With Luton Town having been pulled out of the hat for the FA Cup first round, and the two sides going well at the right end of League One and League Two respectively, SKY Sports decided that the match should be screened live on Friday 12th November. For United, this meant a quarter-of-a-million pounds in broadcasting revenue, although it meant that, for the purists at least, yet another match would not be taking place on a Saturday afternoon.
The previous televised clash had been the LDV Vans Trophy final against Blackpool in March, and it was progress as usual in the 2004/5 competition as the Shrimpers dismissed Shrewsbury Town 4-1 at Roots Hall with ease betraying the League draw just a week-and-a-half earlier at Gay Meadow. Freddy Eastwood’s bolt out of the blue put the Seasiders in front before Kevin Street hit a post and Jamie Tolley’s long-range effort squirmed underneath Darryl Flahavan’s body. Wayne Gray struck a penalty and Eastwood found another low finish before half-time, and Mark Bentley swept in Lewis Hunt’s cross to complete the scoring at the end.
With yet another two goals, Eastwood was now League Two’s hottest property, and clubs of the stature of Northampton Town and Scunthorpe United were chasing his signature. Blues boss Steve Tilson reassured his club’s supporters by telling the official website that a deal was close on the evening of the match: “We are just trying to sort the transfer out with Freddy now – a fee has been agreed with Grays and now it’s just personal terms with him but we aren’t far away”, the 38-year-old confirmed.
Another key player in the Shrimpers resurgence, Adam Barrett, was rewarded for a second fine month in succession with the League Two Player-of-the-Month award from the Professional Footballers’ Association, an accolade dished out by the supporters of clubs across the division. They now had another contender to deal with as Eastwood decided that his long-term future lay at Roots Hall, and he put pen to paper on a three-year contract that would take the 21-year-old up until the summer of 2007. Grays Athletic were placated by a large sell-on clause on top of the undisclosed transfer fee.
The switch meant that a loaned-out front man Drewe Broughton’s future at Southend was insecure, especially having bagged his first professional hat-trick in Rushden & Diamonds’ important win over fellow strugglers Notts County at Nene Park. As part of his duties as the Shrimpers’ PFA representative, Broughton told their website, www.givemefootball, “I originally came here to convince Steve Tilson that I was worthy of a place in his team but they are flying now and I need to keep playing so I hope I can keep playing here for the moment”. The LDV Vans Trophy draw, where Broughton had become a cult hero in 2003/4, saw United pitted against Northampton Town in the 2004/5 area quarter-finals.
Tilson’s Shrimpers made it six consecutive home wins – their best since the promotion-winning seasons of 1989/90 and 1990/1 – with a 4-0 thrashing of Oxford United, who named the 44-year-old hero of their 1986 Milk Cup-winning team, goalkeeper Alan Judge, in their starting line-up. Ex-Shrimper Leo Roget hit the crossbar before Carl Pettefer cleared off of the line in an even first half. The second started with Mark Gower tapping in and, after Mark E’Beyer hit the woodwork for the U’s, Southend finally broke sweat; Eastwood celebrating his new deal with a smashing angled shot, Barrett heading home a Kevin Maher corner and then Lawrie Dudfield firing in an injury-time penalty kick.
A move for former Tottenham Hotspur winger Darren Caskey was summarily dismissed by Steve Tilson after Hornchurch disbanded all of their first-team squad in heavy financial difficulties, the Shrimpers chief declaring, “When you look at the bench and see the likes of Jay Smith and Mark Bentley in midfield it emphasises the depth of the squad. Why should I change it? I have not spoken to Darren and do not intend to as I have plenty of quality midfielders”.
Sadly the midfielders as much as the rest of the side under-performed as United crashed out of the FA Cup with a 3-0 loss to Luton Town. The damage was all done in the first half, with Bart Griemink somehow allowing Steve Howard’s weak header to cross the line just twelve minutes in. Southend could not even chase the game as three minutes later a decidedly offside-looking Paul Underwood crossed for Howard’s second, and then Ahmet Brkovic added a third eleven minutes before the interval. A spirited second half display at least gave the near-7,000 crowd something to discuss on their way home.
As the Shrimpers cruised along in fifth place in League Two, they as much as the rest of the Football League were shocked by the situation at League One Wrexham. As their owner, Alex Hamilton, threatened to sell their Racecourse Ground home for £6 million from underneath them, they were placed into liquidation, and docked ten points. Thousands of supporters countrywide helped the Welshmen by turning up at their next match, with others wearing red at their own games as a symbolic gesture.
Meanwhile, closer to home, unlucky midfielder Jay Smith was ruled out for the rest of the 2004/5 campaign as he ruptured his Achilles tendon in training. The 22-year-old had only just had the plate inserted into his foot after the career-threatening ‘tackle’ by Warren Goodhind removed and returned to action in the Pontin’s Holidays Combination triumph over Gillingham when the news broke, and now the youngster’s days in Essex could be numbered.
The Seasiders were unfortunate as well when they made the tough trip to Huish Park to tackle Yeovil Town. The Glovers threw away their chances of promotion in 2003/4 by being too nice, but that certainly won’t be the case this time around as a season in the basement division of the Football League has helped them become wise, and they tricked referee Mick Fletcher time after time. There was little wrong with Phil Jevons’ opener, nor Adam Barrett’s leveller either side of half-time, but Shrimpers skipper Kevin Maher was inexplicably sent off for two non-offences, and Kevin Gall changed the face of the game after his arrival, setting up Bartosz Tarachulski and Scott Guyett to earn an undeserved 3-1 win.
Michael Kightly opted to extend his loan for another month at Nationwide Conference side Farnborough Town, and his invention was missed as Blues could only earn a 1-1 draw at home to Grimsby Town. The Shrimpers were slow off of the mark, and were punished by John McDermott capitalising on a rare mistake from Adam Barrett on 32 minutes. Mark Bentley missed two close-range chances to equalise, but Freddy Eastwood was the man to bring Southend back onto level terms on the hour with an unstoppable shot from an improbable angle. Bart Griemink saved United with a fantastic effort to deny Andy Parkinson at the end.
Again playing the semblance of a reserve side, Blues marched past Northampton to set up an area semi-final with Swindon Town in the LDV Vans Trophy thanks to a 2-0 victory at Sixfields. Only 14 minutes of a first half that Southend dominated had passed when Tesfaye Bramble slipped the ball through to Lawrie Dudfield, who knocked past Lee Harper. Seven minutes later, unsung hero Carl Pettefer scored his first goal for the Shrimpers after slashing in Kevin Maher’s cross. Scott McGleish hit a second period post, but despite an increased threat, United progressed to the last eight.
Newsround (click on headline for full story):
Mon 01 Nov | Shrimpers To Be Screened On SKY
Tue 02 Nov | Eastwood Deal Close
Wed 03 Nov | Barrett Scoops PFA Gong
Thu 04 Nov | Eastwood Joins Southend
Fri 05 Nov | Drewe And Diamonds Could Be Forever
Sat 06 Nov | It’s Cobblers For Blues In LDV
Thu 11 Nov | Caskey Links Denied
Tue 16 Nov | Thousands Of Fans Unite To Save Wrexham FC
Thu 18 Nov | Smith Career Hangs In Balance
Thu 25 Nov | Kightly Stays Away For Second Month
Results Service (click on match for full TLG report):
Tue 02 Nov | Shrewsbury Town | W4-1 | 2559 | Freddy Eastwood 2, Wayne Gray (pen), Mark Bentley
Sat 06 Nov | Oxford United | W4-0 | 5608 | Mark Gower, Freddy Eastwood, Adam Barrett, Lawrie Dudfield (pen)
Fri 12 Nov | Luton Town | L0-3 | 6683
Sat 20 Nov | Yeovil Town | L1-3 | 5839 | Adam Barrett
Fri 26 Nov | Grimsby Town | D1-1 | 5192 | Freddy Eastwood
Tue 30 Nov | Northampton Town | W2-0 | 3280 | Lawrie Dudfield, Carl Pettefer
Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com