Scunthorpe United 3 Southend United 2

Last updated : 20 October 2004 By Robert Craven

Manager Steve Tilson has said since the defeat that Blues are a top six side, and although the League Two table states that they are some fives places below that, there is an element of truth in what the 38-year-old says. However, unless the Seasiders can pick up the odd point from away matches such as this, coming so soon after morale-boosting victories over Boston United and the Swans, they may just fall short of the play-off place that every support craves.


Tilson made two changes to the starting line-up for the 7:30 kick-off on Humberside, with goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan’s return from suspension condemning Ryan Clarke the substitutes bench and Jimmy Corbett coming in for the injured Mark Gower. Lawrie Dudfield was named amongst the substitutes after recovering from a thigh injury. The Iron made just one change from the side that lost 3-2 to Kidderminster Harriers at the weekend, with Peter Beagrie replacing Tom Brighton on the left flank.


In a turgid opening half-hour, chances were few and far between, with both sides squandering possession almost at will. The first ‘action’ of the encounter came with seven minutes on the clock, Richard Kell’s short pass to fellow midfielder Ian Baraclough resulting in the 33-year-old hitting a curling left-footed shot towards the top right-hand corner, which Flahavan saved at the second attempt.


Duncan Jupp was then placed in the book by over-officious referee Eddie Evans of Greater Manchester, who set his stall out by cautioning the Blues right-back for leaving his leg in during a challenge with Beagrie. Fellow full-back Che Wilson was soon in action as he nodded Andy Butler’s imperious header off of the goalline after a testing Kell corner; Cleveland Taylor having a follow-up shot blocked before smashing over the crossbar with another effort.


The game was well into the thirtieth minute when Southend took an unexpected lead. A particularly shoddy spell of passing ended as Lee Ridley surrendered possession to Lewis Hunt in the centre of the field, and his vision allowed him to pick out Wayne Gray making a run on the right wing. The former Wimbledon man sent a fine cross to the back post, where strike partner Freddy Eastwood was on hand to nod the Shrimpers first attempt at goal into the bottom left-hand corner of the net (1-0).


The same partnership of Hunt and Gray combined again four minutes later as the visitors utilised some new-found confidence, with this time the 23-year-old Gray cutting the ball back to Corbett, who although innocuous for most of the first period, sent a fifteen-yard right-footed drive inches past the left-hand upright. At the other end Steve Torpey headed Beagrie’s left-wing cross wide whilst off balance.


That was a warning shot for Southend, and they failed to heed the signals just forty seconds later. Carl Pettefer tracked across his own penalty area with little support from his team-mates, and allowed former Torquay United midfielder Kell to dispossess him. The 25-year-old sprayed the ball wide to the pacy Taylor, who hit a fizzing cross-shot to the near post, where veteran centre-back Spencer Prior touched the ball into his own net under pressure from Torpey, who is claiming the goal, despite not getting close to it (1-1).


Southend reacted better to the setback in the short term, and a Jupp free-kick was not cleared by the Iron defence, and Kevin Maher was allowed to fire across the face of goal from twenty yards. Once again Blues were caught though just a couple of minutes before the break, and Ridley’s through ball was allowed to cross Prior before Hayes was denied by a low Flahavan save at his near post.


It was a temporary reprieve for the lacklustre Blues as just over a minute before the break the hosts took a deserved lead. Ridley was the instigator on the left flank, combining with the wily skills of Beagrie before cutting back from the byeline, where he was injured in the getting the ball across. That was immaterial, however, when Hayes, a former Norwich City trainee with Drewe Broughton, was left unmarked and he fired into the right-hand corner of the net, with the ball looping up off of Adam Barrett’s right leg and over a desperate Flahavan, who had previously had the ball covered (1-2).

Half-time: Scunthorpe United 2 Southend United 1

Straight after the break, when Andy Edwards was introduced for hip injury victim Prior, the Iron started off as they had finished the first half. Two minutes after the interval winger Taylor had a 25-yard drilled shot saved in the centre of his goal by Flahavan, and then the same man took the ball off of Wilson too easily before wasting his shot in blasting wide of the left post.


In a rare foray into opposition territory, Gray’s cross-area pass found Eastwood, with whom he has already built up an almost telepathic relationship, and the Grays Athletic man cut inside, beating three defenders before a right-footed shot was parried out by Paul Musselwhite, just past the outstretched leg of Lewis Hunt. On the hour mark, Beagrie’s corner was headed against the top of the crossbar by Torpey, who was allowed a free reign by a non-committal Flahavan.


Just three minutes later and the Shrimpers were celebrating a most unlikely equaliser. All about the goal was freakish as captain Maher’s aimless punt upfield bounced off of the shoulders of Iron skipper Andy Crosby and against the head of a battling Gray, from where Corbett, who had been but a brief visitor to proceedings, showed the class that tempted Blackburn Rovers to pay over half-a-million pounds for his services in 1997 with a half-volley that went over the gloves of Musselwhite but dipped in time to pass underneath the crossbar and into the roof of the net (2-2).


The joy was short-lived as Scunthorpe again asserted their claims for an automatic promotion place. A Hayes effort had already been blocked out by Barrett after the young front runner had been allowed space to turn onto a Beagrie pass, but this time it was the former Everton and Manchester City star’s corner that caused the problems. A comedy of errors saw Flahavan again fail to attempt to claim the ball, as it flicked off of the head of Crosby. Hayes then made more substantial contact, with the Southampton-born shotstopper unable to do more than palm the ball against the underside of the crossbar and in (2-3).


The goal came soon after Matthew Sparrow had been brought on for Taylor, but it was the man on the other side of midfield that forced Flahavan to make a fine save, pushing the ball around the post from a thirty-yard attempt. Nicky Nicolau replaced Corbett as Tilson looked for more energy, but the only liveliness was being shown by Torpey, who was finally booked some hour or so after elbowing Flahavan in the game’s opening gambits.


With six minutes left, Torpey linked up with replacement Sparrow for the wide man to assist Hayes, but his ten-yard fierce shot was parried out by custodian Flahavan. A minute later, Eastwood was stopped in his tracks by a Crosby stamp, but as the loanee limped on, a long ball to Hayes ended with another good block by Flahavan diving low to his right. Hayes then slowly left the field to a standing ovation, to be replaced by Michael Rankine; Lawrie Dudfield had rather more haste in coming on for Pettefer.


Sadly, though, it was the home sub that almost had the telling effect, as Barrett misjudged a high, swirling ball and Rankine panicked, Flahavan making a magnificent save at his feet from just yards away. Unfortunately it was unable to make up for a poor Southend display, and they deservedly left Lincolnshire without any points. Tilson, and assistant manager Paul Brush, will be hoping that a journey to Shrewsbury Town will prove more fruitful, but their charges will have to improve.

Full-time: Scunthorpe United 3 Southend United 2

Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com