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Rochdale, who won 5-2 at Wrexham on Bank Holiday Monday, do not lose home matches very often, but United have now come home victorious from Spotland three years in a row, and each time it has broken Dale's unbeaten home record. On this occassion though, Rochdale never looked like winning, and Southend - playing away from home - dare I say it, never once looked like losing the match.
In all fairness it wasn't the most entertaining match that you'll ever see, but it did start brightly, the home side creating the first opportunity, David Flitcroft shooting wide from the edge of the penalty area on four minutes following a neat knock down by tall striker Clive Platt. Five minutes later however and a spell of United domination began when Tes Bramble's right wing cross was powerfully headed goalwards by Graeme Jones, only for the ball to bounce of the outstretched lef of Steve MacAuley.
A Damon Searle free kick saw Bramble's header deflcted over the crossbar and from the resulting Kevin Maher corner Leon Cort's header dropped perfectly for Jones who's fine volley was acrobatically pushed out by Neil Edwards.
Lee Duffy harmlessly shot wide of Darryl Flahavan's goal on 21 minutes, but the next action, on 36 minutes saw the Shrimpers snatch the lead. With Edwards rushing off his line to kick clear a high clearance, goalkeeper Edwards completely lost sight of the ball, and as it bounced Mark Rawle reacted quicky to outjump the custodian and head the ball into the unguarded goal.
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Rochdale's 37-year old player-manager Paul Simpson drilled a shot well wide of the target before Jones nodded a Bramble centre over the bar following magnificent work by the latter.
The second half perhaps saw United relax on their lead a little, but it didn't mean that Newman's men had turned complacent in the slightest.
Flahavan did well to turn a Simpson free kick around the post on 50 minutes and the resulting corner from Simpson was headed straight at Flahavan by Gareth Griffiths. Seven minutes later and Dales did come close, but Simpson's low long range shot bounced back into play off of the foot of a post.
Michael Oliver drove a low effort at Flahavan on 68 minutes from close range and the United stopper then had no difficulties in stopping Flitcroft's tame attempt at a lob.
Southend sprung back into offensive action however, and Edwards had to be on the very top of his game to tip a vicious Cort shot over the crossbar, and Jay Smith's quick snapshot flew just wide from long distance before the lead was doubled on 83 minutes, Maher's corner was never properly cleared, and from a most tight angle Bramble steamed in to drive a fierce low shot past Edwards and into the bottom corner from 10 yards.
Southend however were still celebrating their second goal when dozy defending allowed Griffiths to drift in un-noticed to nod home a Simpson corner from point blank range within seconds of the restart, but luckily the only further action, despite bizarrely four minutes injury time being added, came at the right end, and really Rawle should have scored, having been put clean through on goal by the quick-thinking Bramble, Rawle's attempted chip only landed straight in the arms of Edwards.
Mark Wallis
www.thelittlegazette.com