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Southend applied the pressure on the home side right from kick-off and in only the first minute home goalkeeper Gareth Stewart showed nerves when he lost out in a strong tackle with Tesfaye Bramble; the ball slipping just off target, and then only seconds later a Tony Scully cross saw Bramble flick a header sacross the face of goal where the Bournemouth defence managed to eventually scramble the ball clear under pressure from Mark Rawle.
The Cherries first effort at goal arrived on 12 minutes, Stephen Purches shooting harmlessly over from 30 yards before Bramble tested Stewart with a long reange effort after good work by Scully. Big striker Steve Fletcher then saw his effort bundled away for a corner by Shrimpers defender David McSweeney before Cherries keeper Stewart left ythe field on a sretcher in the thirtheenth minute following a hard, but fair challenge with Rawle on the edge of the penalty area. Stewart was replaced by substitute stopper Chris Tardif.
Cort headed a Damon Searle free kick just wide of the upright on 21 minutes before Kevin Maher volleyed a Mark Beard flick on straight at Tardif.
However, on 38 minutes, a certainly against the run of play, the home side took the lead in controversial fashion. It had appeard that Steve Fletcher had nodded Garreth O'Connor's corner straight out pf play, but nevertheless dozy referee Andy Bates awarded Bournemouth a second corner and this time O'Connors flag time fell loose to Fletcher who powered an unstoppable header past Darryl Flahavan from 15 yards.
Southend however weren't only on top, despite going a goal behing they were, to be frank, the only team in it and were not to stay behind for long and the equaliser arrived just four minutes later. Scully fed the ball to Beard who bamboozled the Bournemouth defence before rounding Tardif and slipping the ball into the path of Bramble who smashed the ball home from the most acute of angles.
Then, within three further minutes, Southend were infront. An angled drive by Beard brought a fine reaction save out of Tardif but he was only able to push the ball straight into the air and Rawle reacted quickest to nod home the loose ball from close range to send to massed ranks of visting supporters into delight. However, just before half time United should have been over the hill and faraway when Rawle brilliantly spotted Bramble's well-timed run, but instead of taking his time and picking his spot Bramble seemed to panic and shot wide when really he should have progressed further into the penalty area. Ultimately Bramble, and indeed Southed, were to rue that squandered chance.
Southend were not the same side the the second half. They had lost all their flow, all their drive and most importantly their willingness to search for more goals. It seemed that the Essex side were content to sit back on their one goal advantage, but eventualy that proved to be a bid mistake as Bournemouth bombarded the United goal in the second period.
Flahavan was first called into action two minures into the half when he pushed Marcus Browning's 25 yard effort over the crossbar before the Shrimpers custodian again did well to block James Hayyer's close range effort.
Karl Broadhurst's neat 57th minute once again brought the very best out of Flahavan before a rare Shrimpers attack saw Beard half volley a Maher corner over the top following a Cort flick on.
Substute striker Warren Feemet chipped a shot onto the roof of Flahavan's goal on 72 minutes before the equaliser finally arrived on the 80 minute mark, Derek Holmes somehow managing to find himself completely unmarked inside the six yard box before cooley poking thre ball past the onrushing Flahavan.
The winning goal, and United's crucial blow ariived just a minute from timre. O'Connor's corner was never properly cleared and the loose ball dropped to Browning who desperately stabbed the ball home from close range.
Bournemouth now await the visit of Crewe Alexandra in the Third Round, whilst United await the result f Carlisle's replay against Scunthorpe on Thursday evening to see if the Shrimpers have a blank weekend on January 4th or whether they make the huge trek to Carlisle's Brunton Park for a League encounter.
Mark Wallis
www.thelittlegazette.com