role very impressively.

Despite tonight’s result, Forest Green still sit second in the league after Cambridge’s defeat to Cheltenham Town on Tuesday keeps the top of the league within touching distance for Mark Cooper’s side.

Rovers weren’t at the races against Southend and that happens with any side, but genuine promotion chasers will not get too down about it and will provide a big reaction in their next match. Their next fixture against Colchester United is a huge opportunity to get back on track.

The Shrimpers must make sure they build upon this impressive result as the relegation battle is certainly heating up with Barrow and Grimsby Town also picking up midweek victories. For now, the Blues stay outside the relegation zone and Ferguson will be watching his strike over and over again.

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