The Shrimpers are now virtually assured of their Third Division survival after bringing another vital point – taking the seasonal tally on to 52 – home to Essex, and United fans and players alike can now look forward to next season where, incidentally, Southend will once again play new Conference champions Chester City, non-league champions just four years after losing their League status.
On a fine April afternoon Southend boss Steve Tilson made two enforced changes from the side which came from a couple of goals behind to defeat Darlington at Roots Hall on Easter Monday. Skipper Kevin Maher came back into the line-up for the injured Drewe Broughton with top-scorer Leon Constantine returning to the frontline to partner Tesfaye Bramble following a short stint on the right flank. Defender Mark Warren also picked up a knock in the pre-match warm-up and Jamie Stuart was drafted in as a late change but United were left, as a result, with only four substitutes.
In what was quite an exciting basement division clash, supporters were still left annoyed by the manner in which incompetent referee Matt Messias handled proceedings. Messias, amazingly a Premiership official, has always had a bad reputation but on this showing he even surpassed that opinion.
The York-based official somehow cautioned four Southend players although Tilson’s men never really committed a bad foul. Even Leon Cort somehow found his way into the book, his innocuous challenge brought his first yellow card for 78 matches.
Anyhow, once the action got underway the Shrimpers crossbar was waggled early on, but only courtesy of a mis-hit Eric Sabin cross, before, on sixteen minutes, the visitors took the lead fro the penalty spot.
At first glance it seemed a slightly harsh decision when Chris Hargreaves upended Bramble, but the Southend striker was clearly hurt in the challenge and only lasted until half time. Constantine then struck his kick to the left, goalkeeper Lee Harper managed to get a hand to the shot, but the ball rebounded into the opposite corner of the net. It was Constantine’s twenty-fourth strike of the season and his twentieth in the League as the tall hit-man continues to chase Scunthorpe United’s Steve MacLean to become the Third Division’s leading goalscorer.
Having stolen the advantage, United were soon called upo to become tight at the back and Darryl Flahavan did well to gather a low Martin Smith free kick at the second attempt under the watchful boot of Marc Richards.
However, only seven minutes after United’s spot kick, Town were awarded one of their own, and it was undoubtedly a ridiculous decision by Messias who was obviously just trying to even things out. There may have been minimal contact between Sabin and Nicky Nicolau, but certainly not enough for the Cobblers forward to go down, but down he went and the gullible referee pointed to the spot.
Then, to simply make matters worse, the resulting penalty, scored by Smith, was an illegal kick with the Northampton midfielder dummying a shot before striking home.
United however became all the stronger after the leveller and Constantine chipped an angled shot just over the top and Maher dragged an effort wide before Southend’s lead was restored three minutes into first half stoppage time.
Constantine burst into the box before sending a low ball across goal where Town defender Paul Reid turned the ball into his own net.
Bramble’s half-time substitution brought Neil Jenkins into second half action on the left wing as Mark Gower moved onto the frontline alongside Constantine as the Shrimpers staged a second half re-shuffle.
The second period was only two minutes old though when the home side squandered a fantastic opportunity the level the scores once again, Richards somehow firing wide at the far post after Smith’s perfectly flighted cross.
Then, some four minutes later Maher broke forward from midfield for the away side before finding Gower who shot poorly off target when he really should have made inroads towards the home goal.
In what was fast becoming a very open encounter a low Sabin cross saw Hargreaves stab wide at the near post before the long-haired battler saw his driven effort easily gathered by Flahavan.
Nicolau then curled an effort just off target for the visitors before Mark Bentley kept Harper on his toes with an acrobatic overhead kick following a half cleared Maher corner. Another decent probe forward then resulted in a fine move which saw Nicolau and Gower combine before the former stabbed a shot just over Harper’s crossbar.
However, with seven minutes remaining, Southend lost concentration for a split second and allowed Town an equaliser when veteren striker John Taylor headed home Smith free kick at the post having earlier replaced Richards as a substitute just before the hour mark.
Another late comer to the action, Derek Asamoah, twice saw late efforts fly inches off target, but in the end Southend comfortably played out for a draw. It could have been a lot more for United, but a single points keeps the Shrimpers thirteenth and a victory over Hull City on Tuesday would catapult Tilson’s side back into the top half and, unless a real landslide victory is recorded, only goal difference away from Swansea City and tenth position.
Northampton Town | 1-0 (Attendance: 5,919) | Southend United |
Martin Smith 23 (pen)John Taylor 83 | Referee: Matt Messias Match Time: 96:24 1st half: 48:17, 2nd half: 48:05 | Leon Constantine 16 (pen) Paul Reid (o.g.) 45+3 |
Lee Harper Paul Reid Rob Ullathorne Ian Sampson Ashley Westwood Chris Hargreaves Paul Trollope Josh Low Martin Smith Eric Sabin Marc Richards | 8 7 6 6 6(70) 6 6 7 8 7(70) 7(58) | Darryl Flahavan Jamie Stuart Kevin Maher -- Lewis Hunt -- Mark Gower Mark Bentley -- Leon Constantine | 8 7 7 7 7 8 7 7 7 7(46) 7 |
Chris Willmott Tom Youngs Derek Asamoah Des Lyttle John Taylor | - | Steven Clark Che Wilson Michael Husbands Neil Jenkins | - - - 7(46) |
14 5 8 0 1 22 5 2 | Total Goal Attempts Shots/headers On Target Shots/headers Off Target Blocked Shots Hit Woodwork Corners Caught Offside | 11 3 6 2 0 11 3 10 |
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NORTHAMPTON TOWN…(1) 2 SOUTHEND UNITED…(2) 2
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