Pre-Season Friendlies - Game One: Chelmsford City 0-1 Southend United

Last updated : 16 July 2006 By Adam Duffill @ Melbourne Park

Steve Tilson brought his side into their first fixture on English soil since that historic day at Roots Hall when Wayne Gray's 82nd minute goal capped off a memorable 2005/06 season in style, as the Blues lifted the League One title.

And they were doing it again at Melbourne Park yesterday, Kevin Maher and co. parading the Shrimpers latest piece of silverware around the whole ground to great applause of course.

Onto the action of what was a one sided affair on the attacking front, perhaps as expected. Freddy Eastwood, new short haircut included, had certainly shown no signs of lacking fitness and crashed a low-driven cross-shot onto Richard McKinney's right hand post after only six minutes, the ball rebounding away to safety.

Michael Ricketts then hit a tame shot over the crossbar from outside the box from a tight angle, before Eastwood was once again denied a goal – this time by the referee's assistant. Mitchell Cole had slipped the ball through to his former Gray's team-mate, but 22-year old Eastwood dinked the ball over the on-rushing McKinney, the referee diverted attention towards the linesman's raised flag.

Che Wilson was next to have a try for the boys in blue, bursting into the penalty area and sliding a cross-shot just wide of the far post. Chelmsford keeper Richard McKinney was certainly looking to prove Steve Tilson wrong having been rejected by the Shrimpers boss after a trial period at Roots Hall, however he nearly cost his side the opening goal of the game – spooning Freddy Eastwood's rising shot onto the crossbar and agonisingly close to the back of the net. McKinney was again on hand to frustrate Eastwood, tipping the strikers shot wide of the post some moments later.

It wasn't until the second half that the Championship side finally broke the deadlock – 18-year-old James Lawson heading in Mark Gower's free-kick virtually unchallenged in what was as much as anything a rare defensive lapse from an otherwise bold looking City backline.

Towards the end of the game there were more chances: Lawson lunging in to try and convert Gower's cross only to put wide with Campbell-Ryce also waiting and Freddy also had one more effort, this time firing over the bar from six yards.

However Southend had to be content with the solitary goal victory in what Steve Tilson described as ‘a very good pre-season exercise' for his players, who continue their build-up to the new season with another game against another local side Great Wakering Rovers on Wednesday night.

Teams:

Chelmsford City:

1 Richard McKinney
2 Peter Smith
3 Stuart Bimson
4 Ben Chenery (C)
5 Steve Ward
6 Jay Conroy
7 Mario Noto
8 Jeff Minton
9 Tony Battersby
10 Jason Hallett
11 Dominic Carmianti

12 Liam Hopkins (On for Hallett, 11)
13 Ricky Holmes (On for Conroy, 75)
14 Mitchell Lowes (On for Smith, 46)
15 Tom Byrne (On for Carmianti, 18)
16 Dean Cross (On for for Bimson, 67)

Southend United

First Half

1 Simon Collis
2 Simon Francis
3 Che Wilson
4 Spencer Prior
5 Adam Barrett
6 Jay Smith
7 Lee Bradbury
8 Kevin Maher (C)
9 Michael Ricketts
10 Freddy Eastwood
11 Mitchell Cole

Second Half

1 Simon Collis
2 Lewis Hunt
3 Steven Hammell
4 Simon Francis
5 Adam Barrett
6 Luke Guttridge
7 Jamal Campbell-Ryce
8 Abdurrahman Mssassi
9 James Lawson
10 Freddy Eastwood
11 Mark Gower

Adam Duffill
www.thelittlegazette.com

*Wednesday nights friendly at Great Wakering Rovers is all ticket and none will be available for purchase on the night. Tickets are priced at £10 for adults and £5 for concessions. Kick-off 7.45pm*