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Southend United 2 Cambridge United 1

Last updated : 26 August 2002 By Mark Wallis

Stephen Broad opened the Shrimpers account.
Cambridge, who were relegated from Division Two last season were always going to prove tricky opposition for the Shrimpers, and following Saturday's match at the Kassam Stadium, Rob Newman was forced to make some changes to his starting line-up, injured duo Phil Whelan and Graeme Jones replaced by Stephen Broad and Steven Clark repectively, Broad partnering Cort in central defence whilst Clark slotted onto the right wing with Tes Bramble shifting back to his more natural centre forward role.

The match was highly entertaining and a fantastic advertisement for basement League football, and a most open match sprung to life straight away, Neil Jenkins flicking Mark Beard's high, floated cross wide after just two minutes. Seconds later as as Steven Clark haplessly conceded possession, play switched to the other end as impressive winger Shaun Tudor, who continually caused Southend problems. burst do the right wing before sliding a low cross into the arms of Darryl Flahavan.

Phil Warner smashed a shot off target from 25 yards after Clark had been guilty once again of giving the ball away, Mark Rawle then shot straight at visiting goalkeeper Shaun Marshall when perhaps he should have touched the ball sideways to the unmarked Jenkins, but, on seven minutes Southend took the lead. A right-sided Kevin Maher corner was never properly cleared by the Cambridge defence and recalled defender Broad's mishit shot from twelve yards somehow bobbled past Marshall and into the bottom left hand corner.

Southend continued to thrive, especially after taking the lead, and on 13 minutes Rawle raced towards goal and only a great diving challenge by Stevland Angus prevented the pacey striker from taking aim at goal. Cambridger however were never out of the action and Tudor was once again causing defensive worries, a great run going unchecked before the winger slipped the ball into the path of striker David Kitson who really should have done better with an effort that he lofted well over the crossbar with only Flahavan to beat. On 26 minutes a miscontrolled ball by Rawle eventually worked out as a good ball for Damon Searle who raced down the left flank before delievering a cross which Rawle himself nodded wide.

Mark Rawle was named man-of-the-match.

On 28 minutes however Cambridge grabbed an equaliser, former West Ham striker Omer Riza allowed to surge towards goal completely unchallenged before shooting home from 20 yards with a shopt that perhaps Flahavan should have dealt with, but it didn't really seem to matter as within ninety seconds Southend found themselves ahead again with what turned out to be the matchwinner. A pacey Jenkins run saw the ex-Wimbledon man release the ball to Rawle who's deflected shot landed at the feet of Maher who slipped the ball out wide on the right where Jay Smith cut inside before unleashing a superb low shot underneath Marshall from the most acute of angles.

Flahavan did well to parry a long range effort from Riza before Tes Bramble's strong goalbound run was rather abrupted halted by an Andy Duncan foul, but Billericay-based referee Andy D'Urso who amazingly works only yards from Roots Hall, took no action against the Cambridge defender. An entertaining first period came to a close shortly after Smith had sent a long range volley just wide.

Darryl Flahavan made a crucial late save.
In what at times was very heavy rain, Southend did not threaten as much after the break, and at times had to be right on top of their game defensively to cut out numerous Cambridge attacks, but the first chance of the half fell to the Shrimpers, with Jenkins lobbing a shot just over the ball after bringing under contro, a difficult bouncing ball. On 57 minutes Southend came close to extending their lead, but Luke Guttridge managed to hack Leon Cort's powerful header off of the goalline following an accurate Maher corner. Two minutes later and it was the visitor's who were ruing a missed opportunity, Flahavan making a simply sensational stop with his feet from Tom Young's close range shot after a low Guttridge centre.

Connecting onto the end of another Maher corner, Cort headed just wide of the far post before Duncan headed a high hanging cross wide when in truth it looked easier to score before the last action of the match, in the 88th minute, saw Paul Wanless head a Warren Goodhind centre straight at the relieved Flahavan.

Six points from two matches has certainly done Southend United a lot of favours and the picture look a lot clearer than it did a few days ago! We've had worse weekends...

Mark Wallis
www.thelittlegazette.com