Perhaps surprisingly Steve Tilson opted not to change the side in many areas of the field for the visit of League One side
A scrappy first half of the game was started by the Blues as Billy Paynter misplaced his shot wide after Kevin Maher's lay-off, and then Brighton, who sacked their manager Mark McGhee earlier in the week, had a chance when former Shrimpers trialist Alex Revell drilled a low shot inches wide of Darryl Flahavan's post, after he had been set-up by Tommy Fraser.
Following some careful and patient build-up play from both side's, Southend finally threw caution to the wind and went close on a couple of occasions towards the end of the half. Firstly, Mark Gower's left-wing cross fell kindly for Freddy Eastwood, but for a change the 22-year-old smashed the ball well wide from just inside the penalty area, before Eastwood was again unlucky, seeing his left-footed shot across goal blocked by Seagulls ‘keeper Michael Kuipers after he had beaten the defender for pace.
Just before the half-time whistle was finally blown, Billy Paynter really should have scored his first goal for the club and the Blues first goal of the game as he headed the ball straight at Kuipers unmarked from ten yards after a pin-point cross by Steven Hammell.
After a first half to remember, you'd have thought the game might spur itself into life. But you would be wrong to think that. Instead, more of the possession football was evident with neither side seemingly confident enough to start really throwing men into attacking positions.
In fact, that was so much so the case that there was only one real chance to report on for the first 30 minutes of the half, and it fell Brighton's way, as Gary Hart smashed the ball into the side-netting from an acute angle having got past Hammell.
Despite neither side truly dominating the game, it was the
With the Shrimper's confidence battered, and a lack of penetration in attack, the game seemed a forgone conclusion following Cox's effort. However, as
And it went from bad to worse for the away side. For the travelling supporters of
Just a minute after Paynter's goal, Gary Hooper went on a surging forward run which ended in Kuiper's producing a save, before Lewis Hunt smashed in a masterful volley on his supposed ‘weaker' left foot from all of 25 yards to send the home fans wild.
And just as many of the away fans were leaving the stadium, insult was added to injury as Freddy Eastwood rifled in a third from long range – the ball was hit so hard the keeper didn't dive until the ball had hit the net.
The full time whistle was blown seconds later and having watched a dire eighty minutes of football, it almost felt as though ninety minutes worth of action was squeezed into just six minutes. The main thing, of course, for Steve Tilson and his side is that they are through to the third round of the Carling Cup and potentially a money-spinning game with one of
By Adam Duffill
www.thelittlegazette.com