Perhaps the most worrying aspect of a home defeat to Port Vale is that most predictions believe that the visitors will not manage much more than a battle against relegation, but after a first period in which the Valiants were afforded far too much respect, United came out after the break with the sort of determined display that epitomised their play-off success in 2004/5.
The major problem that is perceived to dog the Shrimpers during the campaign is a lack of squad players, and that was shown on the opening day as Steve Tilson was forced to name third-year scholar James Lawson on the substitutes’ bench, and the 18-year-old tasted ten minutes of action as a late replacement for debutant Mitchell Cole.
Former Grays Athletic winger Cole had an indifferent match, continually getting into good positions, but then failing to maintain a decent delivery into the penalty area. However, there is much for the youngster to work on as he makes the tough transition into League football. His inclusion, allied with that of Luke Guttridge on the right, meant that 2004/5 ever-present Carl Pettefer dropped onto the touchline. Otherwise, the line-up was as expected.
The first shot of the League One season arrived seventy seconds into the clash, with former Ipswich Town trainee Tony Dinning sending a 20-yard shot sailing high into the South Upper. A tentative start, with neither side prepared to chance their arms, then saw Dinning find his range with a curling right-footed effort that Darryl Flahavan made good ground to palm around the left upright.
However, just 12 minutes in, Vale took the lead in all-too-comfortable circumstances. Michael Cummins burst down the right flank and sent a low cross into the penalty area, which Spencer Prior managed to clear by scooping away on the edge of the six-yard box. The ball fell straight to Nathan Lowndes, who controlled and then placed into low into the bottom right-hand corner of the net. (0-1)
Somewhat star-struck, Southend failed to bounce straight back, with the hosts failing to put more than three or four passes together on a regular basis. Central midfielders Mark Bentley, who appeared slightly unfit, and Kevin Maher were particularly wasteful in possession, whilst Guttridge’s tendency to tuck inside into the middle left Blues unbalanced as Cole hugged the left touchline.
It was Guttridge who finally had the first Shrimpers effort on goal, sending a pinged pass wide to Duncan Jupp, the hero against Lincoln City in Cardiff eight weeks or so ago, and then picking up the return pass on the edge of the area before skewing wide. Bentley was then forced to curl a right-footed set-piece against the head of Mark Innes as Maher touched the ball out of range, and Cole fired a second attempt inches over the crossbar with the outside of his left foot.
At the other end, Cummins seemed to foul Che Wilson on the left before laying the ball off to ex-Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Danny Sonner, whose drive was fingertipped over the bar by Flahavan. As Blues started to find their feet, a beautiful cultured through ball from Maher found Bentley, who in turn searched out Eastwood for a flashing cross that Wayne Gray just failed to convert from yards out.
As is so often the case, though, just as Southend had established a foothold in the game, they were hit by a bout of poor defending. Duncan Jupp failed to effect a serious challenge to Innes’ left flank run, and the winger was able to centre for Lowndes, criminally allowed to stand in space on the penalty spot. His shot was deflected past an unsighted Flahavan by leaden-footed Adam Barrett and into the bottom left-hand corner. (0-2)
Mark Bentley could have nodded United into contention after a fine cross from Mitchell Cole, and Gray thought that he had pulled a goal back when his curling shot beat Mark Goodlad in the Port Vale goal, but Dinning was on the line to head away. As the Seasiders lined up to waste chances, Freddy Eastwood, the 24-goal hero of last year, poked a tame effort at Goodlad after a hanging ball from Jupp on the right.
There was always the danger, during the first period at least, that Vale would run away with the game as their belief grew and grew, and Cummins and Billy Paynter lined up to beat Wilson before the latter hit a hard shot low to Flahavan’s left.
Just before the break, referee Carl Boyeson appeared to deny Blues a clear penalty. Cole’s right-wing corner was sent high to back post, and George Abbey went up with his leading arm to deflect the ball away from the head of Bentley, who seemed destined to score. With their incessant appeals waved away, Luke Guttridge hit a low shot straight at Goodlad.
Half-time: Southend United 0 Port Vale 2
The second half was almost entirely dominated by the home side, who were determined to rip up the script that said that they would surrender meekly to a heavy defeat. From the moment that Gray and Guttridge combined to set up Maher for a wayward effort on goal four minutes in, Southend’s confidence in their own ability rose.
Guttridge then crossed from the right wing for Bentley to nod at Sam Collins from ten yards out before Lowndes wasted his only real opportunity of a hat-trick when he skied Innes’ centre over the bar. Seconds afterwards, Tilson withdrew Guttridge, who was passionate but inadequate for the role in which he was chosen, and brought on Mark Gower.
Despite the early signs indicating a lack of both physical and match practice, Gower started to come into his own as he headed Cole’s long cross into the gloves of a sprawling Goodlad. And, on 71 minutes, he delivered the all-important pass for Wayne Gray to spectacularly score. The one-time Tottenham Hotspur trainee picked up the ball from Gray’s flick-on after a battling run by Eastwood, and chipped into the box for the 24-year-old to acrobatically meet the ball with an overhead bicycle kick, sending it into the top left-hand corner. (1-2)
Vale’s ‘easy’ celebrations were turned to a nail-biting final twenty minutes and a mark of their anxiety was the increasing time-wasting of goalkeeper Goodlad, who was warned as to his conduct by Boyeson, but in truth the Shrimpers failed to create enough opportunities to get level.
Eastwood whacked over from Cole’s cross and Bentley headed over from a Gray centre, but it was the ex-Wimbledon man who missed the best chance in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Eastwood picked him out with a fine through-ball, and instead of firing across the face of goal from twelve yards, Gray hit the ball at Goodlad’s legs, and Tilson will now focus his thoughts on a tough-looking away trip to Bradford City on Tuesday.
Full-time: Southend United 1 Port Vale 2
1 CCL1 2 4-4-2 TEAMS 3-5-2 Darryl FLAHAVAN 6.5 6 Mark GOODLAD Duncan JUPP 7 6 George PILKINGTON Spencer PRIOR <75 5.5 6.5 Sam COLLINS Adam BARRETT 5 6 <73 Mickey BELL Che WILSON 5.5 6.5 George ABBEY Luke GUTTRIDGE <61 6.5 7 Michael CUMMINS Mark BENTLEY 6 6.5 <79 Danny SONNER Kevin MAHER 6 7 Tony DINNING Mitchell COLE <83 6.5 7.5 Mark INNES Freddy EASTWOOD 6 8 <87 Nathan LOWNDES Wayne GRAY 6.5 6 Billy PAYNTER Bart GRIEMINK Jonny BRAIN Lewis HUNT >75 6 6 >73 Craig JAMES Mark GOWER >61 7.5 Steve ROWLAND Carl PETTEFER 6 >79 Chris BIRCHALL James LAWSON >83 6 6 >87 Hector SAMSOUTHEND UNITED
PORT VALE
Wayne Gray 72
6543
Nathan Lowndes 12, 28
SUBS
Match Statistics |
Southend United (0)…1 Port Vale (2)…2 @ Roots Hall, Southend-on-Sea in Coca-Cola League One on Saturday 06/08/05 |
Goals: Southend: Gray 72 (acrobatic bicycle kick from Gower cross; inside area; timed at 71:37); Port Vale: Lowndes 12 (low, considered finish from mishit Prior clearance; inside area; 11:56), Lowndes 28 (low, deflected shot from Innes cross; inside area; 27:37). |
Bookings: Southend: Bentley 17 (foul); Port Vale: Paynter 90+2 (vicious foul) |
Sent-off: none |
Total Goal Efforts | Shrimpers 17 Valiants 10 |
Shots/Headers On Target | Shrimpers 7 Valiants 6 |
Shots/Headers Off Target | Shrimpers 9 Valiants 2 |
Blocked shots | Shrimpers 1 Valiants 2 |
Hit Woodwork | Shrimpers 0 Valiants 0 |
Corners | Shrimpers 4 Valiants 3 |
Free-kicks | Shrimpers 7 Valiants 7 |
Offsides | Shrimpers 1 Valiants 1 |
Sundries |
Match Time | 96:01 (First half: 46:12, Second half: 49:49) |
Indicated Stoppage Time | First half: 2 minutes, Second half: 4 minutes. |
Referee: Carl Boyeson (FA) 6 out of 10 (general control 3/5, application of laws 2/3, appearance and personality 1/2) – lost control of the game when Vale started to waste time over and over again, and failed to send off Paynter for a horrible, neck-high challenge on Bentley. Loses mark for horrible, bogey green shirts! |
Attendance: 6543 (639 away fans) |
Programme Cover: Che Wilson and Mitchell Cole in celebratory mood |
Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com