TLG Stat-Pack – The Shrimpers vs. The Cumbrians
Last updated : 25 March 2004 By Robert Craven
 | Dave McSweeney netted his only senior goal in the corresponding clash at Roots Hall |
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Brunton Park is no happy hunting ground for the Shrimpers, as the header to this article suggests. That solitary victory, now a whopping forty-one years ago, has been augmented by just three draws in Cumbria as well in that time, although the clubs have only met on twelve occasions. Indeed, from 1979 to 2000, Southend never even collected a single point against Saturday’s opposition.
This season, the club’s met at Roots Hall and it was the Shrimpers who took an early lead. Dave McSweeney netted his first senior goal midway through the first half with a cracking strike, and Leon Constantine followed it up with one of his 18 to date in the current campaign. Despite Kevin Henderson’s effort just after the break, it appeared likely that Blues would increase their lead after the break when Kevin Maher stepped up to take an early penalty kick. But that failed to find the net and Richie Foran scored an equaliser eleven minutes from the end to level matters up. Had Southend lost, they would have fallen to the bottom of the Football League.
Last year, in the corresponding fixture, Carlisle were narrow winners as Daniel Gay made his first start of the season between the sticks. The match took place on January 4th, and only went ahead after a late pitch inspection and pity for the travelling Shrimpers. A desperate rearguard action was launched for much of the game with just captain for the day Graeme Jones playing up front in a defensive 4-5-1 formation. Paul McCarthy’s only goal for Carlisle won the game for the home side.
That season, Carlisle won both matches 1-0, although the encounter at Roots Hall was very different. The Seasiders dominated for large spells of the game, but could not find the back of the net, and Will McDonagh grabbed a winner five minutes from the end of the ninety minutes. Southend last triumphed over the Cumbrians on 25th September 2001, when Phil Whelan, Danny Webb and a late, late Kevin Maher goal handed them a 3-2 win at Roots Hall in Division Three.
Last Meeting
Southend United | 2-2 (Attendance: 4,620) | Carlisle United
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Dave McSweeney 22 Leon Constantine 22 | Nationwide League Division Three @ Roots Hall on Saturday 20th September 2003 | Kevin Henderson 47 Richie Foran 79 |
Andy Petterson
Duncan Jupp
Dave McSweeney
Mark Warren
Leon Cort
Kevin Maher
Leke Odunsi
James Corbett
Mark Gower
Tesfaye Bramble
Leon Constantine | 7
7(80)
8
6
6
6
6
4
6
8(71)
8 | Matt Glennon
Brain Shelley
Des Byrne
Lee Andrews
Paul Raven --
Will McDonagh
Chris Billy
Brendan McGill
Peter Murphy
Ritchie Foran --
Kevin Henderson | -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
(76)
-
(86) |
Ryan Robinson
Jamie Stuart
Drewe Broughton
Jamie Fullarton
Jay Smith | -
6(80)
4(71)
-
- | Peter Keen
Brian Wake
Rob Byrne
Michael Jack
David Lee | -
(86)
-
(76)
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22 9 12 1 0 22 5 6 | Total Goal Attempts Shots/headers On Target Shots/headers Off Target Blocked Shots Hit Woodwork Free-Kicks Corners Caught Offside | 11 7 3 0 1 13 5 3 |
Match ReportBy Mark Wallis
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SOUTHEND United completely threw away their Division Three basement battle with Carlisle United at Roots Hall on Saturday, cruising at two goals ahead at half time, Wignall's side proceeded to totally give the match away...
The Shrimpers were simply outstanding in the first period of this encounter, and during the opening forty-five minutes the visitors from Cumbria didn't even have a sniff at new signing Andy Petterson's goal, but in a complete turnaround, an incredibly lacklustre second half saw Southend give the match away, and in the process missed yet another penalty. Kevin Maher stepping up to join Tes Bramble and Duncan Jupp on the list of players who have now missed spot-kicks in all of the last three matches. In each one of them it has cost the Seasiders points.
The home side bombarded the Carlisle goal straight from the start, and in just the second minute, Maher laid a free kick off to Mark Gower who's sweetly struck shot curled just wide of the post from 25 yards. Then a low Gower cross saw visiting shot stopper Matt Glennon, who once had a trial with United, block brilliantly at the feet of Leon Constantine.
Maher superbly won the ball from Brendan McGill in midfield before slipping in Gower who saw his 30 shot pushed wide by keeper Glennon. From the resulting Gower corner Constantine saw a low drive cleared of the line by Paul Raven.
Then in the 22nd minute the Shrimpers really sparked into life. Constantine's shot was blocked but the ball dropped as far as David McSweeney who fired in the first goal of his career with a simply unstoppable curling shot with the outside of his right foot which flew into the top right hand corner.
Then, just 48 seconds later the lead was doubled. Straight from kick-off Jupp on possession and drifted a long ball forward which Constantine raced onto and poked a high shot past Glennon. This, it seemed, was going to be the springboard for a convincing Shrimpers victory, it wasn't however to be the case.
Southend did however continue to dominate the first period and in all honesty should have had the game completely wrapped-up by half time.
Petterson was called into action for the first time on 25 minutes when he made a routine stop from Richie Foran's header following a Raven free kick. en minutes later a neat Jim Corbett run saw his low centre, directed at Bramble, cut out by Lee Andrews.
As the interval approached a good Gower cross was Bramble head wide at the far post when the big striker really should have done better.
The last action of the half, on 43 minutes, saw Constantine turn and see his shot impressively tipped over by Glennon.
Unfortunately, Southend's momentum was completely lost at the interval and Wignall's side were simply not in the match after the break. Carlisle, inspired by captain Raven who is by far the best defender seen at Roots Hall for many years, pulled a goal back just two minutes after the re-start. A low shot by Foran saw Petterson push the ball straight to Kevin Henderson who rolled it into the empty net.
Just three minutes later though and Southend were awarded a fantastic chance to regain their two goal advantage when whistle-happy referee Trevor Kettle gave the Shrimpers their third penalty in three matches after Andrews tripped Corbett just inside area. After two successive misses, captain Kevin Maher shouldered responsibility for the kick, but his shot was the poorest of the lot and Glennon made a simple save.
Then, on 71 minutes came an incredible incident, manager Wignall substituting Southend's main goal threat, Bramble, for Drewe Broughton who after coming on made absolutely no contribution to the match whatsoever, that substitution and the now inevitable penalty miss, contrived to the Shrimpers completely throwing the game away.
From that moment on there was only one team in the match and it wasn't the home side. Des Byrne, having found acres of space inside the box, somehow fired over the top unchallenged.
The bar was then rattled on 73 minutes, Petterson advancing off his goalline allowing Henderson's delicate chip to bounce back off the crossbar. Petterson then came to to rescue making a fine double stop from McGill but the equaliser was always coming and it eventually did so on 79 minutes. Mark Warren failed to clear the ball properly and after a goalmouth scramble Foran poked in the loose ball.
Southend huffed and puffed after that, but despite several attacks, Wignall's side couldn't string any decent chances together and remain just one place from the foot of the Football League.
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Last Five Meetings
20th September 2003 – Southend United 2 (Dave McSweeney 22, Leon Constantine 22) Carlisle United 2 (Kevin Henderson 47, Richie Foran 79) – League Division Three
4th January 2003 – Carlisle United 1 (Paul McCarthy 32) Southend United 0 –League Division Three
13th August 2002 – Southend United 0 Carlisle United 1 (Will McDonagh 85) –League Division Three
5th March 2002 – Carlisle United 0 Southend United 0 – League Division Three
25th September 2001 – Southend United 3 (Phil Whelan 44, Danny Webb 54, Kevin Maher 88) Carlisle United 2 (Richie Foran 24, Tony Hopper 83) – League Division Three
Complete Head-to-Head Record
2003/4 – H2-2 (League)
2002/3 – H0-1 A0-1 (League)
2001/2 – H3-2 A0-0 (League)
2000/1 – H1-1 A1-3 (League)
1999/2000 – H2-0 A1-1 (League)
1998/9 – H0-1 A0-3 (League)
1997/8 – H1-1 A0-5 (League)
1989/90 – H2-0 A0-3 (League)
1981/2 – H1-1 A2-3 (League)
1979/80 – H1-0 A0-4 (League)
1978/9 – H1-1 A0-0 (League)
1970/1 – H0-3 (F.A. Cup)
1964/5 – H1-0 A3-4 (League)
1962/3 – H2-0 A2-1 (League)
Summary
Overall |
Matches: 26 Southend United wins: 7 Carlisle United wins: 11 Draws: 8 Southend United goals: 26 Carlisle United goals: 41 Biggest Southend United win: 2-0 (three times) Biggest Carlisle United win: 5-0 (1997/8) |
In The League |
Matches: 25 Southend United wins: 7 Carlisle United wins: 10 Draws: 8 Southend United goals: 26 Carlisle United goals: 38 Biggest Southend United win: 2-0 (three times) Biggest Carlisle United win: 5-0 (1997/8) |
At Brunton Park |
Matches: 12 Southend United wins: 1 Carlisle United wins: 8 Draws: 3 Southend United goals: 9 Carlisle United goals: 28 Biggest Southend United win: 2-1 (1962/3) Biggest Carlisle United win: 5-0 (1997/8) |
Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com