It was only six minutes of football but at least I?m back playing again.

I thought the boys were absolutely superb in beating Brentford 4-1 on Saturday ? it was one of our best performances of the season.

We are playing well but the gaffer thought that was one our best displays. We are flying up the table at the moment and the guys are scoring great goals.

It was nice to get a few minutes at the end though, I haven?t played for the first team for about five weeks so it was good to get on again, even if only for six minutes.

I only got a couple of touches but being involved is what matters.

I?m probably not quite there on my fitness at the moment, I think if I played 90 minutes it would kill me.

I played half of a reserve game last week ? and it was nice to get on the scoresheet in that ? and I will play again in one tomorrow, although I will probably go for the full 90 minutes just for the match practice.

The team played so well on Saturday that I can expect no more than a place on the bench for Saturday?s trip to Tranmere, but that is fine by me at the moment.

The lads deserve to keep their places, they played really well and really dominated the game.

There is all the usual talk at the moment from the Southend fans about play-offs and promotion but the lads are still staying pretty grounded about it all.

I haven?t been around them for a few weeks because of the injury but from the talk after the game on Saturday, everyone is just taking it all one game at a time.

Obviously we are at the right end of the table but it is far too early to be thinking about the end of the year and where we are going to be then ? we all have been around long enough to know football has a habit of kicking you in the teeth.

We are on another good run at the moment and, the way we are playing, it looks like we should be able to extend that.

It?s all about being consistent and, when things are going against us, not allowing too many defeats on the bounce.

As players we just have to concentrate and make sure we all keep putting in the effort and not get complacent ? and then maybe the rewards will come our way.

* * * *

I missed the Manchester derby on the weekend but it was good to hear the result. I was just coming out for the warm-up when we heard City had won 3-1 and it was a case of ?Yes, get in?.

Players can spend a couple of years at a club and may never really become a supporter but something special happened with City and after all the time I spent there, and because of the relationship I have with the fans, I have really become a follower of the team.

It?s always good to hear of them doing well in the derby, that is a match that has special memories for me.

I didn?t see Ronaldo?s sending off in that game but I saw Arjen Robben?s for Chelsea the next day.

No one ever likes to see a player sent off for celebrating a goal but the rules are the rules and he probably should have known better.

It seems a daft rule, I can see what they mean about inciting the crowd and all that, but when a player scores and runs to his own fans, I can?t see the problem there.

They are probably trying to take some of the excitement and passion away from us as players. Do they just want us to calmly walk back to the half-way line after scoring an important goal like that?

I must admit I have had a few cards over the years for both taking my shirt off and running into the crowd. But on those occasions I knew that I hadn?t been booked yet, so it was the worth the celebration because the booking wouldn?t matter too much ? even though I knew I?d have to pay the fine myself.

If I had managed to get myself booked already ? and that doesn?t that often happen because I only put in about one tackle in every four years ? then I probably would be more careful with my celebrations.