TLG Review of 2004 – September - Shrimpers24

Mark Bentley had an eventful month - named as goalkeepiong cover for Darryl Flahavan, scoring in a losing cause against Wycombe and then sent off wrongfully at Colchester

The Football League confirmed the day after the Premiership transfer window shut that they had no intentions of going the same way. Since the instigation of the idea, formulated across the whole of Europe, the lower three tiers of the English structure have stood firm against the ridiculous hindering of trade between clubs, and 2004/5 was to be no exception. Meanwhile, they also announced that the sponsorship of the Football League Trophy was to continue to be awarded to LDV Vans for the next three seasons.

The match against Rushden was the chance that Steve Tilson’s men required to continue the good work start against the Silkmen, and strikers Lawrie Dudfield and Tesfaye Bramble responded to the threat of Wayne Gray and Drewe Broughton by hitting three of the four goals. Dudfield was first off the mark, converting a Barrett knock-down on 19 minutes, and he added a second from the penalty spot nine minutes after half-time after being hauled down by former Blues trialist Rob Gier, who was sent off. That cancelled out Spencer Prior’s mistake to allow Andrew Burgess to score, and Bramble powerfully nodded in before Barrett’s pressure helped David Bell knock the ball into his own net at the end.

The only bad news surrounding the game came some five days later when it was revealed that goalkeeper Bart Griemink would miss the next six weeks, having been replaced by Darryl Flahavan on 37 minutes in the match after making a brave stop and tweaking his knee. He was diagnosed as having a second degree sprain of the knee, and speaking at the Shrimpers Trust Question & Answer session (the full transcript of which can be found on www.shrimperstrust.co.uk), manager Steve Tilson said, “If I bring Simon Royce in as number one, then Darryl is back to number two and he may as well go up the road. We are looking to get a young Premiership goalkeeper in as cover for Darryl”.

There was no cover on the bench as the Shrimpers faced Wycombe Wanderers the next Saturday, with the Chairboys going top after a 2-1 victory. United dominated the match from start to finish, but somehow the Buckinghamshire side stole the three points as Nathan Tyson outpaced the Southend defence and slotted past Flahavan and then Danny Senda smashed an outstanding effort from 25 yards into the roof of the net with eight minutes left. A fine cross from Carl Pettefer had assisted Mark Bentley in giving Blues the lead just before the break, and the ex-Portsmouth man saw a curling shot cannon off of the angle of post and crossbar just before Senda’s magical strike won the game for Wycombe.

With the search for a new goalkeeper not going well, Steve Tilson told the Southend Evening Echo that goalscorer Bentley was the man nominated to go in goal if Flahavan picked up an injury. “Mark Bentley was on stand-by as back-up keeper because he fancies himself between the sticks which isn’t ideal”, the 38-year-old said, adding, “Obviously we didn’t have anyone on the bench against Wycombe which is a situation we are not keen on”. Bentley had performed the task for Dagenham & Redbridge on a couple of occasions before joining the Seasiders.

Michael Husbands was then told for the second time in his Shrimpers career that he could leave Roots Hall by Tilson as the speedy winger failed to make his mark at the start of the 2004/5 campaign. Husbands did score in the Pontin’s Holidays Combination clash with Oxford United, but it was not enough, and his details were circulated by the Shrimpers.

The Press Association were also forced to chalk off Adam Barrett’s ‘goal’ against Rushden & Diamonds, which we at The Little Gazette had established at the time as being attributed to David Bell, the Diamonds player. Co-editor Mark Wallis had got in contact with the relevant authorities to point out their mistake. Steve Tomlin, meanwhile, was handed the whistle for the month-ending LDV Vans Trophy first round derby between the Blues and the U’s, although Paul Robinson did take over the job on the day.

Jimmy Corbett doesn't get many chances to impress, but he grabbed the headlines with his spot-kick stunner at Layer Road

Notts County have a reputation as the world’s oldest football club, but a 2-1 Meadow Lane defeat to United meant that they slipped to the very bottom of the Football League for the first time. Barrett made up for the goal taken away from him at Nene Park by heading two more to his tally either side of half-time. A hanging free-kick from Kevin Maher was nodding in via the inside of the post in the first period, and then the captain’s flag-kick was looped into the opposite corner of the goal. Lawrie Dudfield and substitute Wayne Gray should have wrapped the points up, but Glyn Hurst was able to tap in a consolation at the end.

Southend management duo Steve Tilson and Paul Brush then starred as Billericay Town celebrated 25 years since their third and final FA Vase triumph at Wembley. Ex-Shrimpers Peter Taylor (Billericay Old Boys) and Matt Jones (All Stars) scored for either side in a 2-2 draw. The next day, a more sombre occasion was broadcast as news of 69-year-old Brian Clough’s death was told to the world. The former Nottingham Forest legend’s legacy of a stand at the City Ground was visible two days earlier on Southend’s trip to Notts County, and as he left the game in 1993, Forest’s first match post-Cloughie was against the Shrimpers.

Husbands bemoaned the his lack of opportunities, claiming that he felt as though he wasn’t wanted at Roots Hall in an interview with the Echo’s Chris Phillips. For fellow forwards Wayne Gray and Tesfaye Bramble there were more encouraging words from assistant boss Paul Brush, who said that both would be given their chance shortly. Defender Adam Barrett then revealed to the same newspaper that he could have joined United four years earlier than he did, but the timing was wrong.

A 1-0 home win over Kidderminster Harriers pushed Southend into the top half of the table for the first time in 2004/5, and ensured that they were on a run of four wins from five matches going into the LDV Vans Trophy encounter with Colchester. Mark Gower had already forced goalkeeper John Danby into a fine save with a deflected free-kick early on by the time that Mark Bentley’s slipped pass into his path on 27 minutes was clinically finished by the playmaker. Dudfield hit the sidenetting, and Bramble was denied three times by Danby as United’s domination was scantly rewarded.

On the eve of the all-Essex match at Layer Road, Tilson defended his choice not to place a substitute goalkeeper on the bench during the month following Bart Griemink’s injury. He claimed, “It’s not a major issue for me; some clubs don’t have a sub keeper on the bench all season”, but his words would eventually come back to haunt him.

That would not be in the ‘Battle of Layer Road: Part Two’, however, as the U’s sought revenge for their removal from the competition in 2003/4. Tesfaye Bramble gave the Shrimpers the lead five minutes before the break, thundering a low volley past Aidan Davison from twenty yards. Gower clipped a post, but a succession of awful decisions from Robinson preceded Joe Keith’s free-kick, touched in by Richard Garcia. It stayed 1-1 at full-time, with Wayne Gray hitting a post, and the sides went into stoppage time.

Darryl Flahavan and Davison traded saves, the latter from Bentley, before the ex-Dagenham man was dismissed for allegedly stamping on Stephen Hunt on the halfway line. Incensed Shrimpers behind both goals were livid with the officials, but were placated as Flahavan made a wonderful save from Danns one-on-one, to fingertip the ball around the post, and then Gray, Lewis Hunt, Kevin Maher, Drewe Broughton and Jimmy Corbett all slammed in their penalties. Wayne Brown dragged his wide of the right-hand post, and Blues had done it again over their local rivals. Tilson and Bentley plotted an appeal against the midfielder’s red card, but the main job of the evening was done.

Newsround (click on headline for full story):

Wed 01 Sept | Football League Leave Window Open

Wed 01 Sept | LDV Sponsorship Motors On

Thu 09 Sept | Griemink To Miss Six Weeks

Tue 14 Sept | Bentley Back Up As Search Continues

Thu 16 Sept | Husbands Permitted To Leave

Thu 16 Sept | TLG Pressure Leads To PA Own Goal

Fri 17 Sept | Tomlin Given Whistle For LDV Clash

Sun 19 Sept | Tilson and Brush Star In Vase Celebrations

Mon 20 Sept | Brian Clough Dies At 69

Tue 21 Sept | Shrimpers Suffer Mixed Fortunes

Thu 23 Sept | Barrett Could Have Been A Blue Four Years Ago

Mon 27 Sept | Tilson Defends Goalkeeping Stance