Southend's Birthday Boy Peter Clarke sensationally equalised in the dying seconds to give the League One side an unlikely but deserved draw against high-flying Chelsea in the FA Cup third round at Stamford Bridge.
The centre-back sent a powerful header across the path of a despairing Carlo Cudicini to send the 6,000 away fans into raptures just as the referee was about to blow the final whistle. (Including one guy who landed on me from above!) 4 minutes of injury time now seemed an eternity!
In fact, Chelsea almost stole it back with the final kick of the game but goalkeeper Steve Mildenhall brilliantly dived to stop a Franco di Santo downward header.
The centre-back sent a powerful header across the path of a despairing Carlo Cudicini to send the 6,000 away fans into raptures just as the referee was about to blow the final whistle. (Including one guy who landed on me from above!) 4 minutes of injury time now seemed an eternity!
In fact, Chelsea almost stole it back with the final kick of the game but goalkeeper Steve Mildenhall brilliantly dived to stop a Franco di Santo downward header.
Blues boss Steve Tilson surprised the Southend faithful by dropping Simon Francis and placing experienced Dougie Freedman on the bench with Grant given a more defensive role on the right of midfield and the good Lord himself, Lee Barnard, a start upfront.
Multimillionaires Chelsea had only themselves to blame as their dominance of possession and chances in the first half resulted in just one goal - a header by Salomon Kalou.
Chelsea started the game well, finding space and gaps in the Southend half at will and Didier Drogba was denied in the 10th minute by an incredible last-ditch tackle by Osei Sankofa as the Ivory Coast striker was about to slot the ball home from eight yards out.
Joe Cole then flashed a low left-footer across Mildenhall's goal after a fine pass by Frank Lampard two minutes later.
Ashley Cole should have put the home side ahead on 22nd minute when he cut into the Southend penalty area. He unleashed a fine right-footer which Mildenhall parried away expertly.
Drogba and Joe Cole conspired to mess up another chance as Chelsea attacked at will.
But the breakthrough came on 31 minutes when a Lampard corner was met perfectly by the head of an unmarked Kalou at the far post and he aimed the ball accurately into the net. Yet another set piece goal given away by the Shrimpers.
The second half started much like the first with Chelsea on the front foot and a Drogba header from a Juliano Belletti cross forcing a save from Mildenhall on 53 minutes.
Constant raids by Chelsea with shots from Kalou, Belletti and Lampard all came to nothing.
Belletti almost scored with a powerful header on 67 minutes but the ball was cleared off the line by Johnny Herd.
Ashley Cole became the umpteenth Chelsea player to miss when he skied over the Southend goal on with 19 minutes remaining.
Southend boss Steve Tilson decided on a triple substitution on 74 minutes by bringing on Dougie Freedman for Lee Barnard, Franck Moussa for Jean-Francois Christophe and Francis Laurent for Alex Revell in an attempt to change the course of the game in their favour.
The Essex support, magnificent throughout the game, sensed that something could be on and raised the noise level. The away side started to have more of the ball and in one outrageous turn, the exciting Laurent left Andy Cole on the floor with a terrific spin and turn! The chants of 'Yellows' must have been heard all over London.
Then Southend almost nabbed an unlikely equaliser six minutes from time when Clarke headed the ball up in the air and it dropped slowly down onto the Chelsea crossbar. Most in the Shed End looked to the heavens, that was our chance! A heroic one goal defeat to the second best side in the country according to the present Premiership table was to be the best we would get out of the day.
The clock hits 90 minutes, Southend win a throw in out on the right but left back Johnny Herd, all 19 years and four first team games behind him, swaps wings to launch one of his incredible long throws for a player of his stature. The team had seen with that previous Clarke header how Cudicini looked unsure with the high ball.
The throw was an exocet, reaching the penalty area where Ricardo Carvalho unwittingly flicked the ball on for Clarke who rose majestically to grab the goal and all the headlines.
(Fourth Round Draw on ITV1 Sunday at 15.25. Replay at Roots Hall, Wednesday January 14, 19.45 kick-off. A full Day Tripper soon when I've had a lay down, I'm not sure my head is fully attached to my shoulders at the moment.)
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