Rain storms of immense proportions had given the new relaid Rookery pitch a massive battering just a couple of hours before kick-off, but on a humid, if not damp, afternoon the Shrimpers managed to chalk up a comprehensive victory with the only downside coming with Mark Bentley limping out of the action with what looked like a knock to his ankle during the second half.
Steve Tilson fielded two completely different sides in each half, with trialists Ben Surey from Crystal Palace and Matthew Judge from Luton Town impressing in midfield and attack repectively in the first half whilst Spencer Prior, fresh from his release from Cardiff City, made a welcome return to a Shrimpers shirt as a second half trialist.
Bart Griemink, a summer signing from Swindon Town made his debut in goal as Southend, decked out in their LDV Final silver shirts, also included Andy Edwards – another returning Shrimper – in their starting line-up alongside Adam Barrett, last season’s Bristol Rovers captain, another addition who was born in Southend.
Backed by a decent crowd which must have been in excess of 400 Southend started quite slowly and it was in fact Griemink who became the first of the goalkeepers to be called into action when he did well to hold onto Scott Holding shot. However the East Thurrock woodwork was rattled on seven minutes when Edwards headed against the crossbar after Drewe Broughton had flicked on a Kevin Maher corner.
A bad clearance by Barrett just before the quarter hour mark caused a slight scare as Paul Linger intercepted the ball but frontman Mark Cartlidge eventually fired wide of Griemink’s upright.
A Broughton header looped inches over the crossbar from a Maher corner before the big striker also dragged an effort off target. Meanwhile Griemink was called into action when he got down well to tip a Keith Martin effort around the post.
The visitors finally took the lead on 34 minutes. A neat Broughton flick-on found Judge who’s through ball was inch-perfect for Mark Gower who, running at an angle towards goal, confidently struck a low drive past Glen Knight.
Another decent assist by Judge was Broughton badly scuff in front of goal before Knight’s legs denied Maher at the far post, but despite that missed opportunity the lead was doubled only moments later in the 44th minute when a low Maher centre found Jim Corbett in space and the forer Blackburn Rovers wideman stabbed the ball home from six yards.
With eleven half-time changes made the second period saw Wayne Gray, signed from Milton Keynes Dons, given his first outing up front alongside Tes Bramble and a brace from the speedy striker helped set-up what was a mightily impressive second half showing.
The ball started rolling with the arrival of the third goal just six minutes after the re-start when Bramble’s mishit 25 yard drive somehow evaded the reach of Knight and nestled in the bottom left hand corner and then, only a further two more minutes in, arrived the fourth. Bramble who enjoyed a great forty-five minutes, knocked the ball into the path of Gray who used fantastic strength to turn Anthony Henry finished brilliantly with a firm shot into the roof of the net from ten yards.
Shot-stopper Knight was called upon to block a Michael Kightly effort after a fine run from the youngster before a decidedly accurate right wing Bramble cross found Gray who firmly nodded home the fifth goal from eight yards on 61 minutes.
The Seasiders made it six-nil four minutes later when Michael Husbands sprinted clear and smashed a shot past Knight after Bramble had done very well to firstly win the ball and then play an impressive through ball.
Kightly came agonisingly close to hitting the net when his curling free kick smacked the inside of the post before bouncing clear across the face of goal, but the rout was completed on 86 minutes when the seventh goal came courtesy of an own goal by Lee Burns who sliced a low Nicky Nicolau cross past the helpless Knight.
MATCH FACTS
EAST THURROCK UNITED...(0) 0 SOUTHEND UNITED (2) 7
Pre-Season Friendly, Saturday, 17th July 2004 @ Rookery Hill
Line-ups:
East Thurrock United (4-4-2; amber and black striped shirts ,black shorts, black socks:-
First half: Glen Knight; Scott Holding, Lee Burns, Andrew Baldwin, Wayne Brown; Anthony Henry, Gary Dixon, Keith Martin, Paul Linger; Vinnie John, Mark Cartlidge.
Second half: Glen Knight; Kevin Mully, Ricky Daly, Andrew Baldwin (Scott Holding 60), Micky Engwell; Anthony Henry, Gary Dixon, Paul Linger (Lee Burns 58), Michael Cannovan; Jon Turnbull, Scott Mallon.
Southend United (4-4-2; silver, navy, navy):-
First half: Bart Griemink; Stuart Williams, Che Wilson, Andy Edwards, Adam Barrett; Ben Surey, Kevin Maher, Mark Gower, Jim Corbett; Matthew Judge, Drewe Broughton.
Second half: Darry Flahavan; Duncan Jupp, Nicky Nicolau, Lewis Hunt, Spencer Prior; Mark Bentley (Ben Surey 59), David Bryan, Michael Husbands, Michael Kightly; Wayne Gray, Tesfaye Bramble.
Goals: Southend: Gower 34 (latched onto a fantastic low ball from Williams before finishing an angled run with a low finish from close range; inside area; timed at 33:16), Corbett 44 (stabbed home from six yards following a neat Maher centre; inside area; timed at 43:40), Bramble 51 (a mishit 25 yard shot which somehow bounced underneath the arms of Knight; outside area; timed at 50:25), Gray 53 (collected a Bramble pass before brilliantly turned his defender and fired home an impressive finish from ten yards; inside area; timed at 52:40), Gray 61 (a powerful header from a superb Bramble cross; inside area; timed at 60:44), Husbands 65 (a fine Bramble through ball saw Husbands sprint clear before firing home from tenyards; insidea area; time at 64:20), Burns [own goal] 86 (sliced a Nicolau cross into his own net; inside area; timed at 85:29)
Bookings: None
Total Goal Efforts: East Thurrock 8, Southend 27
Shots/headers on target: East Thurrock 2, Southend 10
Shots/headers off target: East Thurrock 5, Southend 11
Blocked shots: East Thurrock 1, Southend 4
Hit Woodwork: East Thurrock 0, Southend 2
Corners: East Thurrock 5, Southend 8
Free Kicks: East Thurrock 11, Southend 11
Caught Offside: East Thurrock 1, Southend 2
Match Time:
First Half: 45:47. Second Half: 45:18. Total: 91:05
Attendance: c.450
Mark Wallis
www.thelittlegazette.com