The Road To A Roots Hall Final

It all started way back on the 14^th of October for the Shrimpers as they tackled fellow Third Division side Bristol Rovers at Roots Hall. As with reserve matches, only the East Stand was opened to accommodate fans, although eventually the 1,714-strong crowd overspilled into the South Upper. Then 17-year-old Michael Kightly made his full first-team debut against the Pirates, who at the time were riding high in the play-off places as Steve Wignall’s Seasiders continued to struggle in the League.

Mark Gower and Kightly from the flanks were outstanding, both switching sides to excellent effect and testing Rovers shotstopper Kevin Miller with early efforts. Leon Constantine also lobbed an effort agonisingly over the crossbar as he partnered Tesfaye Bramble up front, before the visitors took the lead completely against the run of play. Lewis Haldane waltzed through the Shrimpers defence and then tricked his way past Darryl Flahavan to slip the ball into an empty net.

Blues responded quickly through their leading scorer Constantine. Kightly got to the bye-line before cutting the ball back into the ex-Brentford forward’s path, and the 25-year-old made no mistake from ten yards to cancel out Haldane’s strike just three minutes after it had gone in.

Miller was called upon to make another excellent low save from a Gower shot beofre successive free-kicks from the former Barnet man saw Bramble stab inches over and then knock the ball down to Constantine, who followed suit. Constantine’s mazy run was ended by a brave Miller save, and then Duncan Jupp fizzed a header straight at the custodian minutes from the end.

The new ‘silver-goal’ rule came into effect, meaning that if one side was leading at half-time in extra time, then the match stopped at that stage. Flahavan had to save from Wayne Carlisle early on before a similar pattern of play ensued and substitute Drewe Broughton nodded just off target. The decisive goal came five minutes after ther break; Gower picked up the ball twenty-five yards out, shimmied past a couple of challenges before curling an unstoppable shot into the top right-hand corner. Kightly chipped over shortly after, but the Pirates did not threaten at all, and after 126 minutes of action, Phil Crossley’s whistle signalled United’s first round progress.

The Shrimpers Trust coach, filled with sixteen hardy souls, arrived in south Wales at quarter-to-five, plenty of time for some of it’s members to go on a six-pub crawl, whilst others preferred to stick to just the one for the next two-and-a-half hours. When in the wonderful Vetch Field, the Blue Army were housed in the corner of the Family Stand, with nothing more than a cave for refreshments and much, much less for toiletry requirements. Joined by 21 other supporters, Stevie Tilson’s barmy army proceeded to give an excellent account of themselves.

As did the team, with Dave Webb returning alongside Tilson to take control. Playing in the red third strip for the third time, Southend encountered a Swansea side understrength as they attempted to continue an impressive Third Division start to the campaign. In a drab first period, Daniel Nardiello, a loanee from Manchester United, guided the ball just wide before at the other end Tesfaye Bramble headed just off target. The Swans’ Jonathan Coates then fired against the outside of a post to bring the half to a close.

Wilson, making his first start for the Shrimpers, and Bramble both tested Brian Murphy in the City goal before, twenty minutes from the end, the former Cambridge City striker capitalised on Murphy’s lack of concentration after his own mishit and fired into the net. Eight minutes later James Corbett, playing up front for ther first time, opened his Southend scoring account, taking advantage of Bramble flicking Gower’s cross into his path.

As is the Shrimpers customary eagerness to help the opposition, they duly conceded, Nardiello sweeping the ball past Flahavan for the hosts only shot on taget in the entire fixture. Onto the quarters it was…

Second Division Luton Town provided the opposition in the last eight of the southern section, and Mike Newell’s side were unbeaten in nine as they visited southeast Essex. However, the Hatters manager chose to rest some key players as he struggled with a number of injuries in his squad. Southend still had to rely on Michael Kightly and Che Wilson to make up the numbers in their side, but they did not disappoint.

It took just 84 seconds for the Shrimpers to take the lead. Leon Constantine, back in the side only because of injury to James Corbett, picked up the ball thirty-five yards from goal and proceeded to smash it past Marlon Beresford and into the bottom left-hand corner of the net with Blues supporters astounded.

Beresford then made a fine reflex save to deny Bramble, although at the other end Leon Cort was called upon to deflect Dean Crowe’s shot over the crossbar. But it was again United who scored next. Youngster Kightly was revelling in his role, and he capitalised on a slip by David Deeney to round Beresford, managing to avoid the attentions of Ian Hillier to slot home his first professional goal on 27 minutes.

Strikers Crowe and Steve Howard failed to fully test Darryl Flahavan when they really should have and Matthew Spring did manage to bring a save out of the Southampton-born goalkeeper. Bramble nodded poorly over the bar at the other end and Drewe Broughton, on again as a sub, saw one one-on-one saved and another dragged wide of the post.

2-0 appeared to be the final scoreline when a goal from the most unlikely of sourtces wrapped it all up. Substitute Steven Clark raced down the left wing before sending a low cross along the six-yard box, where Broughton stooped low to effect a brilliant diving header and power the ball past Beresford from close range. Broughton again and Husbands went close thereafter, but despite the custodian keeping subsequent efforts out, the two thousand-odd crowd went home happy.

It doesn’t really require me to explain all about the 4-0 drubbing of Second Division Rangers three weeks ago – most people will remember it as though it were yesterday and those that don’t probably own the video. QPR were on a huge high, Blues had lost 2-0 to Doncaster three days earlier in yet another contender for the worst match in the season.

QPR brought down in excess of 2,600 supporters, but it was Kevin Maher who tested their goalkeeper Chris Day first with a stinging drive. Twelve minutes in and the home side were in front. Mark Gower found Leon Constantine on the edge of the box and the tall striker lashed his third goal of the competition into the bottom left-hand corner.

Paul Furlong and Martin Rowlands both went close shortly after that, but supremely resolute defending kept United in front and Drewe Broughton missed a chance to add to the lead with a snap shot over the crossbar. Clarke Carlisle just headed off target after the break as the higher-class opponents loomed large.

And then, halfway through the second period, Broughton headed a Gino Padula corner off of the goalline. The ball fell to Mark Gower, who swept the ball down the touchline for Steven Clark to chase. The West Ham United man held off Danny Shittu, raced clear of the rest of the defence and tucked the ball underneath the outstretched left hand of Day and into the bottom right-hand corner to seal one of the goals of the season.

Two minutes afterwards and Broughton rose highest to angle a Gower corner over Day and past the desperate lunge of Carlisle to keep it out and make the scoreline an unbelievable 3-0. QPR’s first-team were on the rocks, and their fans left in their drives to the waves of the rejoicing home support. Gallen fired over, but Broughton had the final say ten minutes from the end – Gower’s corner was headed downwards by Leon Cort, and ‘keeper Day’s save fell to Broughton, who instantaniously smashed it back into the North Bank net,

Meanwhile, Colchester United fought back from two down thanks to a Scott McGleish hat-trick to beat Northampton Town after silver goal extra time, and the massive Essex derby, the first meeting for fourteen years in a competitve fixture, was on.

This match really needs little examination by me – any of the 1,200 fans who were there and the hundreds more who crowded around their radios will know exactly what happened already – after all it was only a week ago! Southend and Colchester met for the 65^th time, and the 35^th time at Layer Road, and Blues recorded their 26^th victory in all, and twelfth in north Essex to set up tonight’s tie.

Steve Tilson rounded up his troops for the first trip to Colchester competitively in fourteen seasons, and in an end-to-end frantic start, it was the hosts that took the lead through Thomas Pinault when the Shrimpers failed to clear a corner. At that stage heads sunk, but after some inspirational play from Kevin Maher in the midfield, Tesfaye Bramble’s delightful pass side to Constantine in the 17h minute ended with the tall front man driving the ball past Simon Brown’s right hand.

Then, after a spell of superiority from the side from the south, they made all their possession count with a goal from a corner. Mark Gower’s flag-kick picked out the head of Leon Cort and the solid defender nodded against the base of the left-hand post. Ever the poacher in recent games, Drewe Broughton, was on hand to smash the ball into the back of the net from close range.

The second period saw the lead extended when a Broughton through ball found Bramble, and the ex-Cambridge City man hit a low shot towards goal. Somehow the ball dribbled through goalkeeper Brown’s legs and just over the goalline despite the desperate lunge of Paul Tierney. The match took a turn for the worst when Broughton was stupidly sent off for a second bookable offence and Wayne Andrews capitalised by heading home a Karl Duguid corner. And now it’s all back to Roots Hall for round two…

Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com