TLG Review of 2004 – April

Last updated : 28 December 2004 By Robert Craven

Lewis Hunt expressed a wish to stay at Roots Hall
The first match of the month was a clash against Scunthorpe United at the Hall on a Friday night, an occurrence that would become more regular during the 2004/5 segment of the year. Blues rose to thirteenth by the end of the thrilling encounter, with Leon Constantine at the double once again. There were chances galore before Carl Pettefer finally sent the Peterborough United-bound forward clear, and he slotted into the bottom right-hand corner. Duncan Jupp sent another cross into the box, and this time Drewe Broughton hit his first (and so far, only) League goal at home for the Shrimpers to make it 2-0. Two minutes later Matty Sparrow’s weak shot was deflected in off of Steve MacLean to reduce the advantage.


Five minutes before half-time, Leon Cort made it another first when he converted his first goal of the campaign (at the right end) when he powerfully headed home Kevin Maher’s corner kick. However, it was back to just a one-goal lead soon after the break when Cleveland Taylor picked out the evergreen Steve Torpey, and Pettefer had to block bravely to deny the division’s top scorer, MacLean. The match was over, though, with just four minutes left when substitute Tesfaye Bramble threaded the ball into the path of Constantine, who scuffed his shot past Tommy Evans.


Steve Tilson told the Southend Evening Echo that he intended to make Lewis Hunt and Carl Pettefer’s loan deals permanent during the summer. Hunt was previous manager Steve Wignall’s final signing, whilst the similarly versatile Pettefer joined in February, and Tilson commented: “They’re two good players and I will be talking to the chairman soon as I definitely want to offer them something for next year”.


The third biggest attendance of the season, and the final five-figure fan collection of 2003/4, saw Southend lose unfortunately by just one goal to nil at Huddersfield Town’s McAlpine Stadium. Peter Jackson had narrowly won the Manager of the Month award from Tilson for March, and his front man Andy Booth only just missed the target with an early header. Nicky Nicolau sent a free-kick just as close, but on the half-hour, Efetobore Sodje found Pawel Abbott, and the striker acrobatically struck past Flahavan, almost in slow-motion. In a frantic second period, David Mirfin assaulted Pettefer and upended Bentley in the box, Flahavan made a glorious stop from Booth and Gower whacked against the underside of the crossbar.


Two days later, an equally exciting fixture saw an Easter Monday triumph for Blues over Darlington at the Hall. A bumper 5000-plus crowd packed into the ground, and were stunned as the Quakers raced into a two-goal lead courtesy of Danny Graham (from a Barry Conlon pass) and a fluky Ryan Valentine penalty. The incensed Shrimpers fought back, Mark Bentley whacking home a spectacular strike before Leon Constantine’s spot-kick, and then the eventual Goal of the Season from Gower, a brilliant drive into the top right-hand corner after cutting in from the left flank with just five minutes left.


In the days that followed, Pettefer was ruled out for the rest of the campaign as a result of the pathetic, cowardly two-footed lunge from the oaf-like ‘defender’ Mirfin in the Terriers match. The Portsmouth youngster wad diagnosed with a fractured fibula, but Lawrie Dudfield was ready after missing a series of games with an infection. On the same day, Carl Emberson departed southeast Essex after admitting defeat in his battle to replace Flahavan between the sticks. The former Luton Town custodian claimed to The Little Gazette, “It’s all politics” after appearing just seven times for the Shrimpers.


A trip to promotion-chasing Northampton Town again saw Southend unlucky not to claim all three points, as if to rub salt into the wounds that had United started the season better, then they could justifiably been competing for a play-off position themselves. The game was notable for Cort’s first booking in 78 games, that coming with the score at one-apiece. First Chris Hargreaves upended Bramble and Constantine hit home the penalty, then Eric Sabin went down under challenge from Nicky Nicolau and Martin Smith fired in from twelve yards. On the stroke of half-time, Constantine’s low cross was deflected in by Paul Reid to restore the Seasiders’ lead, but seven minutes from the end, veteran John Taylor headed in Smith’s free-kick to make it 2-2.


But it was the end of the road for custodian Carl Emberson
Three days later, again another set of promotion-chasers, Hull City, the result was identical, with Blues again unable to hang on to their leads. Lawrie Dudfield had been the Tigers record signing earlier in the century, and he returned to the side, but it was Stuart Green who hit the outside of a post in the first real chance. Gower compounded his misery with a fine low finish, but that was cancelled out by Junior Lewis, sneaking in Andy Dawson’s free-kick. A rare Kevin Maher strike in the third minute of injury time restores Southend’s lead, but the final goal of what was a fantastic advert for Division Three football arrived midway through the second half as Ian Ashbee let fly with a fine twenty-yard drive.


The next day, an appeal over playmaker Gower’s red card at the Vetch Field in December was quashed adding two further matches to the one-game ban he had served against Oxford United. He was also hit with a £250 fine, and decided that he would sit out the final match of the campaign against Torquay United in addition so as to undergo knee surgery before the close season.


The final match of April came at Roots Hall again, and ended in a 2-0 defeat to play-off hopefuls Yeovil Town, who had dropped from their lofty position after thrashing Blues 4-0 at Huish Park earlier in the campaign. The Glovers were mightily impressive again as the Shrimpers lacked any fight, and Dani Rodrigues tapped home a Kevin Gall centre on 21 minutes. Twelve minutes later he added a second, converting Jake Edwards’ scuffed shot.


A bad week was ended the following Wednesday as the Southend Evening Echo revealed that Southend were to be punished for not paying Colchester United £4,000 in gate receipts from the 1-1 draw that led to the Seasiders reaching the final of the LDV Vans Trophy. Ron Martin proclaimed it, “Utter nonsense”, and declared that both clubs had agreed to write off the proceeds. Better news came as Carl Pettefer, Nicky Nicolau and Jay Smith all expressed a wish to remain at Roots Hall, with the Arsenal man at least having a chance to impress in the final two matches of the season to follow.


Newsround (click on headline for full story):


Tue 06 Apr | Tilly Hunts Down Permanent Deals

Wed 14 Apr | Emberson Departs From Southend

Wed 14 Apr | Pettefer Out For Season

Wed 21 Apr | Gower To Miss Remainder Of Season

Thu 29 Apr | Shrimpers Fined Over LDV Fiasco

Thu 29 Apr | Loan Duo Hope To Extend Stay By Seaside


Results Service (click on match for full TLG report):


Fri 02 Apr | Scunthorpe United | W4-2 | 4976 | Leon Constantine 2, Drewe Broughton, Leon Cort

Sat 10 Apr | Huddersfield Town | L0-1 | 10680

Mon 12 Apr | Darlington | W3-2 | 5132 | Mark Bentley, Leon Constantine (pen), Mark Gower

Sat 17 Apr | Northampton Town | D2-2 | 5919 | Leon Constantine (pen), Paul Reid (o.g.)

Tue 20 Apr | Hull City | D2-2 | 5389 | Mark Gower, Kevin Maher

Sat 24 Apr | Yeovil Town | L0-2 | 5676


Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com