Southend United 1 Torquay United 1

Phil Whelan - Fourth goal of the season

Southend appeared to be suffering a mass hangover from Tuesday's great battling performance which brought a victory over Hull City, as the Shrimpers were always second best in what was a dull match played in driving rain assisted by a gale-force swirling wind.

The home side however certainly started brightly as Torquay goalkeeper Kevin Dearden brilliantly held onto Carl Hutchings powerful 35 yard shot after just 37 seconds, but in all fairness little went right for a frustrated Southend side from that moment.

Southend did create a few openings, on in the seventh minute Damon Searle's accurate long ball picked out Tesfaye Bramble who volleyed into the side netting from a tight angle.

As Torquay began to boss the match, a fantastic passing move ended when Richard Logan rolled a shot just wide of Darryl Flahavan's goal. Bramble then saw a fierce 20 yard shot deflected wide of the post.

Southend however came within inches of taking the lead in the 32nd minute, Barrington Belgrave steamed towards Dearden and under pressure, the Torquay goalkeeper hit his clearance straight at Belgrave who could only watch as the ball rolled agonisingly wide of the post.

As the first half came to a climax Chris Brandon, having been teed up by Alex Russell brought a great save out of Flahavan from long range before Flahavan brilliantly pushed Russell's shot around the post.

Unfortunately the second half was no better than its predecessor, however the

Damon Searle - Superb corner for Blues goal

home side did take the lead in the 50th minute. Damon Searle's perfectly flighted right side corner was powerfully met by the head of Phil Whelan, however the skippers effort was blocked but having fallen kindly back into his path Whelan poked the ball through a sea of bodies into the bottom left hand corner of the net from 8 yards. Eight minutes later Flahavan pulled off another fine save, once again denying Brandon from long distance.

A quickly taken Hutchings free kick sent Mark Rawle away on the left flank and Rawle's low cross was clawed out of Bramble's reach by the slding Northmore. Maher then slipped the ball through to the unmarked Clark, on as a substitute for Rawle, but the former West Ham man's cross was easily claimed by Dearden.

Jason Fowler curled a free kick just over in the 71st minute before Torquay's equaliser arrived ten minutes later, Eifion Williams connecting to Sean Hankin's corner before finding the net with a deflected shot from 10 yards to the delight of the noisy band of visiting supporters.

Blues boss Rob Newman brought on Tony Richards and Scott Forbes to try and regain the lead, but the closest either side came to a winning goal was in injury time when Whelan stabbed the ball straight at Dearden after Richards had dummied Forbes' cross.

Mark Wallis