Southend United 1 Tranmere Rovers 3 - AXA Sponsored FA Cup Third Round

Southend manager Rob Newman recalled himself to the starting line-up to help constitute a five man defensive rearguard. However, despite Newman's defensive plans, Tranmere often found a way through and had their first effort at goal after just three minutes, Jason Price sending a 25 yard shot at Darryl Flahavan. Six minutes later Flahavan's hands were warmed once again as he caught the ball after Price had looped Gareth Roberts' free kick straight up into the night sky.

After 20 minutes Southend came close for the first time, Stuart Thurgood knocking the ball back to Tesfaye Bramble who's low drive from outside the penalty area brought the very best out of a diving John Achterberg in the Rovers goal.

Kevin Maher saw his shot take a wicked deflection off Graham Allen before flying inches wide on 31 minutes and a minute later Thurgood should have scored after he connected onto Stephen Broad's dangerous low cross, Broad himself received the ball following fine work by Bramble in the centre of the pitch.

As Rovers stepped up another gear, Flahavan's crossbar was struck twice within a minute. Damon Searle deflected Steve Yate's cross for a corner which Micky Mellon took. Mellon's corner found the head of Allen who flicked the ball onto Wayne Allison, Allison successfully spotted Price who flicked a header onto the bar. Before the ball was cleared properly, Mellon again crossed into the area where Allen picked out virtually the same spot on the crossbar.

Jason Koumas dragged a 25 yard shot wide on 38 minutes before the Southend defence backed off the same man two minutes later allowing Koumas time and space to run toward goal before testing Flahavan with a long range shot.

Into the second half it was much the same story as the first opportunity saw Clint Hill nod a Mellon corner into the arms of Flahavan. A Stuart Thurgood cross bounced off Hill for a corner a minute later and from the resulting Kevin Maher flag kick Leon Cort headed towards Achterberg who nervously punched clear under pressure from both Bramble and Phil Whelan. Rob Newman then drove a shot well wide of the target.

Wayne Allison shot wide having ben put clean through on goal after 51 minutes and ten minutes later Flahavan was lucky that Price shot straight at him after the United goalkeepers poor clearance landed right at the feet of the Rovers forward.

Mellon's free kick then struck a post having completely deceived Flahavan before the visitors finally took the lead with 64 minutes on the clock, Allison heading home Sean Flynn's cross with relative ease from close range. Newman immediately surrendered himself in favour of the attack-minded Scott Forbes as the Shrimpers had no choice but to attack, however Tranmere maintained the initiative, Flynn shot wide and then Price saw Flahavan tip a shot over the crossbar.

Mellon brought Barrington Belgrave to earth as the Southend striker turned towards goal but Maher's free kick only found Achterberg courtesy of Phil Whelan's head. A minute later, in the 74th to be precise, Koumas used his skill to evade several challenges before knocking the ball to Price who was left with the simple task of slotting the ball past Flahavan from inside the six yard box to double Tranmere's lead.

Newman threw on Mark Rawle and Tony Richards in the closing minutes as a four-pronged United attack desperately searched for two goals but the closest Southend came was Thurgood missing what was virtually an open goal after Maher's free kick had been headed in the direction of the midfielder by Phil Whelan.

A poor performance by Southend has put paid to the Shrimpers cup dreams for another year and it will be Tranmere who will entetain Cardiff City in round four.

Attendance 8,164 ( 343 from Tranmere )