Cambridge United 1 Southend United 1

Mark Rawle opened Southend's account early on.

There was no doubt that the Shrimpers couldn't put up another display like the one during the 3-1 reverse at Plainmoor, and as a result boss Rob Newman had his players in for a double training session on Christmas Day.

Newman had to make to enforced changes for the trip to the Abbey, a clause in the loan contract of Tony Scully stated that he would not be available to play in this fixture - Cambridge, of course, are his employers - and Stuart Thurgood was serving the first of a three match ban following his sending-off at Hornchurch in the Essex Senior Cup. Graeme Jones was also dropped to the bench whilst loanee Daniel Marney - from Brighton & Hove Albion - came in to make his first start while Jay Smith and surprisingly Phil Whelan both returned to the starting line-up. Smith playing in an attacking midfield role just behind lone striker Tes Bramble with Mark Beard slotting into a midfield position.

The Abbey Stadium's biggest crowd of the season - 6,237, with at least 800 from Essex - brought a fifteen minute delay to the scheduled one o'clck kick-off time, and when the action did finally get into the swing of things the supporters who'd crammed into the tiny venue saw a strange match. Never once was this fiery local derby a dull encounter but looking back on it not much really happened!

Despite a few early nerves possibly brought on by the fear of starting badly after the Torquay debacle, during which David McSweeney was cautioned and to be honest could have been dismissed for a second late challenge, it was the Shrimpers who began to gain the intiative and Beard screwed a 20 yard shot just wide of the post in only the second minute.

Daniel Marney was handed his first start.

Southend then grabbed an early lead, Mark Rawle sprinting onto a Jay Smith through ball before getting the better of his marker on the right wing, cutting into the box and curling a neat shot past Cambridge goalkeeper Shaun Marshall.

In a first period void of many real chances, the cloest Southend came to doubling their tally was amazingly when Darryl Flahavan's huge drop kick nearly bounced over the head of Marshall who completely misread the bounce of the ball. Flahavan himself then did well to hold David Kitson's deflected shot.

The Shrimpers were on the recieving end for much of the second half, but for much of the period stood up to the task well with Whelan in particular excelling in defence. Speedy winger Omer Riza, a continous problem for the Southend rearguard shot over the crossbar after a twisting run just four minutes after the break before the Shrimpers came within inches of stepping further ahead on 56 minutes, Rawle getting right to the goalline before chipping the ball back where Bramble nodded the ball a whisker wide of the post with Marshall completely beaten.

A recent critism of Newman's side is that they tend to sit back too much on their leads, and it's certainly true but how ironic that Cambridge's leveller on 63 minutes came courtesy of a counter attack with Southend comitting too many players forward for a corner. It was Marney wgo eventually conceded possestion following a Kevin Maher flag kick and Riza's pacey brake away resulted in a low centre across the face of goal where Terry Fleming was on hand to poke the ball home from inside the six yard box.

Just three minutes after having their lead pegged back Southend came within the width of a post of regaining the advantage, Smith laying a pass back to Maher who's sweet 20 yard shot beat Marshall but bounced back of the upright.

The last real opportunity of the encounter came eleven minutes from time when Riza chased down a huge long ball forward and under pressure from the advancing Flahavan, headed the ball just wide of the unguarded net.

Mark Wallis
www.thelittlegazette.com