Blues were given an early scare on the day that Steve Tilson and Paul Brush managed to gain the services of former Manchester City striker Shaun Goater, as a British sprinter of great talent, youngster Gianni Frankis, struck a magnificent second-minute shot past Bart Griemink to hand Rovers the lead. The management duo will have been impressed with his talent throughout.
The Shrimpers named an experimental line-up, with the most likely of the trialists to be retained given one last chance to impress alongside a number of promising youth-teamers. Serbian centre-half Nikola Jozic and left-back Mark Wright played in front of Griemink, with Lauris Coggin, a first-year scholar, at right-back, and Andy Edwards in the middle.
Injury-ravaged creative midfielder Jay Smith partnered Max Porter, a third-year, in the heart of the pitch, and ex-Chelsea youngster Daniel Woodards and the mightily-impressive James Lawson filled the flanks. Kezie Ibe, hoping to build on his goal at former Southern League Division One neighbours of Wakering, Maldon Town, played with Steffan Gaisie, one of the youngsters nabbed by Ricky Duncan from Cambridge United.
However, it was Frankis that made the first impression. Faced with Coggin to beat inside the first couple of minutes, he glided past the 16-year-old and then travelled to the left-hand edge of the penalty area, where he swung a curling right-footed shot high over a poorly-positioned Griemink to hand Rovers an unlikely lead. (0-1)
Ibe had an immediate chance to level the scores when he beat Brendan Walshe at the back, but he tucked his right-footed shot inches past the right-hand post. With nine minutes gone, Ibe again posed problems at the back as he struck his shot at Joel Etienne-Clark, and Gaisie smashed his follow up at goalkeeper James Marable, who palmed the initial effort skywards before gathering at the second attempt.
Jay Smith sent a 25-yard free-kick flying wide and, after Jason Barts had seen a low shot saved at his near post by Griemink, Gaisie miskicked after Woodards’ fine left-wing cross. However, when United did draw level, it was through the most unlikely of sources. Smith initially wanted the 25-yard free-kick, but instead defender Edwards stepped up to slam a right-footer low into the bottom right-hand corner of Marable’s net. (1-1)
Blues continued to press, but their hopes were dealt a blow when youngster Gaisie crumpled to heap inside the ‘D’ of the penalty area. He was replaced by fellow new-scholar Lee Smyth, but youth team boss Duncan will be eager that the injury is not too serious. Smith created the next opportunity, ten minutes before half-time, with a wonderful swinging cross from the left that Porter nodded wide, and Ibe fell in the seconds leading up to the interval when well-placed from Woodards’ centre.
Half-time: Great Wakering Rovers 1 Southend United XI 1
Jozic, who again did enough at the heart of the defence to suggest that he is worth a year’s contract, won the ball in typical style at the back, stepping into the challenge and emerging with the ball, and having advanced thirty yards sent the most delightful chip into the path of Smith, whose wayward shot was sent well wide of the right-hand upright.
Lawson, by some distance the best player on the pitch, then produced a cameo that was only denied at the very last moment by Marable. He travelled in possession for fully fifty yards, and concluded his run with a touch wide to Wright. The full-back in turn found Smyth, who hit a first-time pass back to Lawson, the 18-year-old’s half-volley having adroitly collected the ball on his chest, palmed past the post by the custodian.
Wakering could not hold on for long. A Jay Smith corner was the catalyst for the eventual winner as he floated a high corner to the back post. Jozic was in position to trap the ball, taking it to fifteen yards out and then firing low against the base of the left-hand post. Ibe, as he was at Maldon, found himself unmarked in the right place at the right time to tap in from eight yards. (2-1)
Frankis continued to worry the visitors, shooting across the face of goal soon after that goal, and his team-mates did not give up the fight either. Defenders Nikki Beale and Etienne-Clark combined midway through the second period with the former crossing for a misdirected headed effort. Then, with the last attempt of the game, Matt Reade whacked a stinging shot from fifteen yards against the crossbar with Griemink beaten to give Blues even more to ponder.
The League One side were not without their further chances to add to their lead, though, and Coggin’s pinpoint through-ball picked out Woodards in behind Etienne-Clark. Sadly, the midfielder’s effort was well over the crossbar. Wright’s long run then concluded with Porter blasting past the right-hand post.
All in all this was another good display from Southend, whose profligacy in front of goal cost them a more comfortable scoreline. Of the trialists, Jozic appears set for a deal at Roots Hall and Wright may be signed as cover for Che Wilson at left-back, but the performances of Coggin, Lawson, Porter, Smyth and Gaisie suggested that the future lies more in youth than cast-offs from other sides.
Full-time: Great Wakering Rovers 1 Southend United XI 2
1 PSF 2 SOUTHEND UNITED XI c. 400 Andy Edwards 21 Kezie Ibe 56 3-5-2 TEAMS 4-4-2 James MARABLE 7.5 6 Bart GRIEMINK Joel ETIENNE-CLARK <73 7 7 Lauris COGGIN Nikki BEALE 6.5 7 Andy EDWARDS Brendan WALSHE <58 6 7 Nikola JOZIC Jason BOURNE 6 6.5 Mark WRIGHT Gary EWERS 6 6.5 Daniel WOODARDS Matt READE 6.5 6.5 Jay SMITH #16 6.5 6.5 Max PORTER Jason BARTS 6.5 8.5 <73 James LAWSON Gianni FRANKIS 7.5 6 Kezie IBE Martin DUGLIONE 5.5 6.5 <29 Steffan GAISIE Matthew DICK Joe WELCH Matthew STUBBS 7.5 >29 Lee SMYTH Danny PITTS >58 6 6.5 >73 Taylor LANG Danny SCOPES >73 6 Nick SKELTON Phil ANDERSONGREAT WAKERING ROVERS
Gianni Frankis 3
SUBS
Match Statistics |
Great Wakering Rovers (1)…1 Southend United XI (1)…2 @ Burroughs Park, Great Wakering in a pre-season friendly on Tuesday 02/08/05 |
Goals: Wakering: Frankis 3 (beautiful curling shot after beating Coggin; inside area; timed at 2 minutes, 1 second); Southend: Edwards 21 (free-kick blasted into bottom right-hand corner; outside area; 20:42), Ibe 56 (simple tap-in after Jozic shot cannoned off of post; inside area; 55:39). |
Bookings: none |
Sent-off: none |
Total Goal Efforts | Rovers 6 Shrimpers 24 |
Shots/Headers On Target | Rovers 2 Shrimpers 5 |
Shots/Headers Off Target | Rovers 3 Shrimpers 15 |
Blocked shots | Rovers 0 Shrimpers 3 |
Hit Woodwork | Rovers 1 Shrimpers 1 |
Corners | Rovers 2 Shrimpers 8 |
Free-kicks | Rovers 13 Shrimpers 10 |
Offsides | Rovers 1 Shrimpers 1 |
Sundries |
Match Time | 91:30 (First half: 45:53, Second half: 45:37) |
Indicated Stoppage Time | none |
Referee: Simon Beck (Essex FA) 7 out of 10 (3/5 General Control, 2/3 Application of the Laws of the game, 2/2 Appearance and Personality) – not too much at all wrong with Mr. Beck’s display. He was slow to award Jay Smith free-kicks in both halves, and lost a little control after failing to do so, but other than that, tidy. |
Attendance: c. 400 (approximately 350 Shrimpers) |
Programme Cover: no programme produced |
Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com