After the first match of the new calendar year was called off due to inclement weather, it was revealed that goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan was injured and would be unable to take his place in the starting line-up for the next four to six weeks. The groin strain, picked up as he tore an abductor muscle in his right leg, had made movement difficult throughout the Sunday afternoon defeat to Scunthorpe United in the last fixture of 2002. At the same time, Rob Newman swooped for an old team-mate, Daryl Sutch of Norwich City, who had fallen out of favour with Canaries gaffer Nigel Worthington after missing a penalty at the Millennium Stadium in the First Division play-off final in May.
Saturday 4th January 2003 – Carlisle United 1 Southend United 0
It was possibly the worst day of the season to date for travelling Shrimpers fans as the first game of 2003 was played out amid frosty conditions at Carlisle United’s Brunton Park. With Daryl Sutch making his debut, and without suspended captain Kevin Maher and Darryl Flahavan, Newman incredibly dropped Tes Bramble and named the much-maligned Graeme Jones as a lone striker, and perhaps worst still, skipper for the day. The decisions defied belief and left the faithful fans dumbfounded. Predictably, the match was nothing to write home about, and a solitary strike from Jon McCarthy after an Adam Rundle cross on the half-hour mark sealed the win for the Cumbrians. Only custodian Danny Gay came out of the game with any credit for the visitors, making a tremendous double-save from Craig Farrell and Paul Robinson in the dying minutes.
As the season continued to drift towards mid-lower table obscurity for the tenth consecutive season, and the fifth in succession in the Third Division, director Ron Martin launched a scathing attack on Newman and his team in local newspaper the Evening Echo. Martin declared, “I have said before that it is unacceptable for Southend United to be seventeenth in Division Three” before delivering an ominous warning to the boss, “We can change the squad and the players that have underachieved, we can bring in a new manager or we can sit back and do nothing. But one thing we certainly will not do is the latter”. The next day, United chief Newman made the first of his culls as loanee winger Tony Scully was told that his would not be required any longer. The former Norwich City utility man stated that he wished for Steven Clark to have another opportunity in the first team.
As the heat continued to rise, Newman then invited Blues supporters to meet him at Roots Hall and discuss their grievances with him. The public plea, made once again in the Southend Evening Echo, saw some supporters visit the boss, although The Little Gazette’s very own Mark Wallis’ attempts to set up a discussion were shunned.
Tuesday 14th January 2003 – Shrewsbury Town 0 Southend United 1 (Jay Smith 20)
Despite the gloom that surrounded Roots Hall, a glimpse of light shone as the side gained an important victory in a rearranged match at Gay Meadow after the original match was called off on the morning of the Saturday encounter. Only fifty Southend fans were able to make the second journey westwards, and they witnessed a much-improved team. Jay Smith was the man who sealed the Seasiders’ first Tuesday night away win in the Football League for almost five years when he turned in Tes Bramble’s drilled cross from close range with the first chance of the game on twenty minutes. 
Either side of half-time, Steven Clark, recalled to the side, and Mark Rawle wasted good one-on-one opportunities to double the Shrimpers’ lead, but United continued to keep their concentration at the back, with Leon Cort making a goal-line clearance from the ever-dangerous Luke Rodgers and Danny Gay saving well from Steve Jagielka. Damon Searle, Smith and Bramble all had chances to wrap up the game late on, but a 1-0 triumph was enough to ease the growing relegation worries and threaten to challenge for the play-offs in the tight Third Division.
Saturday 19th January 2003 – Southend United 1 (Tesfaye Bramble 89) Rochdale 0
Blues completed the double over ‘Dale in the dying moments of a match that they should have sealed much earlier, despite a distinct lack of entertainment. After just fifteen seconds Jay Smith almost repeated his heroics at Gay Meadow by firing low into the arms of Neil Edwards before loanee Danny Marney and Mark Rawle both missed the target by a matter of inches to close out the first half. Earlier on, a free-kick from Northern Ireland international Lee McEvilly had brought roars of derision from the East Stand and the West after it managed to end up curling so far away from goal as to elude even the corner flag.
A Maher set-piece ten minutes into the second period went much closer and Marney lost his footing and smashed an effort into the side-netting from a wonderful Bramble flick-on. Just as it seemed as though successive victories would be too much to ask, Bramble came up with the goods. Substitute Barrington Belgrave commendably tapped the ball forward to Bramble as he was hacked down by Simon Grand, and the front man ignored the pleas of the visitors and the assistant referee’s flag to round Edwards and tuck home the winner. Official Iain Williamson also ignored the flag, and the goal stood to hand Southend another single-goal win.
Tuesday 22nd January 2003 – Southend United 2 (Mark Rawle 45, Tesfaye Bramble 70) Oxford United 1
The Shrimpers completed an incredible transformation from the disillusioned rabble at Brunton Park three games earlier with yet another victory, this time in comprehensive fashion, over Oxford United, completing a second ‘double’ of the campaign in the process. Leon Cort and Danny Marney tested ex-Blues shotstopper Andy Woodman early on before Kevin Maher headed narrowly over the crossbar. The U’s first chance came after 23 minutes, but Scott McNiven’s deflected drive served only for the corner routine to allow Bramble to send Rawle away at the other end, from which the former Boston United man set up the indefatigable Bramble to fire low at Woodman’s legs. On the stroke of the break, Steven Clark’s shot was blocked, and Rawle took one touch before curling a beautiful left-footed drive into the net for his second in the two fixtures against Oxford.
The second half saw further Shrimpers pressure, Rawle and Cort going close immediately after the interval. Clark almost scored after taking the ball around goalkeeper Woodman but just over-ran the ball, but twenty minutes from the end Bramble deservedly hit the second. Capping a magnificent personal display, the ex-Cambridge City hit man used power and pace to beat the visitors defence before firing wickedly past a helpless Woodman. Gay saved from Dave Savage soon afterwards, but an unfair tilt was put onto the result on the verge of the final whistle when Gay and Dave McSweeney got caught up and Steve Basham tapped home the loose ball. A ridiculous six minutes of injury time from ref Paul Armstrong followed without further danger, but some resolute play ensured that it was nine points out of nine for the Roots Hall side.
Saturday 25th January 2003 – Scunthorpe United 4 Southend United 1 (Jay Smith 17)
Somehow the south-east Essex outfit ended up on the end of a hammering as the month drew to a close, but the 4-1 scoreline at Glanford Park was in no way representative of Southend’s performance. A freak strike just eleven minutes set Scunthorpe United on their way, Martin Carruthers shot beating Danny Gay, but only just being deflected in by Leon Cort whose header hot the underside of the crossbar and dropped into the net. Mark Rawle narrowly shot off target straight from the kick-off before Jay Smith levelled matters with a sensational solo strike. The former Aston Villa man picked up the ball on the left, beat his marker and then fired an unstoppable effort past Tommy Evans in the Iron net. Rawle and Paul Hayes traded chances as the match continued to be close.
However, the home team were shortly back in front. Ian Kilford’s shot from a well-worked Andy Dawson flag-kick was covered by Gay, until Kevin Maher’s outstretched leg diverted the path of the ball and into the goal. A super save followed from another Carruthers strike, but as half-time approached slack defending cost United a third. Alex Calvo-Garcia was handed a free header and the midfielder left Gay no chance. Rawle went close, but the win was completed when Gay’s poor clearance fell at the feet of ex-Norwich team-mate Hayes, and he showed no mercy in converting the chance.
Third Division Table (as at Saturday 25th January 2003):
1. Hartlepool United Pl29 W18 D6 L5 F46 A29 Pts60 GD17
2. Rushden & Diamonds Pl29 W15 D9 L5 F46 A28 Pts54 GD18
3. Scunthorpe United Pl29 W12 D9 L8 F44 A34 Pts45 GD10
13. Hull City Pl29 W8 D14 L7 F33 A27 Pts38 GD6
14. Southend United Pl29 W12 D2 L15 F31 A38 Pts38 GD-7
15. Leyton Orient Pl27 W10 D5 L12 F31 A33 Pts35 GD-2
23. Boston United Pl28 W7 D8 L13 F32 A39 Pts29 GD-7*
24. Swansea City Pl27 W5 D6 L16 F25 A42 Pts21 GD-17
*Boston United deducted four points for financial irregularities
TLG Player-of-the-Month; January
Winner: Steven Clark
The former West Ham United made a dramatic return to the starting line-up having missed much of the season thus far through a terrible drop in both form and confidence. After the return of Tony Scully to Cambridge United, Clark was immediately brought in, plying his trade mainly on the left-wing with loanee Daniel Marney on the other side. He was exceptional as Blues triumphed at Shrewsbury and followed it up with continued good displays in the next three matches, helping to create the numerous chances that set United on their way to three consecutive wins. He even played well in the 4-1 defeat to Scunthorpe. All that was missing was a goal…
Runner-Up: Jay Smith
…which was certainly not what eluded central midfielder Jay Smith. Another ex-Premiership man who had been suffering through a mixture of poor fitness and a drop in form, Smith came back to form in startling fashion at Gay Meadow, notching the only goal of the game. He also netted in superb fashion against Scunthorpe in a man-of-the-match performance, which he also gave in the 1-0 win at home to Rochdale. And only the brilliance of Tesfaye Bramble prevented a treble against Oxford United.
Third Place: Daniel Gay
The Kings Lynn-born shotstopper deputised throughout the month for the injured Darryl Flahavan, and did an excellent job. He was easily the best player on show in the disappointing display at Brunton Park, and followed it up with consistent clean sheets against Shrewsbury and Rochdale. Another versus Oxford was denied in the last minute, and his only mistake came as Scunny scored their fourth at Glanford Park. All in all a decent thirty-one days.
Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com