Southend United 0 York City 1

Those supporters were to be proven very wrong, as Southend United slumped to a single goal defeat to the side one place from the foot of Division Three.

Southend United actually created the first chance of the game in the eighth minute, Damon Searle’s throw in finding Barrington Belgrave who drove a shot into the side netting from a tight angle. That chance combined with Carl Hutchings shooting straight at Alan Fettis from eighteen yards was all that really happened in the first half an hour of the game.

In the 31^st minute the visitors should have taken the lead, Michael Procter clean through on goal could only send a poor chipped shot into the arms of the grateful Darryl Flahavan. Three minutes later Leon Cort, who vied with Carl Hutchings for the Blues man of the match, did well to block Procter’s shot from the edge of the area, then Tes Bramble brought the best out of Fettis with a 35 yard pile driver.

Referee Grant Hegley who made many comical decisions throughout the

Mark Beard - sent off

afternoon, got it spot on when it really mattered in the 38^th minute, showing no hesitation in brandishing a straight red card at Blues Mark Beard, Beard can have no complaints about a three match suspension which he will receive after stamping deliberately on Matt Hocking who had fouled the Shrimpers midfielder. Hocking received a yellow card for his troubles.

Ten man Southend carved out the final opportunity of the dire first half when Tes Bramble’s right wing cross was then headed wide at the far post by Mark Rawle. The second half was no better, Cort was immediately called into action to head Mark Maley’s cross from underneath his own crossbar, Phil Whelan then stabbed a shot wide from twenty yards.

Rob Newman then proceeded to make the first of three substitution’s which incensed the Roots Hall crowd, Leon Johnson replacing the unlucky Mark Rawle in the 63^rd minute. Fettis then made a fantastic save from Stuart Thurgood’s deflected 25 yard shot before Maley sent an effort just wide of Flahavan’s goal. Tes Bramble was then replaced by Tony Richards in the 71^st minute, five minutes later

Tony Richards - missed Blues best chance

Richards missed the chance of the match, shooting straight at Fettis with the whole goal to aim at from four yards. Two minutes later it looked like the Shrimpers had taken the lead, Damon Searle’s right wing cross was flicked on by the head of Phil Whelan to Carl Hutchings who’s header hit the underside of the bar and appeared to bounce over the line, however the verdict was play on.

Undoubtedly the best spell of the match culminated in Darryl Flahavan making a super save from Peter Duffield in the 78^th minute, seconds later jeers were ringing around Roots Hall as Blues man of the match Carl Hutchings was replaced by Scott Forbes who was strangely put out on the wide right even though Leon Johnson was ineffective on Forbes favoured Left flank.

Barrington Belgrave then powered a shot over the bar after connecting to Richards knock back, as play switched to the other end, the visitors not unexpectedly, took the lead in the 84^th minute, on-loan debutant Jonathon Parkin looping a header over the helpless Flahavan into the bottom corner of the north bank net from twelve yards.

Southend then huffed and puffed as they looked for an equaliser, but Newman’s substitutions had completely destroyed all the fluency that was left in the Blues play, the closest they came was in the dying seconds, Scott Forbes should have done better as his close range shot found the arms of the spread-eagled Fettis, as the York City defence panicked in front of the emptying South Stand.

The 3,967 fans who attended this shambolic display will be very reluctant to return, especially as the Blues face away trips to Swansea, Cheltenham and Hartlepool before facing Bristol Rovers on Tuesday 26^th February.

Mark Wallis dictating to Steve Connolly
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