The hardcore travelling supporters of Southend United - all 115 of them - were not to leave Victoria Park disappointed, instead ecstatic as their side picked up their first victory in eight games with the help of some terrific saves by Darryl Flahavan…
Before the game:
1 | Brentford | 23 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 19 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 18 | 10 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 37 | 24 | 43 | 13 | ||||
2 | Swansea City | 23 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 26 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 22 | 19 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 48 | 28 | 42 | 20 | ||||
3 | Huddersfield Town | 23 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 19 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 18 | 16 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 37 | 29 | 41 | 8 | ||||
4 | Barnsley | 23 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 23 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 34 | 23 | 37 | 11 | ||||
5 | Southend United | 23 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 18 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 34 | 24 | 37 | 10 | ||||
6 | Colchester United | 23 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 20 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 31 | 23 | 37 | 8 |
Flahavan, 27, was in absolutely superb form against the Monkey Hangers, making an incredible twelve saves as he kept Neale Coopers side at bay. The Shrimpers were under pressure right from the referee's whistle, and
Southend carved their way back into the game, and having escaped going a goal down through
Despite the early chances, Southend gave themselves a mountain to climb in the snow as Eifion Williams scored first blood to
However the Monkey Hangers lead didn't last - Freddy Eastwood levelling proceedings ten minutes later. Following some hard running from Luke Guttridge, Mark Gower whipped a low cross to the feet of the former Grays forward, and he rifled the ball into the corner of the net for his eleventh goal in seventeen starts so far this season.
Following the eqauliser the Blues once again fell under a huge resistance of attacking threat from
Darren Craddock fired possibly the home side's cleanest shot of the evening at goal, and with the ball dipping visciously towards the ball of the net, Flahavan somehow managed to bend himself backwards and claw the ball over the crossbar. Flahavan next denied Eifion Williams who was frustrated in his attempts to score his second of the evening - the former Southampton stopper diving at full stetch to prevent the 42nd minute shot from bouncing into the corner of the net, tipping the ball wide of the post. With only seconds of the first half remaining, Flahavan completed an impressive array of saves - instinctively pushing Thomas Butler's 6-yard header away from danger to the relief of the away supporters.
At the start of the second half, the Shrimpers custodian was at it again - this time blocking yet another long range effort from
The Pool went close again with their second free-kick of the match on 67 minutes - this it was Chris Llewellyn instead of Ben Clark who fired wide of the goalframe.
However despite the mounting pressure from the home side, Southend somehow managed to break away downfield and create an opportunity. One which was to be the winning goal.
Shortly after Mark Gower had seen his dipping free-kick punched away by Konstatntopoulos, Pool centre back Michael Nelson was adjudged to have pushed Wayne Gray in the penalty area by referee Andy Hall, and the midlander gave a penalty almost immediately. The Shrimpers supporters could hardly believe their luck as Gray coolly tucked the ball into the bottom right corner of the net, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.
However whilst some of the Southend fans were doing the conga at the rear of the stand, down the other end of the pitch the referee had once again awarded a penalty - this time in favour of Hartlepool following a aledged pull of the shirt by Duncan Jupp on Chris Llewellyn. Lewellyn stepped up himself, but with four minutes of added time played, Flahavan saved the spot-kick and the follow-up shot for a fairy tale ending for everybody concerned with Southend United Football Club.
The players and management's appreciation to the fans was superb, as the players threw their shirts into the crowd to extend the delight of the Southend supporters who still had a hectic six-and-a-half-hour journey in front of them!
Coca Cola League One, Wednesday, 28th December 2005 @ 19:45; Victoria Park Williams 20 Eastwood 32
Gray 85 (pen)Starting Line-ups 1 Konstantopoulos 6 20 Craddock 6 5 Nelson 7 32 Collins 7 16 Clark 7 17 Clarke 8 8 Humphreys 6 24 Butler (Maidens 75) 6 15 Sweeney 6 11 Williams, E (Istead 82) 7 7 Llewellyn (Daly 90) 6 Substitutes 21 Provett 25 Istead (Williams 82) 23 Williams, D 34 Maidens (Butler 75) 10 Daly (Llewellyn 90)
After the game:16 Goal Attempts 9 9 On Target 4 7 Off Target 5 0 Hit Woodwork 0 5 Offsides 3 14 Corners 3 16 Fouls 14 Starting Line-ups 1 Flahavan 8 5 Prior 6 2 Jupp 6 3 Wilson 6 6 Barrett 6 14 Cole, M (Bentley 65) 6 7 Gower 7 16 Guttridge (Campbell-Ryce 64) 6 8 Maher 6 23 Eastwood 7 10 Gray 7 Substitutes 11 Pettefer 15 Edwards 12 Bentley (Cole, M 65) 6 21 Campbell-Ryce (Guttridge 64) 6 20 Lawson Referee A Hall, W Midlands Attendance 3929 Hartlepool U. Cards Clarke 51 unsporting behaviour Southend Utd. Cards Wilson 67 unsporting behaviour Jupp 86 timewasting
1 Brentford 23 6 4 2 19 14 6 3 2 18 10 12 7 4 37 24 43 13 2 Swansea City 23 7 3 1 26 9 5 3 4 22 19 12 6 5 48 28 42 20 3 Huddersfield Town 24 7 4 2 19 16 4 4 3 18 16 11 8 5 37 32 41 5 4 Southend United 24 5 5 2 18 11 6 2 4 18 14 11 7 6 36 25 40 11 5 Barnsley 23 7 4 1 23 11 3 3 5 11 12 10 7 6 34 23 37 11 6 Colchester United 23 6 2 3 20 12 4 5 3 11 11 10 7 6 31 23 37
Coca-Cola Football League One
Completed Saturday, 6th May 2006 | Pld | Home | Away | Overall | Pts | GD | |||||||||||||||||
W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | |||||||||
1 | Southend United | 46 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 37 | 16 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 35 | 27 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 72 | 43 | 82 | +29 | ||||
2 | Colchester United | 46 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 39 | 21 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 19 | 19 | 22 | 13 | 11 | 58 | 40 | 79 | +18 | ||||
3 | Brentford | 46 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 35 | 23 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 37 | 29 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 72 | 52 | 76 | +20 | ||||
4 | Huddersfield Town | 46 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 40 | 25 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 32 | 34 | 19 | 16 | 11 | 72 | 59 | 73 | +13 | ||||
5 | Barnsley | 46 | 11 | 11 | 1 | 37 | 19 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 25 | 25 | 18 | 18 | 10 | 62 | 44 | 72 | +18 | ||||
6 | Swansea City | 46 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 42 | 23 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 36 | 32 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 78 | 55 | 71 | +23 | ||||
7 | Nottingham Forest | 46 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 40 | 15 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 27 | 37 | 19 | 12 | 15 | 67 | 52 | 69 | +15 | ||||
8 | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 30 | 19 | 9 | 3 | 11 | 25 | 32 | 20 | 9 | 17 | 55 | 51 | 69 | +4 | ||||
9 | Bristol City | 46 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 38 | 22 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 28 | 40 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 66 | 62 | 65 | +4 | ||||
10 | Oldham Athletic | 46 | 12 | 4 | 7 | 32 | 24 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 26 | 36 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 58 | 60 | 65 | -2 | ||||
11 | Bradford City | 46 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 28 | 25 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 23 | 24 | 14 | 19 | 13 | 51 | 49 | 61 | +2 | ||||
12 | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 36 | 33 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 32 | 40 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 68 | 73 | 60 | -5 | ||||
13 | Port Vale | 46 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 30 | 26 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 19 | 28 | 16 | 12 | 18 | 49 | 54 | 60 | -5 | ||||
14 | Gillingham | 46 | 13 | 4 | 6 | 31 | 21 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 19 | 43 | 16 | 12 | 18 | 50 | 64 | 60 | -14 | ||||
15 | Yeovil Town | 46 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 27 | 24 | 7 | 3 | 13 | 27 | 38 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 54 | 62 | 56 | -8 | ||||
16 | Chesterfield | 46 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 31 | 37 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 32 | 36 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 63 | 73 | 56 | -10 | ||||
17 | Bournemouth | 46 | 7 | 11 | 5 | 25 | 20 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 24 | 33 | 12 | 19 | 15 | 49 | 53 | 55 | -4 | ||||
18 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 32 | 30 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 18 | 22 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 50 | 52 | 54 | -2 | ||||
19 | Blackpool | 46 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 33 | 27 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 23 | 37 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 56 | 64 | 53 | -8 | ||||
20 | Rotherham United | 46 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 31 | 26 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 21 | 36 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 52 | 62 | 52 | -10 | ||||
21 | Hartlepool United | 46 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 28 | 30 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 16 | 29 | 11 | 17 | 18 | 44 | 59 | 50 | -15 | ||||
22 | Milton Keynes Dons | 46 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 28 | 25 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 17 | 41 | 12 | 14 | 20 | 45 | 66 | 50 | -21 | ||||
23 | Swindon Town | 46 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 31 | 31 | 2 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 34 | 11 | 15 | 20 | 46 | 65 | 48 | -19 | ||||
24 | Walsall | 46 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 27 | 34 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 20 | 36 | 11 | 14 | 21 | 47 | 70 | 47 | -23 |