The month of August began with the 6-1 pre-season win over Chelmsford City and 2-1 defeat at the hands of Wimbledon at the Boots & Laces training ground. However, on the eve of the new season, Shrimpers chief Rob Newman made Neil Jenkins his third summer signing.
The ex-Wimbledon player had been training by the seaside after former Wombles team-mate Ian Selley tipped him off about a possible vacancy. Just four months prior to signing Jenkins had been a substitute for England Under-20s.Saturday 10th August 2002 – Hull City 2 Southend United 2 (Neil Jenkins 62, Tesfaye Bramble 90)
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Green should have followed up his goal with second, but incredibly missed from three yards and Lawrie Dudfield also wasted numerous chances to extend City’s advantage. The second half began with the Seasiders on top again, peppering Matt Glennon’s box from Jenkins on the left and Steven Clark on the right. Then, in the 62nd minute, just seconds after Greg Strong had blatantly pushed Mark Rawle in the area, debutante Jenkins equalised with an outrageous chip at angle twenty yards from goal.
It seemed as though United would now go on to shock their supposedly higher-class opponents, but six minutes later Hull were in front again, this time Stuart Elliott racing onto Williams’ through-ball to slide the ball under the frame of Flahavan. Jenkins and Selley both went close with long-range efforts before the Tigers were reduced to ten men after a soft Ian Ashbee tackle on Graeme Jones produced a second yellow card from Evans. This gave Blues the incentive they needed, and Tes Bramble blasted a low shot on goal in the third minute of injury time and, with the help of a huge deflection, the ball flew past Glennon to level matters.
Tuesday 13th August 2002 – Southend United 0 Carlisle United 1
Just when it looked as though there should be some positivity around Roots Hall, the Shrimpers flattered to deceive in losing to perennial strugglers Carlisle United. Southend created the better chances, Kevin Maher and Mark Rawle both testing shotstopper Peter Keen inside the first twenty-five minutes of the first half. Neil Jenkins then fired embarrassingly over the crossbar on the half-hour before left-sided counterpart Damon Searle did likewise on 41 minutes to send the two teams in at half-time goal-less.
The second half saw the organised Cumbrians trouble Blues through Ryan Baldacchino before time-wasting tactics set in. Ian Selley twice narrowly missed the target before Rawle agonisingly failed to connect with a Stephen Broad cross. Substitute Tes Bramble was United’s main threat in the second period, but Will McDonagh had already forced a magnificent low save out of Flahavan by the time that he headed a high cross into the back of the net five minutes from time to hand Carlisle the victory.
Two days after the defeat, manager Rob Newman continued to add more names to his squad by signing Jay Smith on a three-month loan deal. The Aston Villa midfielder had been on the south-east Essex coastline during pre-season, and had impressed, and Newman swooped quickly to add him to his list of midfielders with a view to a permanent move in the future.
Saturday 17th August 2002 - Southend United 2 (Neil Jenkins 9, Tesfaye Bramble 81 [pen]) Shrewsbury Town 3
Following on from the defeat to Carlisle, just 3150 fans turned up to see Southend in action against Shrewsbury a week into the season. And those that did ended up wishing that they hadn’t as Blues slipped into the relegation zone after just three matches. It could have been so much different as just eight minutes in Tesfaye Bramble powered onto a Darryl Flahavan punt and muscled his way into the penalty box, his ball finding Stephen Broad, who delivered a pin-point cross for Neil Jenkins to find the back of the net for the second time in only three matches.
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But Southend would not give up, and a fortunate penalty, awarded by referee Clive Penton after a slight push by Leon Drysdale on Bramble was converted by the former Cambridge City front man for his second of the campaign. Then, in stoppage time, Penton redeemed himself to the travelling supporters as a horrific lunge by defender Matty Redmile could have put Bramble out for a substantial period of time ands the official only showed the yellow card. Blues did not take the advantage from the set-piece as Bramble was ridiculously asked to leave the field of play, leaving Shrewsbury a man up, and the match ended in controversial circumstances.
Saturday 24th August 2002 – Oxford United 0 Southend United 1 (Mark Rawle 20)
Football paid its respects to the tragic death of murdered ten-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman minutes before kick-off around the country as the Kassam Stadium was no exception. Minutes into the encounter, Oxford could have taken the lead, but after David Oldfield’s crashing strike rebounded off of the crossbar, fellow striker Andy Scott somehow nodded wide. The U’s paid dearly for their mistake, and on twenty minutes, Blues were in front. Mark Beard’s precise cross picked out Mark Rawle, and he headed past ex-Shrimpers loanee custodian Andy Woodman to put Southend in front. The rest of the match was far from entertaining, but a phenomenal point-blank save by Darryl Flahavan from Manny Omoyinmi was the only real threat to Blues’ goal as they claimed their first win of the season.
Monday 26th August 2002 – Southend United 2 (Stephen Broad 7, Jay Smith 30) Cambridge United 1
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With the match swinging from end to end, it was the visitors who drew level after 28 minutes. Former West Ham United and Arsenal winger Omer Riza mesmerised the Shrimpers defence before firing an unbelievable shot straight past a dumbfounded Flahavan. But ninety seconds later it was all-square, with Jay Smith eventually receiving the ball on the far right edge of the six-yard box after good work from Neil Jenkins, Mark Rawle and Maher. The Aston Villa loanee marked his home debut by pushing the ball underneath Shaun Marshall from an acute angle. The second half did not bring much more action, with a Tes Bramble header flicked off of the line by Luke Gutteridge and Flahavan making a fantastic stop from Tom Youngs the only real goalmouth action.
The next day, son of former Leeds United and Manchester United legend Joe, Tom Jordan signed on a month-to-month basis for the Seasiders. The six-foot, five-inch central defender had already played for Blues Twos in their 0-0 draw at Brighton & Hove Albion, and took up squad number 23. Two days later, flop Tony Richards, who managed just two goals in his Shrimpers career, both against Halifax Town, left the club by mutual consent having been plagued by a number of niggling injuries.
Saturday 31st August 2002 – Rochdale 1 Southend United 2 (Mark Rawle 36, Tesfaye Bramble 82)
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In the second 45 minutes, ‘Dale player-manager Paul Simpson continually caused problems for the Essex side. Just five minutes in, he forced Darryl Flahavan into a good save from a free-kick, and seven minutes later he witnessed his long-range shot come back from the foot of the post. Just eight minutes before the end, Bramble doubled Southend’s lead as he drove home from ten yards after a Maher corner was not cleared to safety. Blues made the travelling army wait for their celebrations though as Gareth Griffiths headed home a Simpson cross just seconds later. Eventually the final whistle blew and the Shrimpers had secured their third win in a row in Lancashire, each time ending Rochdale’s unbeaten run.
Third Division table (August 31st 2002)
1. Hartlepool United Pl6-W4-D1-L1-F9-A4-Pts13-GD5
2. York City Pl6-W4-D1-L1-F12-A8-Pts13-GD4
3. Rushden & Diamonds Pl6-W3-D2-L1-F12-A8-Pts11-GD4
-----------------------------------------------------------------6. Rochdale Pl6-W3-D1-L2-F10-A8-Pts10-GD2
7. Southend United Pl6-W3-D1-L2-F9-A8-Pts10-GD1
8. Torquay United Pl6-W3-D1-L2-F10-A11-Pts10-GD-1
-----------------------------------------------------------------23. Macclesfield Town Pl6-W1-D1-L4-F5-A9-Pts4-GD-4
24. Boston United* Pl6-W1-D3-L2-F6-A8-Pts2-GD-2
*Boston United deducted four points for financial irregularities
TLG Player-of-the-Month (August)
Winner; Tesfaye Bramble
Tes managed three goals in the month of August, one of them the stunning equaliser which rescued a point for Blues at Hull and the last turning out to be the winner at Rochdale. As well as that, he netted in the 3-2 defeat to Shrewsbury, and looked certain to double that tally when Matt Redmile scythed him down. Had to contend with coming off of the bench and playing on the right-hand side of midfield, but still managed to perform admirably.
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Flahavan made a series of fantastic blocks as he kept Blues in some of the games throughout the month. His shotstopping ability has never been in question, and point-blank saves at Rochdale and Oxford, as well as a series of stops against Carlisle, were vital in the Shrimpers final tally of ten points.
Third Place; Neil Jenkins
From the moment that he marked his Southend debut against Hull City with an outrageous chip from twenty yards, Jenkins became a crowd favourite. A week later, in just his second home match, he scored to put United a goal up against Shrewsbury. Two goals from the six matches meant that the ex-Wimbledon man was second top-scorer at the end of the period, and his partnership with Damon Searle on the left appeared to be bearing fruit.
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Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com