The Shrimpers may have dropped to fourth in the Coca-Cola League Two table after Macclesfield Town defeated Shrewsbury Town 1-0 with a late John Miles strike at Gay Meadow, but manager Steve Tilson will be delighted after grabbing an even later point against what he described as a team of “giants”. One such player, centre-back Ben Futcher, looked to have won the match for the Red Imps when he nodded in just over three minutes from the end.
However, at times the seventh-placed side looked as though they had eradicated their reputation as being a long ball side with new acquisition Derek Asamoah, ex-Leyton Orient striker Gary Taylor-Fletcher and attacking midfielder Simon Yeo causing Blues trouble on the ground. Undoubtedly, United contributed to their own downfall inside the first half-an-hour of the match as they aimed high balls up to short front men Eastwood and Wayne Gray.
Asamoah was always likely to be a threat, having set up Paul Warne for Mansfield Town’s goal in the 1-0 victory for the Stags during December. That strike, ten minutes from the end, was the last League goal at Roots Hall before Futcher’s, a run of 636 minutes by goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan.
The nippy front runner, only signed on Friday just before the transfer deadline to appear this weekend, starting wreaking havoc as early as the second minute when he outpaced his opposite number 18, Che Wilson, and crossed dangerous, with thankfully on Duncan Jupp in the middle to clear. He followed that up seven minutes later with a weak shot after an Adam Barrett header had squirmed off of his bald pate, Flahavan saving low at his near post.
In between, Jupp set up Kevin Maher for the Seasiders’ first attempt on goal, firing straight at midfielder Richard Butcher. Eastwood had another effort out of the blue, doing well to hold off Gareth McAuley in the air before making Alan Marriott save above his head from 25 yards.
Flahavan made the first of two magnificent saves in the 18th minute. A needlessly conceded free-kick on the halfway line was delivered by Lee Beevers, a former Ipswich Town trainee, and was then flicked on by Asamoah. Futcher hooked the ball over his left shoulder from twelve yards and the ex-Woking shotstopper took off to palm the ball around the right-hand post.
Mark Bentley twice galloped down the right-hand side without receiving any support, and a show of desperation arrived midway through the half when central defender Adam Barrett collected the ball thirty yards out and shot left-footed whilst off-balance and watched Butcher pick up the pieces. Asamoah’s danger was rekindled when Beevers’ long throw was knocked down by Taylor-Fletcher and the forward stabbed straight at Flahavan with an outstretched right foot.
Another Barrett run ended disappointingly with Taylor-Fletcher racing fifty yards in holding off Spencer Prior and then angled a twenty-yard shot wide of the left upright. Slowly the hosts increased the pressure with Gray forcing Jamie McCombe to concede a corner, then Maher’s flag-kick leaving Marriott in sufficient doubt to punch unconvincingly, whilst Butcher hacked out for another corner under no pressure.
The half-chances began to arrive, with Prior, somehow still in an advanced position as Blues launched a second attack, headed a Maher cross at Marriott without any power. Ten minutes before the break, the largely ineffective Mark Gower, Barrett and Eastwood combined to set the one-time Tottenham Hotspur youngster away. Gower sidestepped Beevers, but Bentley’s headed was skewed wide of the right-hand post.
Southend continued to push forwards with the ball predominantly now sprayed around on the floor instead of the air, and Bentley’s continued persistence made Futcher tap out for another corner. Maher’s delivery was flicked on to Gower at the back post, the 27-year-old blazing over the crossbar. Inside stoppage time, a similar fate befell Eastwood was he fired Gray’s chest down off target.
Half-time: Southend United 0 Lincoln City 0
The visitor’s aerial threat was prevalent at corners, and after Kevin Sandwith had swung in one such delivery, McCombe directed his header over. The Shrimpers’ early chance arrived three minutes after the interval as Gray started a move by keeping the ball in on the right flank, and then ended up picking up Gower’s left-wing centre after Carl Pettefer had pinged the ball across the field. Unfortunately the former Wimbledon man could only shoot straight at Marriott.
Strike partner Eastwood was then denied by the physical presence of Red Imps skipper Futcher as Bentley’s thirty-yard free-kick was blocked out to Maher and the Seasiders’ own captain hoofed up to Barrett, who nodded down into space. Bentley and Gower combined five minutes later, with the latter effecting a dramatic palm skywards from the custodian, who collected under pressure from Eastwood.
This was by now United’s best spell, but the former Grays Athletic man became over-confident in possession and allowed Taylor-Fletcher to steal the ball. Thankfully Barrett was in quickly to counter-act the forward. Up at the other end, Gower crossed for Pettefer to head at Marriott and then send the rebound flying over the bar.
Recently-married Taylor-Fletcher had the ball in the net after 64 minutes, but he was adjudged to have fouled Pettefer as he converted a cross from Butcher, who had handled in the build-up. When contesting a hotly-disputed free-kick, Maher said a word out of turn and was cautioned by referee Clive Penton of East Sussex, who suddenly seemed to lose control of the game, having been reasonably consistent up until that point.
Blues had a lucky escape with twenty minutes left when Sandwith’s corner kick on the right wing came off of the head of Prior and cannoned off of the left-hand post, which Pettefer was temporarily guarding. Asamoah slid the rebound wide of the same piece of woodwork. Maher then fought his way through the midfield and was upended by Futcher, who received a booking for his actions on the edge of the box. Eastwood’s ambitious free-kick was blocked by the toes of the Lincoln wall.
Gower and Gray trudged off to be replaced by Nicky Nicolau and Lawrie Dudfield respectively, and it was the new striker’s turn and shot from twenty yards from a Jupp throw-in that caused City more problems at the back. A cross from the same player fell to Maher, and his ball into the box was expertly controlled by Eastwood at the back post. Marriott produced a fine save to deny the Blues’ top goalscorer, and then desperate defending ensured that both he and Pettefer were not able to convert the loose ball.
Asamoah’s last act was to send a half-volley wide to the left with the outside of his left boot, and he was replaced by Guy Ipoua. The ex-Scunthorpe United player, like Francis Green who had earlier come on for Yeo, was largely ineffectual, but he did win a corner five minutes from the end with a header that Flahavan brilliantly diverted past the right-hand post. Sadly, he was unable to repeat the trick just seconds later as Sandwith’s flag-kick was headed powerfully home by Futcher six yards out. (0-1)
The final throws of the game saw Southend earn a deserved equaliser. Duncan Jupp’s hopeful punt into the penalty area seemed to be dropping to central midfielder Bentley, and he was floored by Beevers, who received a booking. As Eastwood prepared to take the spot-kick in the absence of regular taker Wayne Gray, Peter Gain was also cautioned for dissent, but it did not deter the ex-West Ham United scholar and he drove the ball confidently down the centre of the goal with Marriott committing himself to his left. (1-1)
Full-time: Southend United 1 Lincoln City 1
A single home point may not have been the expectation leading up to kick-off, but a draw against a side with the best away record in League Two baring Wycombe Wanderers could be yet another step towards League One football in 2005/6.
1 CCL2 1 4-4-2 TEAMS 5-3-2 Darryl Flahavan Alan Marriott Duncan Jupp Lee Beevers Spencer Prior Jamie McCombe Adam Barrett Gareth McAuley Che Wilson Ben Futcher Carl Pettefer Kevin Sandwith Mark Bentley 75 Simon Yeo Kevin Maher Richard Butcher Mark Gower 72 Peter Gain Freddy Eastwood 85 Derek Asamoah Wayne Gray 72 Gary Taylor-Fletcher Craig Holloway Karl Bermingham Nicky Nicolau 72 Matthew Bloomer Lawrie Dudfield 72 Richie Hanlon James Corbett 85 Guy Ipoua Michael Kightly 75 Francis GreenSOUTHEND UNITED
LINCOLN CITY
Freddy Eastwood 89 (pen)
(5824)
Ben Futcher 87
SUBS
Match Statistics |
Southend United (0)…1 Lincoln City (1)…1 @ Roots Hall, Coca-Cola League Two on Saturday 12/03/05 |
Goals: Lincoln: Futcher 87 (headed in Sandwith corner; inside area; timed at 86:12); Southend: Eastwood 89 (penalty slammed down centre of the goal; 88:08). |
Bookings: Southend: Maher 66 (dissent); Lincoln: Futcher 74 (foul), Beevers 88 (foul inside penalty area), Gain 88 (dissent) |
Sent-off: none |
Total Goal Efforts | Shrimpers 20 Red Imps 12 |
Shots/Headers On Target | Shrimpers 7 Red Imps 6 |
Shots/Headers Off Target | Shrimpers 6 Red Imps 6 |
Blocked shots | Shrimpers 7 Red Imps 0 |
Hit Woodwork | Shrimpers 0 Red Imps 0 |
Corners | Shrimpers 9 Red Imps 6 |
Free-kicks | Shrimpers 17 Red Imps 12 |
Offsides | Shrimpers 3 Red Imps 1 |
Sundries |
Match Time | 94:07 (First half: 45:56, Second half: 48:11) |
Indicated Stoppage Time | First half: 1 minute, Second half: 3 minutes |
Actual Stoppage Time | First half: 0:56, Second half: 3:11 |
Referee: Clive Penton (East Sussex FA) 7 out of 10 (general control 3/5, application of laws 2/3, appearance and personality 2/2) – for the first half Penton refereed very well, and barely made an error but, having not imposed himself sufficiently at the start of the second half, he quickly lost control when Lincoln put themselves about more. |
Attendance: 5,824 (approximately 275 away fans) |
Programme Cover: Steve Tilson celebrates the LDV Vans Trophy area final win against Bristol Rovers |
Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com