Southend's Birthday Boy Peter Clarke sensationally equalised in the dying seconds to give the League One side an unlikely but deserved draw against high-flying Chelsea in the FA Cup third round at Stamford Bridge.
The centre-back sent a powerful header across the path of a despairing Carlo Cudicini to send the 6,000 away fans into raptures just as the referee was about to blow the final whistle. (Including one guy who landed on me from above!) 4 minutes of injury time now seemed an eternity!
In fact, Chelsea almost stole it back with the final kick of the game but goalkeeper Steve Mildenhall brilliantly dived to stop a Franco di Santo downward header.
The centre-back sent a powerful header across the path of a despairing Carlo Cudicini to send the 6,000 away fans into raptures just as the referee was about to blow the final whistle. (Including one guy who landed on me from above!) 4 minutes of injury time now seemed an eternity!
In fact, Chelsea almost stole it back with the final kick of the game but goalkeeper Steve Mildenhall brilliantly dived to stop a Franco di Santo downward header.
Blues boss Steve Tilson surprised the Southend faithful by dropping Simon Francis and placing experienced Dougie Freedman on the bench with Grant given a more defensive role on the right of midfield and the good Lord himself, Lee Barnard, a start upfront.
Multimillionaires Chelsea had only themselves to blame as their dominance of possession and chances in the first half resulted in just one goal - a header by Salomon Kalou.
Chelsea started the game well, finding space and gaps in the Southend half at will and Didier Drogba was denied in the 10th minute by an incredible last-ditch tackle by Osei Sankofa as the Ivory Coast striker was about to slot the ball home from eight yards out.
Joe Cole then flashed a low left-footer across Mildenhall's goal after a fine pass by Frank Lampard two minutes later.
Ashley Cole should have put the home side ahead on 22nd minute when he cut into the Southend penalty area. He unleashed a fine right-footer which Mildenhall parried away expertly.
Drogba and Joe Cole conspired to mess up another chance as Chelsea attacked at will.
But the breakthrough came on 31 minutes when a Lampard corner was met perfectly by the head of an unmarked Kalou at the far post and he aimed the ball accurately into the net. Yet another set piece goal given away by the Shrimpers.
The second half started much like the first with Chelsea on the front foot and a Drogba header from a Juliano Belletti cross forcing a save from Mildenhall on 53 minutes.
Constant raids by Chelsea with shots from Kalou, Belletti and Lampard all came to nothing.
Belletti almost scored with a powerful header on 67 minutes but the ball was cleared off the line by Johnny Herd.
Ashley Cole became the umpteenth Chelsea player to miss when he skied over the Southend goal on with 19 minutes remaining.
Southend boss Steve Tilson decided on a triple substitution on 74 minutes by bringing on Dougie Freedman for Lee Barnard, Franck Moussa for Jean-Francois Christophe and Francis Laurent for Alex Revell in an attempt to change the course of the game in their favour.
The Essex support, magnificent throughout the game, sensed that something could be on and raised the noise level. The away side started to have more of the ball and in one outrageous turn, the exciting Laurent left Andy Cole on the floor with a terrific spin and turn! The chants of 'Yellows' must have been heard all over London.
Then Southend almost nabbed an unlikely equaliser six minutes from time when Clarke headed the ball up in the air and it dropped slowly down onto the Chelsea crossbar. Most in the Shed End looked to the heavens, that was our chance! A heroic one goal defeat to the second best side in the country according to the present Premiership table was to be the best we would get out of the day.
The clock hits 90 minutes, Southend win a throw in out on the right but left back Johnny Herd, all 19 years and four first team games behind him, swaps wings to launch one of his incredible long throws for a player of his stature. The team had seen with that previous Clarke header how Cudicini looked unsure with the high ball.
The throw was an exocet, reaching the penalty area where Ricardo Carvalho unwittingly flicked the ball on for Clarke who rose majestically to grab the goal and all the headlines.
Marks:
Mildenhall - 9; What more can be said, watching that save at the end on TV, it was better that I'd thought. Must have won over the Roots Hall crowd now.
Sankofa - 8; A revelation. His zen like training regime has truly worked. I hope the now watching Francis saw how full backs should defend first.
Clarke - 8; Well, we did leave another bloke unmarked at a set piece again. Then again he did score a useful goal, 8 it is.
Barrett - 8; The sight of Captain Adam on the ground in the second half making sure the ball would not go to a Chelsea forward summed it all up, the effort put in was outstanding.
Herd - 8; Kept England's Joe Cole realtively quiet. Must have earned himself a regular start, if for nothing else but that bloody throw.
Grant - 7; If you think I'm giving anybody a 6 after that game! Gave the ball away in odd places at times but fought away with the rest of them.
McCormack - 7; There was another lively moment when Macca spun around and left thirty million ponds worth of Lampard for dead. Nice yellow card to miss the Crewe game and not the replay!
Christophe - 7; The strength of this man is incredible to watch at times. Welcome back, tired at the end but a good permanent signing by Tilly.
Stanislas - 7; Showed in cameos how exciting he can be, good to see we'll working on making the loan period longer. A class act.
Revell - 7; Good old Alex. He tried, and tried again. Tilly obviously likes him.
Barnard - 7; Still not back to full fitness but he's getting there. He may be missing chances but he's in the right position, he'll get there. Linked well with the midfield.
Subs (all on 75th minute): Freedman (for Barnard); Laurent (for Revell);
Moussa (for Christophe); all 7. They all did their bit, including Dougie, who did a nice touch of arguing with the ref to kill a few more seconds at the end, and Laurent, whose turn leaving Cole on his ass was priceless.
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