Southend United 4 Queens Park Rangers 0

Last updated : 22 January 2004 By Mark Wallis

Shrimpers players and supporters can now forget about the FA Cup defeat at non-league Scarborough six days ago with this sensational performance against the Division Two high-flyers who have slipped to just two League defeats all season.

Southend have now emulated what they did three season's ago in reaching of Area Final of this competition, but having slipped to a 4-2 aggregate defeat against Brentford. This time around however United will be seeking to go one step further and reach a final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, however one more side stands in Southend's way and, would you believe it, it is Colchester United.

It's almost fourteen years since the Blues and the U's met in a competitive fixture and now the time has finally arrived what an occassion for it to happen! The tie will be played over two legs on Tuesday 10th February and 24th February. The draw to ascertain which side will play at home first will be made on 'Soccer AM' this coming Saturday. Blackpool or Sheffield Wednesday then await in the Final.

However, onto this game, and despite their atrocious home record, Southend do seem to have the knack in Cup matches at Roots Hall, and an impressive 3-0 victory over Second Division Luton Town in the previous round was ecplised with this fantastic performance. Amazingly United have scored just 23 League goals this season but have now struck the net on 21 occassions in cup matches.

The great divide which seems to exist between League and Cup games is impossible to explain, but undoubtedly if Southend put in performances such as this week in week out in Division Three Steve Tilson's men would be involved in a promotion push rather than a relegation struggle.

The Shrimpers had their grasp on this match right from the off, and despite Rangers huge away following urging their side on, Southend were never phased by their illustrious oppoents and created the first chance of the match after just four minutes when Kevin Maher's stinging 20 yard volley brought a fine save out of Rangers goalkeeper Chris Day who tipped the ball around the post.

Then, with still only welve minutes on the clock the Shrimpers grabbed the lead, a neat Mark Gower centre found Leon Constantine with his back to goal and the tall striker quickly turned before rifling a low shot past Day and into the bottom left hand corner of the South Stand net.

Rangers probably had their best period of the match just after United's opener, Paul Furlong had a fierce free kick charged down the the Southend wall and Martin Rowlands sent a zipping 25 yard shot just off target, but despite the visitors throwing everything the had at the Shrimpers, the home defence was absolutely outstanding and didn't put a foot wrong all night.

Drewe Broughton hit a snap shot just over the top on 34 minutes following a Gower centre with what turned out to be the last real chance of a first half which had seen United sit back and frustrate their oppoents.

The second half was somewhat slow to come to life, with the early stages seeing Soutend easily soak up pressure from Rangers, but the closest the West London side came to a goal was just after the hour mark when Clark Carlisle nodded wide of Darryl Flahavan's post following a cross from Dean Marney.

However, with 67 minutes played the game swung even further towards United as the lead was doubled with a fantastic breakaway goal. Argentinian full back Gino Padula saw his corner headed clear by Broughton and Gower picked up the looses pieces before sending a superb ball up the touchline to Steven Clark - making his first start of the campaign - who sprinted clear, evading the challenge of Danny Shittu, before cuttin inside and curling a great shot past Day and into the bottom right hand corner. From defence to a goal in just over five seconds.

Then, just two minutes later the Roots Hall faithful were put into dreamland when the advantage was extended to three, thus time an inch pefect Gower cross was met by Broughton who, at the far post, sent an angled header into the roof of the net with Shittu failing miserably to keep the ball out.

With Southend now far and away in the ascendency, a neat run by Constantine saw the Blyes top scorer drag a shot just off target before Rangers - who to their credit never gave up - saw striker Kevin Gallen fire over the top of Flahavan's crossbar.

However, with Southend ascerting even more pressure Day did well to push a Broughton shot, following good play by Maher, around the post before on 79 minutes the rout was completed with a fourth goal and a second from Broughton. A short Gower corner was touched back to the former Barnet man by Maher and a great inswinging cross saw Leon Cort's downward header pushed out by Day but Broughton was on hand to smash home the loose ball from a matter of yards.

Southend's fourth goal was greeted by a mass exodus from the away end, but those supporters who left early missed a few late chances for the team, with Rowlands shooting just over the top and Furlong somehow firing over the top from point blank range, but it was far too late for a Rangers side who well well and truly beaten by the impressive Shrimpers.

Let's just hope that this form can be taken into the League match at Mansfield Town this Saturday!


Southend United

4-0
(Attendance: 5,824)

Queens Park Rangers

Leon Constantine 12

Steven Clark 67

Drewe Broughton 69, 79

Referee: Richard Beeby

Match Time: 95:04
1st half: 45:57, 2nd half: 49:07

Darryl Flahavan

Duncan Jupp --

Jamie Stuart

Leon Cort

Mark Warren

Kevin Maher

Jay Smith

Steven Clark

Mark Gower

Drewe Broughton

Leon Constantine --

8

8

7(84)

8

8

8

8

9(88)

8(88)

9

8

Chris Day

Terrell Forbes

Gino Padula

Danny Shittu

Clarke Carlisle

Matthew Rose

Marc Bircham

Martin Rowlands

Dean Marney

Kevin Gallen

Paul Furlong

6

6

5

6

6

6

7(84)

7

5(71)

6(84)

6

Carl Emberson

Dave McSweeney

Che Wilson

Neil Jenkins

Michael Kightly

-

-

-(84)

-(88)

-(88)

Nicky Culkin

Steve Palmer

Eric Sabin

Dennis Oli

-

-(84)

6(71)

-(84)

11

7

4

0

0

11

4

11

Total Goal Attempts
Shots/headers on target
shots/headers off target
Blocked Shots
Hit Woodwork
Free-Kicks
Corners
Caught Offside

13

2

9

2

0

19

9

1


TLG Man Of The Match – Drewe Broughton and Steven Clark

I found it impossible to pick between these two players so they award has, quite rightly, gone to both. Clark, making his first start of the season showed what we all know he can do, terrorising Rangers all night and scoring a truly fantastic goal. Broughton, having struggled to score brfore Christmas, has now got three in two games. He took both goals well and his all around performance could not be faulted.


Match Stats

LDV VANS TROPHY, SOUTHERN SECTION SEMI-FINAL - Tuesday, 20th January 2004

Goals:
Southend: Constantine 12 (connected onto a Gower cross before turning and firing a low 15 yard shot into the bottom left hand corner; inside area. Goal timed at 11 minutes 17 seconds), Clark 67 (A superb ball along the touchline by Gower was raced onto by Clark who raced past Shittu before curling a shot into a bottom right hand corner; inside area. Timed at 66:37), Broughton 69 (a lofted cross by Gower to the back post was headed into the roof of the net by Broughton from a tight angle; inside area. Timed at 68:57), Broughton 79 (a short corner saw Cort's header from a Gower cross pushed out by Day and Broughton smashed home the loose ball; inside area. Timed at 78:24).
Booked: Southend: Jupp (13 - kicking the ball away), Constantine (65 - foul).

Attendance:
5,824 (approx 2,500 away fans).


Referee:
Richard Beeby (Northampton) 4 out of 10 - Beeby gave some very bizarre decisions shall we say! In the first half especially Beeby blew for some very innocouos challenges and was far from being helpled by his incompetent assistant on the West Stand side who incidentally was replaced at half time.


Programme Cover:
Mark Bentley.