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The powerpuff Shrimpers were never in the running at Hartlepool as the home side simply walked all over Rob Newman's team, with the manager once again selecting himself in what was an unchanged starting line-up from the midweek draw at Cheltenham Town.
Hartlepool completely ran the match from start to finish and they duly took the lead inside ten minutes. Phil Whelan's slip allowed Paul Stephenson a run at goal but Darryl Flahavan bravely slid at the midfielder's feet to deflect the ball wide for a corner. From the resulting flag kick Newman, under no pressure, inexplicably headed the ball against his own crossbar and with Flahavan left floundering, former Sheffield Wednesday striker Ritchie Humphreys was left with the simple task of stroking the ball into the unguarded net.
Leon Cort was completely outfoxed by stocky wide man Paul Smith, who shot powerfully into the side netting from ten yards before Newman found himself embarrassed once again as Adam Boyd beat him all ends up on the goal line with Whelan blocking a low cross.
Mark Tinkler, formerly a Southend player, acrobatically shot wide having connected to Smith's cross after 34 minutes before the home side doubled their advantage within 60 seconds. Tinkler, probing his way towards goal, found himself confronted by four Southend defenders and an eventual shot inevitably bounced off a Southend body and fell straight to James Coppinger who, completely unmarked, crashed a shot past Flahavan from 18 yards.
Southend thought that they had pulled a goal back in the 37th minute but Mark Rawle was adjudged offside having reacted sharply after Hartlepool's erratic goalkeeper Anthony Williams had spilled Newman's long range shot.
Tinkler and Stephenson combined to see the latter shot just over before a depressing first half came to a close when Adam Boyd capitalised on a Damon Searle error to speed towards goal, the young striker however sent a shot inches wide of the far post with Flahavan well beaten.
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Southend actually began the second half quite brightly with Tesfaye Bramble sending a 20 yard shot wide and then Stuart Thurgood and Barrington Belgrave joining forces to set-up Mark Rawle who shot over Williams' crossbar.
Things didn't get better for long however as Hartlepool simply tore Southend to shreds with three goals in a sensational five minutes spell.
Humphreys, completing a brace, scored the third with a magnificent angled shot from 18 yards on 66 minutes, with the fourth goal coming in the 69th minute, Paul Smith smashing a shot past the helpless Flahavan having been played clean through on goal.
It was quite simply a case of damage limitation for Southend as Jermaine Easter scored the fifth goal on 71 minutes, cooly slotting the ball into the bottom corner past Flahavan from an angle having homed in on goal and soon after it was so nearly six as Darrell Clarke drilled against the crossbar.
As a most forgetful afternoon drew to a close the Shrimpers actualy pulled back a consolation goal, with Thurgood's right wing cross chested into the net by Belgrave from close range.
Unfortunately it was far too little, far too late and the best thing is to simply move on...
Mark Wallis
www.thelittlegazette.com