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It wasn’t quite two completely different Southend sides, with skipper Kevin Maher getting a decent 77-minute run out before being replaced by trialist Max Porter – who also featured for the Club’s reserves last season – whilst Tes Bramble and Lewis Hunt played for the whole ninety minutes.
Despite developing into a most entertaining pre-season fixture, albeit spoilt by needlessly petty offocial Mick Thorpe, the match was somewhat slow to come to life and it wasn’t until the quarter hour mark when Bramble’s 15 yard volley dropped wide of Canvey custodian Danny Potter’s upright.
Ex-Luton Town striker Matthew Judge the headed a Maher corner off target before Jim Corbett somehoe squandered a fantastic chance when, in space, he drilled a shot straight at Potter from four yards after unselfish work from Bramble had set-up the opportunity.
Darryl Flahavan was called into action to halt the Gulls first chance when he pushed a Lee Boylan effort around the post, but on 29 minutes the visitors took the lead with a most controversial penalty. As Jeff Minton’s corner drifted into the box and Ben Cherey headed over the bar, Thorpe pointed to the spot indicating ‘ a push’ we presume against Hunt, but the decision baffled everyone not least the Canvey players who never even showed any sign of an appeal. Nevertheless Boylan confidently dispatched the spot-kick past Flahavan and into the roof of the net.
Southend were not disheartened by going behind to their Conference opponents and in fact began to come at the Canvey defence more. Trialist Ben Surey fired just wide after Corbett had flicked on a Nicky Nicolau cross before Maher dipped a 20 yard shot over the crossbar after a Mark Gower corner nad not been fully cleared.
Then, with just two minutes remaining before the interval, United found themselves on level term courtesy of a spot-kick of their own, and there was certainly no debate as John Kennedy savagely brought an end to Gower’s pacey sprint into the box. It was Maher who confidently stroked the ball into the bottom right hand corner with keeper Potter diving the wrong way.
The second period saw a much-changed Southend side really begin to dominate, and only three minutes after the re-start saw Potter do well to hold onto a low, curling Maher free kick and then the Canvey shot-stopper had to be alert to cling onto a Hunt volley from a floated Bramble centre.
However, with 52 minutes on the clock the Shrimpers gained the lead. Duncan Jupp swug a perfect low centre into the area and lightning quick frontman Wayne Gray Gray reacted in a flash had connected onto the ball before slipping it underneath the body of the advancing Potter.
Michael Kightly then saw a fierce effort blocked by the legs of Potter whilst Blues keeper Bart Griemink was tested by a neat turn and shot by Minton.
Potter denied Michael Husbands from long range range following a fine run from the former Aston Villa youngster before Griemink made a fine one handed save to keep out a Kennedy run from point blank run after an unchecked twisting run.
The last chance of the match then saw Husbands come within inches of connecting onto a fizzing low centre by Kightly.
MATCH FACTS
SOUTHEND UNITED...(1) 2 CANVEY ISLAND (1) 1
Pre-Season Friendly, Monday, 19th July 2004 @ Roots Hall
Line-ups:
Southend United (4-4-2; silver shirts, navy shorts, navy socks):- Darryl Flahavan (Bart Griemink 46); Stuart Williams (Duncan Jupp 46), Nicky Nicolau (Che Wilson 46), Lewis Hunt, Adam Barrett (Andy Edwards 46); Kevin Maher (Max Porter 77), Ben Surey (Michael Husbands 34), Mark Gower (Michael Kightly 46), Jim Corbett (Wayne Gray 46); Matthew Judge (Spencer Prior 34), Tesfaye Bramble.
Canvey Island (4-4-2; white, white, white):- Danny Potter; John Kennedy, Ben Chenery (Steve Ward 60), Gavin Cowan (David McGhee 68), Dominic Sterling; Jeff Minton, Ty Gooden (Kevin Dobinson 82), Jon Keeling, Neil Midgeley (Matthew Joseph 58); Lee Boylan (Ollie Berquez 80), Neil Gregory.
Goals: Southend: Maher 43 (penalty; timed at 42:29), Gray 52 (connected onto a low Jupp cross and slipped ball past Potter; inside area; timed at 51:31). Canvey: Boylan 29 (penalty; timed at 29:30).
Bookings: Canvey: Kennedy (45 – foul), McGhee (77 – foul).
Total Goal Efforts: Southend 14, Canvey 11
Shots/headers on target: Southend 8, Canvey 4
Shots/headers off target: Southend 5, Canvey 6
Blocked shots: Southend 1, Canvey 1
Hit Woodwork: Southend 0, Canvey 0
Corners: Southend 7, Canvey 7
Free Kicks: Southend 14, Canvey 27
Caught Offside: Southend 4, Canvey 6
Match Time:
First Half: 47:51. Second Half: 46:54. Total: 94:47
Referee: Mick Thorpe (Ipswich), 3 out of 10 – Nobody wpuld have thought that this was a friendly by the way Mr Thorpe was officiating it! He was as petty as you like and even produced two yellow cards, something you simply never see in friendlies!
Programme Cover: Nicky Nicolau
Mark Wallis
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