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Once again Newman played a 3-5-2 formation, or was it a 5-3-2 formation? It seemed that the players weren't too sure either. It's a formation that hasn't worked so far, but it was still tried again, and yet again it was changed to 4-4-2 at half time with United out of the match.
In all fairness the match was over after just 52 seconds - United somehow managing to concede a goal even earlier than they did on Friday. You'd have thought that having let slip such an early goal in their last match that Southend would do every thing to ensure that it did not happen again. Well, apparently not. The goal was controversial in the fact that the corner from which it was scored shouldn't have been awarded, with Orient's Matt Lockwood scuffing a shot off target without any Southend player in close proximity. Anyway, Darryl Flahavan failed to come off his line to collect Ciaran Toner's corner and Ezomo Ireikpen was somehow allowed to head home from four yards with Flahavan a sheer spectator as the ball sauntered over his head.
Southend actually created the next chance, Leon Cort flicking Jay Smith's cross into the path of Mark Rawle who stabbed the ball straight into the arms of 18-year old home goalkeeper Glenn Morris. Morris then did well to claim at Cort header from a Kevin Maher corner.
As Orient began to come forward once again however Jamal Campbell-Ryce shot straight at Flahavan before poor marking allowed Kevin Nugent to nod a Donny Barnard cross just wide. Soon after Nugent should have scored, but his poor header from a Lockwood centre brought a routine stop out of Flahavan.
United came close on the half hour mark. First Ian Selley saw a shot hacked away from underneath the crossbar, Stephen Broad then had a fierce effort blocked before Graeme Jones placed a low shot into the arms of Morris.
Orient's lead was bizarrely doubled in the second minute of first half injury time courtesy of a monumental blunder by Flahavan. As a long ball forward dropped on the edge of the area, Phil Whelan, under pressure from Nugent, had absolutely no option but to nod the ball back to his keeper, but for the very first time in the match Flahavan had come off his line, but not just off his line but out of his goal to such an extent that Whelan's header fell over his head and bounced into the unguarded net. Quite what Flahavan was trying to do is unclear, he certainly never called for the ball and he certainly was never going to get to it. Had Whelan left the ball for Flahavan the ball would have dropped straight into the path of Nugent. I don't like to point the finger of blame, but Flahavan must honestly hold his hands up and admit fault for this freakish goal.
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Southend improved in the second half, there is no doubt about that, but the performance was still in fits and starts. Smith did well to bring a great save out of Morris following a Jones knock down before diminutive midfielder volleying over from a Neil Jenkins centre.
Southend pulled a goal back on 73 minutes, substutute Barrington Belgrave latching onto a long ball before shrugging off his marker and slipping a neat, low shot past Morris from an angle.
Steven Clark curled a 20 yard effort just over the top following a tidy run before Southend were let off by two bad Steve Watts' misses. As the game ticked into the 87th minute a great run by Smith brought another fine stop out of the impressive Morris.
Jones saw a shot deflected just wide in the fourth minute of stoppage time before Belgrave was sent off, a straight red card presumably for dissent but strangely neither referee Lee Cable nor his assistants were close to the incident so it seems odd they he would have known what Belgrave said. Anyway it means a three-match suspension for the Shrimpers striker.
Jenkins was unlucky when his shot was deflected inches over a minute later but it was all far too little too late for a very poor looking United side who now face Wrexham on Saturday looking to put four consecutive defeats to rest.
SOUTHEND UNITED (Navy shirts, navy shorts, nany & white socks; 3-5-2):- Darryl Flahavan; Leon Cort, Stephen Broad, Phil Whelan (Damon Searle 46); Mark Beard, Jay Smith, Kevin Maher, Ian Selley (Steven Clark 46), Neil Jenkins; Mark Rawle (Barrington Belgrave 57). Unused subs - Stuart Thurgood, Daniel Gay.
LEYTON ORIENT (Red and white shirts, red shorts, white socks; 3-5-2):- Glenn Morris; Justin Miller, Dean Smith, Ezomo Ireikpen; Ciaron Toner, John Martin, Andy Harris, Donny Barnard, Matt Lockwood; Jadal Campbell-Ryce (Daniel Hatcher 89), Kevin Nugent (Steve Watts 71).
GOALS: Orient - Ireikpen 1, Whelan (og) 45[2]. Southend - Belgrave 73.
REFEREE: Lee Cable (Woking)
CAUTIONS - Orient - Martin (78 - foul), Ireikpen (90 [4] - unsporting behaviour). Southend - Jones (16 - foul), Broad (43 - foul), Smith (68 - foul), Clark (68 - dissent). DISMISSALS - Southend - Belgrave (90 [4] - dissent).
MATCH TIME: First half - 47:24. Second half - 50:36. Total - 98:00
Mark Wallis
www.thelittlegazette.com