It’s now six wins out of six for the Shrimpers on their own turf as Steve Tilson’s men turned in yet another mightily impressive performance to further the Essex side’s promotion push.
Following on from the 4-1 trouncing of Shewsbury Town in the LDV Vans Trophy the previous Tuesday, Darryl Flahavan was missing with a heel injury, his place taken by the returning Bart Griemink with youngster Nick Morgan taking his place on the bench whilst Duncan Jupp and Che Wilson came back into the side at the expense of Nicky Nicolau and Mark Bentley.
Oxford began the afternoon with two ex-Shrimpers, Leo Roget and Tommy Mooney, in their starting line-up whilst another, in the form of Mark Rawle, arrived from the bench in the second half.
Oxford boss Graham Rix was also forced to field 44-year old Alan Judge in goal. Judge, currently goalkeeping coach at the Kassam Stadium played in Oxford’s greatest moment – the 1986 Milk Cup final victory against Queens Park Rangers – was forced into action following injury to both Chris Tardif and Simon Cox.
It was Tilson’s Shrimpers who started the brightest, and veteren shot-stopper Judge, playing just his second game in twelve years, was brought into action in the opening minute to deny Mark Gower from the edge of the area.
A duo of chances from the visitor’s however saw Griemink punch away a Barry Quinn header from Matt Robinson’s corner before another Robinson flag kick eventually saw ex-Portsmouth man Lee Bradbury fire over the top after Roget had headed against the crossbar.
A corner from skipper Kevin Maher on 22 minutes saw Spencer Prior head off target for the Shrimpers before another corner kick, this time from Gower saw Lewis Hunt flick a header just wide.
Quinn then fired over the bar from 20 yards having connected onto a low Mark E-Beyer ball before Carl Pettefer was called upon to clear off the line after Robinson had slid a shot goalward.
Half-time: Southend United 0 Oxford United 0
It didn’t take long for the home side to announce their second half dominance as they grabbed the lead just two minutes after the re-start. A fierce Wayne Gray shot saw Judge parry the ball out to Pettefer who in turn dragged a low centre across goal for Gower to slam home at the far post. (1-0)
Judge did well to palm away a Fredy Eastwood shpt before he comfortably handled Hunt’s scuffed volley.
A Maher free kick on 67 minutes saw Gray leap high but nod wide of the upright before the former Milton Keynes Dons striker also shot wayward after fine work by Maher and Pettefer.
Oxford could have grabbed a leveller when E’Beyer’s low shot bounced back off the post, but Southend simply continued to come forward and Eastwood was unlucky to see his low drive deflected wide off Gray after a neat assist from Gower.
It was on 75 minutes that Tilson’s side hit the all-important second goal. Eastwood dramatically twisting his way through the Oxford defence before unleashing a superb angled shot into the top left hand corner from 15 yards. (2-0)
Gray drove a 20 yard effort off target before, on 81 minutes, the third goal arrived when Adam Barrett nodded in a Maher corner from eight yards. (3-0)
Then, in injury time the Shrimpers were awarded a penalty when substitute Lawrie Dudfield was upended in the penalty area by Jon Ashton, who reived a red card for his second booking. Dudfield picked himself up to complete the scoring by smashing home the spot-kick. (4-0)
As Southend fly into fifth spot, Roots Hall has been hit by the realisation that Tilson has assembled a side which is finally capable of lifting Southend United out of this division. All we can ask is for everyone to get behind the Blues and help push us to promotion!
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Mark Wallis
www.thelittlegazette.com