F.A. Cup First Round Replay: Southend United 2 Macclesfield Town 2(after extra-time - 1-1 after 90 minutes; Macclesfield won 5-3 on penalties)
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Blues boss Paul Sturrock decided to make one change for the cup replay bringing back Barry Corr for young QPR loanee Antonio German.
Meanwhile star of many a match for the under-16's and 18's, 15-year-old left winger Lyle Della-Verde, has been named on the bench, and could be the next young Shrimper to leave for a top flight club.
The game itself started with early Silkmen pressure, well manager simpson said they were going to go for it, and they soon had Anthony Grant clearing off the line, another shot well saved by keeper Glenn Morris, and three corners!
Southend thought they had finally given the majority of the poor 2,194 crowd something to cheer about when Corr found Josh Simpson in a good position but it all turned to moans when his effort went clear over the bar!
Play went from end to end with little quality on show if they could get past the midfield, though a header by Bilel Moshni went wide right.
This was followed by harmless shots from Izak Reid for Macclesfield and Barry Corr, and, er, Luke Prosser for the Shrimpers.
So that was the first half and after the break the football may not have improved but the drama improved, in a way only the Cup can provide.
Some more efforts high, wide, blocked or easily picked up by either keeper carried on until the Silkmen made the breakthrough on the hour, Everton loanee defender Aristote Nsiala grabbing the goal.
With the northerners holding on to what they had and no equaliser in sight Luggy meade a gamble by bringing on striker German for centre back Prosser!
An increase in pressure from the Shrimpers brought it's reward with four minutes left on the clock, Josh Simpson being found again in the box but this time makes no mistake, his shot finding the bottom left hand corner.
Two dangerous corners by either side in stoppage time, Vinny Mukendi for the visitors and Southend skipper Craig Easton going close, failed to break the deadlock and the tie went into the extra half-hour.
The talented teenager German then went on a one man mission to finish the game off; a header over the bar, a shot from outside the box, both failing to hit the target.
However, it was the Silkmen again that shocked the Essex boys by taking a second lead on 99 minutes. Aritote Nsiala with a fine strike from the edge of the area.
Many might have felt that was that, but then the Shrimpers equalised for a second time, as they did at Moss Rose ten days ago, arguably against the run of play.
Barry Corr shooting into the bottom right hand corner form close range in the first minute of stoppage time in the first period of extra-time!
German tried again in the final seconds with a left footed effort in the box that went high and wide, so the game was fated to go into a penalty shoot-out.
And you've got to give it to Macclesfield, who went first and scored all five, Chalmers, Barnett, Bencherif, Reid and Brown, while German, Clohessy and Hall got the Southend three with poor Barry Corr missing the second Shrimpers spot-kick allowing the Silkmen to a have a two goal advantage from then on, there was no need for the Blues to take a fifth, though Morris came so close to saving Brown's winning penalty!
It's Macclesfield Town then who ended six succesive defeats at the Hall and will have the pleasure of travelling to Huddersfield in the second round Saturday week as the Terriers beat Cambridge United 2-1, while it looks as if Southend will get the weekend off as Cheltenham, the abandoned game still to be arranged, will be away to Southampton that day.
For all Tuesday evening's results and reports, go here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/default.stm
Southend player markings: To be posted soon.
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