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Newman's fired-up side got at the visitors straight from kick-off in what was a rather one-sided first half, however goalkeeper Daniel Gay was the first United man to be called into action in the fourth minute, palming away Lee Hodges 25 yard free kick. Two minutes later David McSweeney charged down Michael Jeffrey's shot before Stephen Broad was forced to concede a corner, heading behind Carl Bradshaw's right wing cross. After this however the first period was dominated by the homesters.
As the Shrimpers began to stream forward referee Lee Cable, who had a decidely poor match, waved away a penalty appeal when Leon Johnson was prevented from connecting with Barrington Belgrave's centre by the force of Russ Wilcox's arms.
It was in the sixteenth minute that Southend took the lead and once again Cable was brought under the spotlight. Leon Johnson's long range shot bounced off Bardshaw for a corner which Kevin Maher took short to Ian Selley who's swinging cross found Leon Cort who appeared to control the ball with his left arm before firing an unstoppable shot past goalkeeper Tommy Evans from 15 yards.
Seven minutes later Damon Searle thundered a shot over the crossbar before the advantage was doubled on 25 minutes. Belgrave's centre from the left flank found Steven Clark who turned his defender before knocking the ball to Newman who fired home a stunning volley from 10 yards.
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Newman then drilled a 20 yard shot just wide of the mark following neat play by Maher and Belgrave. On 29 minutes Evans bravely claimed the ball at the feet of Johnson after the midfielder had been played in by Damon Searle's astute through ball.
With Southend completely on top the match began to become a bit scrappy and another clear cut opprtunity didn't arrive until a minute before the interval when Braod hacked the ball clear after Gay had parried a Hodges shot.
The second half, although not a dull affair, never lived up to the billing of it's predecessor however just four minutes into the half Clark looped a header over Evans' crossbar from a Belgrave cross.
A dangerous Maher cross was cut out by Evans with Belgrave ready to pounce in the 66th minute and three minutes later came the first of two huge talking points involving referee Cable. Barrington Belgrave, clean through on goal was racing into the penalty area when Bradshaw,making no attempt to play the ball, deliberatly and recklessly chopped down the Blues striker. Cable stunned the Roots Hall crowd by only waving a yellow card in the direction of Bradshaw who was jeered by much of the crowd for the remainder of the match. The resulting free kick saw Selley float the ball harmlessly over the crossbar.
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As the match drifted into injury time Cort got his body in the way of Matthew Sparrow's shot following good build-up play by Alex Calvo-Garcia but then came the second huge talking point with Cable sending-off Blues winger Steven Clark. There was only 20 seconds of the match remaing when Clark retiliated to a push from a Scunthorpe defender by nudging the guilty player in the chest, within moments Cable rushed to the scene and didn't hesitate in flashing his red card in the direction of the most unfortunate Clark. This moment of nonscene from Cable failed however to overshadow what was a very well-earned victory for Southend United which moves the Shrimpers back into the top half of Division Three,
Mark Wallis
www.thelittlegazette.com