Southend One Win Away Following Second Half Masterclass

However, before Eastwood would play his part, there was a whole lot of drama in store for both sets of supporters. Chris Shuker had been declared fit for the Yorkshire Boys, and Shaun Goater – who was a regular starter at Manchester City whilst Shuker was playing in the reserves – had also managed to shake off an illness to give both sides exciting attacking options.

It was another former Premiership striker who had the games first chance, Lee Bradbury firing a shot into the side-netting not too far outside the penalty area.

Freddy Eastwood was exciting the incredible travelling army of Southend supporters, and he was quite unfortunate not to meet a Mark Gower cross. However, the Southend supporters, who were possibly more vocal than any game so far this season, were silenced when Barnsley custodian Nick Colgan smashed the ball straight down the middle of the pitch, and the remaining Shrimpers players who weren't still in the Tykes penalty area made a real catastrophe of the bouncing ball.

Opened the scoring at the wrong end

Adam Barrett attempted to head clear the bouncing ball, but following some pressure from striker Tommy Wright, Barrett's header rebounded off of the unfortunate Lewis Hunt's knee and past the on-rushing Darryl Flahavan, who had come to meet the ball before Hunt had intervened, and into the empty net. Adam Barrett claimed he was pushed by Wright, and he had a fair argument, however the referee had not deemed it as a foul and the goal stood.

It was clearly a body blow to the players, and even the travelling support appeared shocked that the Blues had conceded a goal in the manner they had, especially considering the consistency if the defence throughout the current campaign.

If Southend ever needed an easy chance to equalise they got it twenty minutes into the game, and Luke Guttridge will not be sleeping easily knowing he somehow wasted it.

Following some good interchange between Gower and Eastwood, the former Grays Athletic striker barged his way into the penalty area before cutting the ball back for Guttridge, who with the goal gaping somehow managed to completely miss the ball with his left foot before hitting his right foot and creeping out for a goal kick.

And Guttridge really must have been quaking in his boots when Barnsley doubled their advantage two minutes into added on time at the end of the first half. Again, their seemed to be a foul in the build-up that the referee had been incompetent to spot – again it was Tommy Wright – but after the ball had been put out for a throw in, Martin Devaney managed to back into Kevin Maher without the referee seeing, and the ball squeezed past Darryl Flahavan at the near post. The Southend players were less than impressed with the referee at his failure to award a foul, and to add insult to injury, it was another own-goal as the ball had deflected off of the top of Kevin Maher's head on its way into the goal.

Half time was filled with worried voices between Southend supporters of this unusual situation to be in – current fans are not used to losing! However they remained supportive and having given the players a rapturous applause as they left the pitch for half-time, some predicted that the Shrimpers would edge their way back into the game.

I must say now I had the belief, and It appeared the player's did in their own ability, as in the second half it felt like a completely different side took the field for the second half. Suddenly it was the away side that were first to every ball, every tackle was won, every header was won and their was a small amount of magic amongst the supporters that gave the vibes that the ball would be sucked into the home side's net eventually.

However, despite the resurgence and energy of the Southend side, Chris Shuker nearly gave the Seasiders an even bigger mountain to climb – finding room to drill a low shot that Flahavan managed to turn round the post following some superb possession football.

And whilst Barnsley were edging their way back into the game, Southend

Gower started the come back

were handed a lifeline on 56 minutes. Duncan Jupp played a bobbling low cross into the penalty area from the right, and after no Barnsley defenders had dealt with the cross, Shaun Goater's mis-hit shot from the back post fell fortuitously into the path of Mark Gower at the front post, and he made no mistake tucking the ball into the corner of the net with his left-foot.

Suddenly, it was game on, and with the ferocious roars of the away support, Barnsley suddenly appeared intimidated by the threats of Gower, Maher, Guttridge, Eastwood and Goater in attacking positions. And they were right to be. Just after the hour, Freddy Eastwood collected the ball with his back to goal from Che Wilson, and having made his way across the edge of the penalty area, Eastwood found a little gap in which he thought he could score in, and in a way that would be impossible for many, the 22-year-old bent the ball around the defender who was only a few yards away from him, up and over the goalkeeper desperate reach and back down into the bottom corner.

Pandemonium followed behind the goal as the Southend fans couldn't believe what they had seen – probably the best goal Eastwood and indeed anybody has ever scored in a blue and white shirt.

All of a sudden the game had been turned on it's head. With 55 minutes played, Barnsley looked to have won all three points and give the Southend supporters real nerves going into the last three games of the season. Ten minutes later, and the game was level with Southend bombing forward and going for the win. If you had gone to the toilet and grabbed something to eat, you would have missed it.

Eastwood scored a wonder goal to draw the game level

With just about everybody stunned, Shaun Goater then nearly scored a goal which would have been in the same category as the boy Eastwood's goal. Che Wilson, Kevin Maher, Lee Bradbury and Mark Gower were all involved as Gower himself broke down the left-wing, sent in a pin-point cross, and Goater's top-corner-bound header was spectacularly tipped over the crossbar by Colgan.

Suddenly automatic promotion was back on the equation, which was the last thing Blue's fans were thinking about in the half-time interval. Phones were out everywhere checking the scores: “Swansea are losing 2-0” was one shout, followed by “Col u are winning but Blackpool have equalised against Brentford”. Echoes of Grimsby last season came to mind – that rumour that Swansea were losing which proved untrue wasn't going to hurt us again? Surely not.

Well, it could well have done. With everybody to busy watching their phones rather than the game, Barnsley had put the ball in the net. Paul Hayes had entered the pitch for the handful that is Tommy Wright, and two minutes later had converted a cross from the right with ease. And for a moment Southend hearts sank, but they rose again as the linesman's flag was hoisted high and the goal was disallowed.

Eastwood had more chances and Nardiello had a try at the other end, but the referee blew the final whistle with a draw and both sets of fans, players and managers utterly exhausted. Barnsley were happy to hear that Swansea's defeat boosted their play-off chances, but the biggest news of the day was that if Southend United win next weekend at home to Doncaster Rover's, they will be automatically promoted to the Championship. No matter who has their phones out looking at other scores!

Adam Duffill
www.thelittlegazette.com