Kidderminster Harriers 1 Southend United 2

It was the same Southend side which started against Huddersfield Town a week earlier with the exception of Leke Odunsi - injured in that match - who made way for Jay Smith.

Unfortunately however, the man in the middle was a very familiar name to Shrimpers supporters. After all it was the same completely incompetant Andy Hall who amazingly sent-off three United players in one match at Swansea City in late September 1998. Perhaps unsurprisingly Mr Hall hadn't changed one little bit despite the five year threshold.

Onto the match itself though, and it was certainly the home side who began the brighest, and Ian Britton's side could have opened the scoring after just thirteen seconds, but thankfully Darryl Flahavan raced off his line quick enough to deny striker Matt Lewis, who has just returned from a successful loan spell with Dr Martens League side Hinckley United.

However, with four minutes on the clock, the Shrimpers had already found themselves in the match and Drwe Broughton, who joined United from Harriers during the summer, headed a Mark Gower free kick just off target. Then, ten minutes later John Melligan nodded a Graham Ward centre just over Flahavan's crossbar.

A Mark Warren free kick then saw Jay Smith acrobatically send a bicycle kick just wide after a Leon Cort knock down before United then had what seemed to be a perfectly good goal disallowed on 28 minutes. Gower's free kick seemed to be cleanly and fairly headed in by Cort, but referee Hall indicated that Cort climbed upon the back of his opponent. Certainly a strange decision seeing as the tall defender didn't really seem to jump at all.

The decision didn't deny United though, and just a minute before the interval, the visitors took the lead. Gower laid a free kick off to Warren, who, fully 25 yards from goal unleashed an almightly powerful low drive which flew through the wall and into the bottom right hand corner giving Harriers keeper Stuart Brock absolutely no chance.

That goal gave a confident looking United side the lead at half time, and the Shrimpers took to the field for the second period looking to extend their slender advantage. Just two minutes after the restart a winding run from Smith saw the ball laid off to Leon Constantine who's low shot rolled inches wide of Brock's upright.

Then, only another minute later, a fine run from Broughton saw the tall striker hold the ball up well before laying it off to Smith who fired just off target from a matter of yards.

It wasn't until almost the 70th minute that any more decent action occured when Harriers skipper Adie Smith fired an overhead kick just over the top from ten yards.

Then, as Southend looked to finish the match off, a good Constantine run resulted in a neatr cut back which saw Gower's drive blocked.

However, as Southend pressed forward for the crucial killer goal, Kidderminster snatched what was a most unlikely equaliser with only six minutes remaining. A dangerous cross from Sam Shilton fell to Melligan, on loan front Premieship Club Wolverhampton Wanderers, who's first shot was blocked by Cort, but the rebound fell to the same player and his low shot, from a tight angle somehow wriggled inside the near post through the hands of Flahavan.

Despite that error though, Flahavan was on top form four minutes later to push out a deflected free kick from Melligan before, in the third and final minute of injury time - the fourth official had only indicated for two extra minutes to be added - the Shrimpers grabbed their winner. A Gower free kick fell to Constantine who saw a shot blocked by custodian Brock, but the ball fell to substitute Bramble who, at full stretch, poked the ball home from close range. Once United had finished celebrating, there was only just about time for Harriers to kick-off before referee Hall blew the final whistle to send the Blues supporters into pandomonium.