Both teams named unchanged starting line-ups after contrasting opening weekend results; Blues had performed well but lost 2-0 at home to Millwall whilst Orient had built on promising form at the end of 2009/10 to defeat Gillingham 4-1 on their travels.

Southend made a bright start to the fixture but it was United custodian Daniel Bentley who was called into action first to push Billy Lobjoit's fierce shot around the left-hand upright. The Shrimpers responded shortly afterwards when Nesbitt fed Julian Okai in down the left edge of the penalty area and the diminutive winger forced Tom Lovelock to grasp the ball above his head.

Generally the play in the first 20 minutes was scrappy and the visitors struggled to get into their stride. As a result, the O's were a threat and Bentley reacted smartly when Bobby Scott smashed the ball at him from Chris Benjamin's 14th minute knock-down before Lobjoit drilled an effort wide from just outside the penalty area.

That prompted a reaction from Blues and they took the lead courtesy of a wonderful flowing move. Stevens tenaciously won possession in midfield to release Okai who quickly found Nesbitt on the overlap. The defender, who had only once previously netted for the Under-18s, chipped over Lovelock and was already wheeling away in celebration by the time that Duane Ofori-Acheampong had made absolutely sure that it had crossed the line.

Thereafter Southend were in control and went close to making it 2-0 on the half-hour as George Smith benefited from a clever decoy run by Ofori-Acheampong to send a searing 30-yard effort whistling past the left-hand post. Ofori-Acheampong, wearing strapping on his leg after a horror tackle at the end of last Saturday's match against Millwall, then showed incredible strength to hold off Greg Knock and blast narrowly wide himself.

The half ended with Lovelock gratefully clutching Okai's 12-yard attempt to his chest, but the second period began in almost identical fashion to its predecessor with the hosts returning to the ascendancy and Blues struggling to retain possession.

A relaxed pass from Kane Ferdinand was intercepted by Benjamin in the 48th minute and United enjoyed a reprieve as Bobby Scott shot across the face of goal. There was a further let-off seconds before the hour mark when Benjamin's persistence got him past Ferdinand on the right and Bentley was forced to push out Lobjoit's resultant strike. Moses Odubajo believed that he had swept the rebound over the line, but a scrambling Nesbitt had charged back to prevent a near-certain goal.

There was no such doubt about Orient's eventual equaliser on 62 minutes. Odubajo was the instigator as he hoisted the ball over the Blues backline and Benjamin did the rest, lofting his shot past Bentley and into the net.

Stevens almost put the Shrimpers back in front straight from the restart with an audacious attempt from the halfway line that marginally cleared the crossbar, but the midfielder was presented with a better opportunity midway through the second half. Knock clumsily upended Smith as he latched onto Okai's through-ball and Stevens stepped up to banish the memories of last weekend's penalty miss and roll the spot-kick into the bottom left-hand corner.

Ofori-Acheampong squandered a good chance to add a third minutes later when he rose to head Smith's right-wing centre wide and substitute Hicham Abdellah was unfortunate that Lovelock's left wrist was strong enough to prevent his connection with an Ofori-Acheampong pass from finding the goal as Blues continued to press.

Bentley thwarted Benjamin with a decent stop and Ferdinand did well to slide and deny an O's substitute on the left in the last quarter-of-an-hour, although the best chance of the closing stages fell to Jack Paxman as he scuffed a shot into Lovelock's palms from ten yards out. Nonetheless, there were plenty of positives for Head of Youth Ricky Duncan ahead of next week's home match against Dagenham & Redbridge.

Southend United U18s: Daniel Bentley, Anthony Furlonge (Hicham Abdellah 64), Teddy Nesbitt, James Stevens, Louis Baucutt, Kane Ferdinand, Ryan Auger, Alex Woodyard, George Smith (Jack Paxman), Duane Ofori-Acheampong, Julian Okai.

Substitutes not used: Luke Chambers, Michael Hyland, Fope Coker, Rhys Mackay.

Goals: Nesbitt (27), Stevens (66 pen).

Cautioned: Ferdinand (60 - dissent).