Shrimpers match abandoned due to floodlight failure at Cheltenham

Last updated : 04 November 2010 By westfield shrimper
I know we were losing but you should never play around with fuse boxes!

(Joking aside, there was fire involved and the safety of all supporters is paramount, the correct decision was taken.)

Johnny Herd though is probably not in the best of moods as in a defensive 'crisis' he sat on the subs bench as Michael Timlin was moved to left-back allowing the surprising return of Sofiene Zaaboub to the left midfield.

As expected Graham Coughlan took the place of the injured Chris Barker, while Louie Soares started on the right with Ryan Hall being dropped to substitute, where he joined another forgotten face in Matt Paterson.

The winner when the game started looked as if it was going to be the strong wind which didn't make for good footy but it was the Robins who looked to be handling it better in the opening half.

Brian Smirkle and Jeff Goulding, twice, both sent efforts towards the Shrimpers goal before, in the 23rd minute, JJ Melligan, an old nemisis of ours who likes grabbing goals against us, fell onto a long ball from another face from the past, Josh Low, now playing at left back for the home side, and drilled the ball past Glenn Morris into the left hand corner.

The odd moan from the travelling faithful who felt the Southend shot stopper should have, er, stopped it, and after all his good work recently it was a shame to see him in such a poor position to attempt the save.

Sadly, Barry Corr decided to carry on his 'missing good chances' mode from the weekend when just before the break he failed to find the net with a header from just six yards out after an excellent cross from Graham Coughlan was nodded on by Josh Simpson.

The second half started more brightly for the Blues, before it got darker, and in the 57th minute the unpredictable Bilel Mohsni found himself on the right-wing and his cross found Blair Sturrock unmarked in the box, you have to wonder why a centre-back can cause more danger out wide than our two starting wingers, but his point blank header was brilliantly saved by Cheltenham keeper Scott Brown who pushed the ball away from danger.

The Robins were still looking good at times going forward but five minutes after the son of Luggy effort Louie Soares broke out of defence to finish with a good strike which was deflected for a corner.

Then 6 minutes after the hour, the floodlight on the far right of the Speedy Skips (no, really) Stand went out and the players went off never to return.

Not a bad result really, a defeat was on the cards, to fight another evening in the future, maybe even an afternoon if we're both knocked out of the Cup early.

For now, a break from league action until the weekend after next when we face Accrington Stanley at Roots Hall, for Saturday it's the magic of the cup, though a long trip to Macclesfield is hardly Paul Daniels.

Npower League Two, Tuesday, 2nd November 2010 @ 19:45
Click for Cheltenham Town squad list
Melligan 23
Click for Southend United squad list
Starting Line-ups
1Brown
6Riley
5Gallinagh
2Lowe
11Smikle
24Pack
4Bird
14Melligan
23Shroot
8Low
10Goulding
Substitutes
18Lee
21Jeffers
17Lewis
12Lloyd-Weston
22Elliott
20Artus
16Haynes
47.8%Possession52.2%
1Goal Attempts0
1On Target0
0Off Target0
0Hit Woodwork0
1Corners6
Starting Line-ups
1Morris
6Bilel
2Clohessy
5Coughlan
19Timlin
7Grant
4Simpson
17Soares
11Zaaboub
21Sturrock
10Corr
Substitutes
18Herd
20Crawford
24Evans
16Prosser
9Paterson
12Hall
22Fairhurst
Referee
Brendan Malone
Attendance
0
Additional information
match postponed ()
Cheltenham T. Cards
(none)
Southend Utd. Cards
(none)