THE Southend Horror on Sea film festival got underway on Saturday.

And for most of the afternoon the main showing appeared to be involving Southend United at Roots Hall.

The Shrimpers produced another flat and lethargic performance while suffering a 3-2 defeat to struggling Plymouth Argyle.

And the margin between the two teams was probably far greater than the final scoreline actually suggested as Blues fought back late on with two goals in the final five minutes to at least restore a semblance of pride.

The setback came just four days after Southend had produced another disappointing display when losing to a heavily changed Portsmouth side in the Checkatrade Trophy.

The defeat led to chairman Ron Martin expressing his displeasure in the changing room after the game.

And, in the build-up to Saturday’s showdown, Blues spoke of their determination to bounce back to their best.

But, in truth, Saturday’s showing followed a similar pattern with the Shrimpers again seeming to be lacking in attacking intent.

Perhaps the biggest criticism of all was the option to line-up with just a solitary striker against a Plymouth side currently sitting second from bottom in the League One standings.

Simon Cox battled manfully in an isolated attacking role but his stature means he is not best suited to starting up front on his own and the quality of service coming his way also made his task even more difficult.

Plymouth had no such difficulties at the other end of the pitch and raced into a three goal lead before Blues rallied late on.

But right now the Shrimpers seem to be lacking in confidence and character.

Injuries, of course, have not helped the situation and, after Harry Bunn limped off injured in the first half, Blues boss Chris Powell was without 12 members of his squad.

Any side would be hampered by such a long list of unavailable players and, without wanting to sound harsh, some of the stand-ins are simply not good enough to be called upon on a consistent basis in League One.

That said, those still available should be capable of producing performances of a higher standard and the Shrimpers should still be showing more attacking intent.

However, while Saturday may have been mostly a disappointing day, there were still reasons to be cheerful, thanks to the club’s youth system.

In total, nine of the 18 man squad came through the ranks at Roots Hall and two of the brightest young prospects still had reasons to smile at the weekend.

For Dru Yearwood it was the 50th game of his Shrimpers career and, in doing so, the young midfielder became just the third player in the club’s 113 year history to reach a half century of appearances before the age of 19.

Yearwood also became the first 18-year-old to reach the landmark for Blues since Peter Hunt back in 1971 but was unable to mark the occasion with a win.

Further forward, it was also a memorable day for 17-year-old striker Charlie Kelman who was handed his League debut as a second half substitute.

The youngster has bagged goals galore coming through the Shrimpers’ youth system and, on Saturday, he scored one of the very best strikes in the club’s history as he fired home a fantastic effort from inside his own half.

The outrageous effort was ultimately in vain but it still provided a huge highlight for everyone in attendance while also giving a glimpse of Kelman’s immense potential.

That said, it is still important not to expect too much too soon from the youngster who will still need to be carefully managed as he starts what seems set to be a successful career.

But, above all else, Blues must find a way to lift spirits and their energy levels as they look to eradicate performances like Saturday.

The most obvious way for that to happen is for the Shrimpers to make new signings.

Reinforcements are desperately needed in attack and on the left hand side of the defence where Stephen Hendrie is currently the only option.

As such, the remaining fortnight of the January transfer window could well be the most important of the Shrimpers’ season so far.

And new signings must be made to stop Saturday’s sub-standard showing being the sign of things to come.