Huddersfield Town, the visitors from Yorkshire, will expect to find themselves in the play-off places come May, so this may well go down in nine months’ time as a point gained rather than two lost, but once again, for the second time in a week, United found themselves pegged back having taken an early advantage. At least on this occasion, unlike the trip to Walsall, they did not fight back from a deficit of their own.
From that position Blues would have found it virtually impossible to have fought back against a tough Terriers side after the dismissal of Eastwood by referee Paul Melin. The official was given no choice but to give the forward his marching orders after the Surrey-born 22-year-old shoved Andrew Holdsworth in the chest.
Just how much contact was made is debatable, but Eastwood definitely raised two hands to the right wing-back’s chest, and whatever the provocation, those actions are rightly dismissible. He now misses the televised Carling Cup clash with Southampton, as well as vital Coca-Cola League Two matches against Scunthorpe United and Colchester United, and he has no-one to blame but himself.
This was always destined to be a fiery match with chances few and far between, and that is how the game panned out. The visitors were forced to name ex-Lincoln City forward Gary Taylor-Fletcher up front in place of the injured Andy Booth, but other than that, both sides were unchanged from their fixtures seven days ago, although Shrimpers chief Steve Tilson did opt to name four midfielders and no goalkeeper on the bench.
In the early stages it was the hosts that purveyed the greater urgency to get forward, and inside the sixth minute good build-up play ended with Wayne Gray finding Kevin Maher, who teed up Mark Gower for a shot that was blocked by Holdsworth on the penalty spot. Two minutes later an Adam Barrett rampaging run culminated in Luke Guttridge finding Gower, the left-sided midfielder crossing for defender Barrett to mis-kick and Gray to have a wild drive deflected over by Danny Adams.
United were very much in the ascendancy, and the goal finally arrived after 13 minutes. Gower floated a high cross to the back post, where Gray met the ball with a deceptively powerful connection given the ball’s trajectory. It looped above Paul Rachubka in the Huddersfield goal, who somehow finger-tipped the ball onto the crossbar, but Eastwood’s sharp reactions and knack of being in the right place meant that he was perfectly positioned to slam the ball home for his first goal of the season. (1-0)
Taylor-Fletcher then fired of the left-hand post when Andy Edwards had to pressure the forward with Barrett having mistimed his challenge, whilst ten minutes later Gower flayed a long-range chance over the crossbar, Lewis Hunt had replaced the injured Duncan Jupp after just ten minutes, but his generally defensive display at right-back did not help Blues find any width, with Carl Pettefer and Gower constantly attempting to cut inside.
Had Pawel Abbott, one of last season’s top League One goalscorers, been on his mettle earlier, then Southend could have been punished sooner. He hit one 20-yard shot over the bar, and then sent the next into Darryl Flahavan’s gloves. With less and less clearances finding blue shirts, a Maher corner, palmed at Barrett by Rachubka and directed goalwards before Holdsworth nodded off of the line, offered welcome respite.
The Huddersfield goal came, perhaps in unlikely fashion, two minutes into first half stoppage time, and just seconds after it’s scorer, Abbott, had been booked for dissent. A long goal kick from Rachubka found the Shrimpers back-line unawares, and Che Wilson made it far too easy for the sharpshooter to brush him aside before directing his shot low into the bottom left-hand corner. (1-1)
Half-time: Southend United 1 Huddersfield Town 1
Inevitably, Blues were deflated after the late goal, and had to soak up more pressure. Three minutes into the second period, Flahavan was called upon to make a low save from Holdsworth after a lofted pass from Abbott. Then the striker tested the former Woking custodian with a daisy-cutter of his own after a well-worked free-kick between Danny Schofield and Mark Hudson.
Then came Eastwood’s moment of madness, with the young forward angry to have been penalised when Holdsworth appeared to commit the foul. Surprisingly, it was not until midway through the second half that Town threatened next, despite the numerical advantage, when Chris Brandon’s cross was headed goalwards by one of three central defenders, Martin McIntosh, and Schofield, one of his own players, blocked the ball on the goalline.
From the very next move, and with the lanky defender still in the box, a second cross was nodded over. Abbott then raced into the penalty area, jinxed his way through the challenges of Hunt and Pettefer and whacked his shot onto the very outside of the left-hand upright. Even the introduction of Mark Bentley and Shaun Goater could not stem the tide of chances.
Flahavan was undoubtedly the hero of the last ten minutes. He made a difficult sprawling save from a Schofield shot look easy after Barrett had given away the ball on the edge of the area, before Goater nodded a Maher corner comfortably over the top in his first action of the game.
Abbott’s quick free-kick then caught out the Southend wall, but not the goalkeeper behind it who clung onto possession. By now everyone was getting in on the act, and Jonathon Worthington saw a shot blocked by Barrett with a trademark lunge and then Hudson stubbed an effort wide. But Flahavan’s magic moment was once again saved for the last, somehow managing to cling onto a fierce Taylor-Fletcher shot from close range with just yards separating the pair.
Full-time: Southend United 1 Huddersfield Town 1
1 CCL1 1 4-4-2 TEAMS 3-5-2 Darryl FLAHAVAN Paul RACHUBKA Duncan JUPP <10 Nathan CLARKE Andy EDWARDS Michael McINTOSH Adam BARRETT Danny ADAMS Che WILSON Andrew HOLDSWORTH Carl PETTEFER <78 Chris BRANDON Luke GUTTRIDGE <76 Jonathon WORTHINGTON Kevin MAHER Mark HUDSON Mark GOWER <81 Danny SCHOFIELD Freddy EASTWOOD Pawel ABBOTT Wayne GRAY Gary TAYLOR-FLETCHER Lewis HUNT >10 Tony CARSS Shaun GOATER >81 Tom CLARKE Mark BENTLEY >76 >78 Junior MENDES Mitchell COLE Phil SENIOR Jay SMITH Michael COLLINSSOUTHEND UNITED
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN
Freddy Eastwood 14
5569
Pawel Abbott 45+3
SUBS
Match Statistics |
Southend United (1)…1 Huddersfield Town (1)…1 @ Roots Hall, Southend-on-Sea in Coca-Cola League One on Saturday 20/08/05 |
Goals: Southend: Eastwood 14 (slammed home rebound after Rachubka save; inside area; timed at 13:26); Huddersfield: Abbott 45+3 (low finish after beating Wilson; inside area; 45+2:08). |
Bookings: Huddersfield: Abbott 45+2 (dissent), Hudson 54 (foul) |
Sent-off: Southend: Eastwood 52 (violent conduct – 3 match ban) |
Total Goal Efforts | Shrimpers 9 Terriers 16 |
Shots/Headers On Target | Shrimpers 3 Terriers 8 |
Shots/Headers Off Target | Shrimpers 2 Terriers 6 |
Blocked shots | Shrimpers 3 Terriers 1 |
Hit Woodwork | Shrimpers 1 Terriers 1 |
Corners | Shrimpers 8 Terriers 7 |
Free-kicks | Shrimpers 16 Terriers 10 |
Offsides | Shrimpers 3 Terriers 2 |
Sundries |
Match Time | 97:38 (First half: 48:31, Second half: 49:07) |
Indicated Stoppage Time | First half: 3 minutes, Second half: 3 minutes. |
Referee: Paul Melin (Surrey FA) 6 out of 10 (general control 3/5, application of laws 2/3, appearance and personality 1/2) – Eastwood sending off was spot-on, but he should probably have booked Holdsworth for his part. Push on Eastwood was possibly also unnecessary, and after the dismissal he lost control of the match for a period. |
Attendance: 5569 (c. 800 away fans) |
Programme Cover: Luke Guttridge after scoring at Bradford City |
Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com