Craven’s Marks Out Of Ten

GK Darryl Flahavan| Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals Conceded: 0 | Rating: 7

It is a measure of Darryl Flahavan’s season that after yet another summer of confusion he was one of the first players to be offered a new deal for 2005/6. Both Steve Tilson and Northampton Town boss Colin Calderwood paid tribute to the shotstopper at the final whistle, in the most part for his magnificent one-handed save to deny former Colchester United front man Scott McGleish in the dying seconds.

Other than that, Flavs had very little to do, claiming a number of crosses and collecting balls at the edge of his penalty area that he probably would not have contemplated twelve months ago. Twice he has been beaten by Lincoln City headers this season – now he has the chance to show just how much he has improved over the course of 2004/5.

RB Duncan Jupp | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 7

Scottish right-back Jupp was again called on to do more than his fair share of work going forwards as he has to make a series of raids down the wing to compensate for Carl Pettefer’s defensive temptations. Whilst he constantly got forward enough to trouble Fred Murray, his final delivery into the penalty box did let him, as others, down. At the back, he was infallible, noticeably towards the end making a daring foray into the centre to cover for an Adam Barrett slip and keep the slippery Eric Sabin away from danger.

CB Spencer Prior | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6.5

As in the first leg, Spinner was a rock at the back aerially, but at times he made what could have proved to have been costly errors on the ground. Twice he attempted to dribble the ball around Andy Kirk and came off second best against the Northern Ireland international, but without further punishment. A fantastic partnership has been forged with Adam Barrett.

CB Adam Barrett | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 7

The PFA Division Three Player of the Year again lived up to his billing as he gave yet another faultless display at the heart of the Shrimpers back-line. In a season where Blues’ success has been based at the back, Barrett has been the key man. Today he was the rock, constantly nipping possession away from McGleish and Kirk and also thwarting the danger posed by Eric Sabin and Marc Richards as Calderwood made his desperate bid to remain in the tie during the second half. It was a mark of how comfortable United found it in the last ten minutes that only McGleish’s effort threatened Flahavan’s goal.

LB Che Wilson | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6.5

Four wins out of five against Northampton Town as a whole, and a massive amount of credit must go for the job that Wilson has done on left winger Josh Low, one of the most highly-rated midfielders in League Two. Low has barely caused any trouble for the Seasiders in all five games, and Wilson again kept the flank man quiet. With dangerous forwards in the box, a plethora of crosses would have been difficult to defend, but Che was barely caught out once.

RM Carl Pettefer | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6

Mr. Consistency, and the only ever-present in the side, Pettefer will now doubt start yet again on Saturday in the biggest match of the last decade for Southend United. However, there is an ever-growing argument for making space for Luke Guttridge in the side, and perhaps Petts may be the man to eventually make way, even if that is in next season. Defensively, he had the capability to cover Duncan Jupp all evening, but he struggled to get forwards at all, and in many instances was behind the right full-back. Nonetheless, he plays an important role in Southend’s continued success under Steve Tilson, and if Blues win in Cardiff next week, he is sure to be the unsung hero.

CM Mark Bentley | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 7

The usual all-action performance from former non-League battler Bentley. Who would have thought fifteen months ago, when Beno had just made the transition from the Nationwide Conference, that he would have established himself quite this way in the Shrimpers side?

Forever the main man in the middle, he has even overshadowed his captain fantastic alongside him in the centre of midfield. A tenacious tackler, it was his over-enthusiasm that earned him a caution for leaving his foot in on Millwall loanee Charley Hearn. But when Southend required a colossus at the back to clear any danger from a corner or free-kick, it was Mark Bentley’s head that was invariably there to nod away.

CM Kevin Maher | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6.5

Nothing wrong with another captain’s knock by Maher in the middle of the park. In fact, he was almost the invisible man there, serenely strolling through a high-octane ninety minutes as though he was playing cricket on the village green. The handbag was not needed to berate Barry Knight for any contentious decisions, and he was able to simply help Bentley to keep David Rowson and Hearn quiet.

LM Nicky Nicolau | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 1 | Rating: 8

Nicky Nicolau made another good return to the side

However, his chance appeared to have gone. Guttridge, Mark Gower and Pettefer have all been utilised on the left recently, and that is not even counting the threat of playing Tesfaye Bramble out there when he is fit. He could have been on his way out of Roots Hall in the summer.

But this evening, live on SKY television, he gave a thrilling display, chasing down every loose ball, tricking his way past an inadequate Sam Togwell and coaxing an important foul from Chris Willmott. There was little doubt from my position in the East Blacks that Nicolau was brought down, and the argument must persist that there were players just waiting to be set up such was the explosiveness of his run. Why would he dive? Now he has the chance to do it all again on an even bigger stage.

CF Freddy Eastwood | Mins on pitch: 90 | Goals: 1 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 7

23 goals in a season for a Southend striker, and just one away from the mark set by Leon Constantine twelve months earlier after Eastwood’s second spot-kick of the season. Lawrie Dudfield was though to be second in command from twelve yards after Wayne Gray, who was not on the pitch at the time, but there was absolutely no doubt that Freddy was going to step up. Equally, there was little doubt that he would score.

After a five match lean period, Eastwood has now notched three in five, and is very much the same threat that he was before he record-threatening run was stalled at Cambridge United at Easter. The old confidence is back, and he managed a couple of long range shots that whistled inches past the post. The only question is who he will be partnered by in Wales.

CF Lawrie Dudfield | Minutes on pitch: 72 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6

The former Northampton Town man was a little disappointing against his old team-mates, making Lee Harper make just one save throughout his time on the pitch. It was not for the want of trying, as he ran after every single pumped ball forwards with the same intention to win it, and challenged well in the air at every attempt. For one reason or another, he did not seem fully fit, and Eastwood may have a third partner up front in a fortnight at Cardiff.

CF Wayne Gray | Minutes on pitch: 18 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6

Coming on for the difficult last twenty minutes, Gray was largely ineffectual, playing little part as Blues worryingly sat back on their one-goal lead. Indeed, instead of Gray being the outlet, it was the pace-lacking Pettefer, and when the ex-Wimbledon man did get a chance to go forwards, he had no support at all from a flagging Eastwood. Needs more time on the pitch to have an effect.

CM Luke Guttridge | Minutes on pitch: 4 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: -

Guttridge was thrown on in stoppage time for Eastwood to give the side more energy and a little more steel as McGleish had just been denied by Flahavan. That he did, in his own terrier-like way, to ensure that there were no more scary moments for the Shrimpers.

COACH Steve Tilson | Rating: 7.5

Steve Tilson deservedly takes the plaudits

The progress made in the last eighteen months under Tilly and Paul Brush has been exceptional. Those who have been critical over the past few weeks with the side missing out on automatic promotion and losing to Wrexham in the final of the LDV Vans Trophy have too short a memory. In December 2003 we were second-bottom of the Third Division as it was then – just look where we are now.

REFEREE Barry Knight | General Control: 4/5 | Application of the Laws of the Game: 2/3 | Appearance and Personality 2/2 | Rating: 8

The fear that Blues had been dealt a bad hand when one of the Orpington Twins, Barry Knight, was chosen after an appeal by Northampton Town over the original appointment was to prove unfounded. Sure, Mark Bentley could say that he was hard done by with his booking when Rowson in particular got away with some touch tackles in midfield, and Sabin tricked the man in yellow with a series of trademark dives, but in general he handled the game well, and allowed it to flow. His decision to award Blues a penalty was quick and correct, and neither side can have any complaints.