Southend United 4 Scunthorpe United 2

Steve Tilson’s side reached the dizzy heights of thirteenth position following this victory over Scunthorpe United, and indeed had the Shrimpers managed just one further goal they would have plundered their way into the top half of the table, as it stands Bury lay ahead of Southend on goals scored, and also level on points, goal difference separates Blues from eleventh-placed Boston United.

The home side were unchanged from the starting line-up which chalked up an impressive victory at Carlisle United six days earlier, with striker Lawrie Dudfield still missing with an infection whilst skipper Kevin Maher played his last match before a two game ban which will cover the forthcoming encounters against Huddersfield Town and Darlington.

Southend were obviously still flying from the magnificent Brunton Park victory, and started very brighty in this first Friday night fixture of the campaign.

Indeed, there were only a matter of seconds on the clock when Carl Pettefer’s free kick was flicked inches wide of the post by Mark Bentley. Then, only another five minutes later, Southend were presented with a fabulous chance to take the lead when Lee Ridley’s poorly headed backpass fell well short of goalkeeper Tom Evans and Leon Constantine darted onto the loose ball but could only fire his angled shot into the arms of Evans.

An early chance for the visitors from North Lincolnshire saw Terry Barwick zip a volley into the arms of Darryl Flahavan before Ridley nodded a Duncan Jupp centre clear, but only as far as Constantine who drove a low shot fractionally wide of the upright.

Drewe Broughton rolled an effort at Evans following a neat run on sixteen minutes before Mark Gower tested Evans from fully 25 yards. In between Flahavan easily dealt with a low effort from Cleveland Taylor.

Then, with 26 minutes on the clock the game suddenly came to life with three goals inside three and a half minutes, with the Essex side taking a two goal lead before being quickly pegged back by their determined visitors.

The Shrimpers took the lead when a fantastic through ball from Pettefer set Constantine, who had beaten the offside trap, through on goal and with the coolest of finishes the Blues top scorer slotted a shot into the bottom right hand corner despite ‘keeper Evans getting the slightest of touches.

The lead was then doubled only moments later, and it came courtesy of Broughton’s first league goal at Roots Hall, and only his second in a Southend shirt. Gower’s corner was not properly cleared by the Iron defence and Jupp chipped the ball back into the danger area where ex-Kidderminster Harriers frontman Broughton nodded home at the far post.

However, less than two minutes later the visitors had reduced the deficit. A mazy run from Matthew Sparrow never brought a Southend challenge and a poorly struck shot took a huge deflection off Steve MacLean and bounced into the bottom left hand corner of the South Stand net with Flahavan, wrong-footed, left completely stranded.

However, Southend continued to press forward, and a third goal almost arrived when Evans did ever-so-well to tip Leon Cort’s header, from a Broughton knock-back following a Maher corner, over the top of the crossbar.

That two goal advantage was restored though with five minutes remaining before half time. A perfectly lofted Maher corner found the head of Cort whose firm downward header found the bottom off the net courtesy of a ricochet, it was the tall defender’s first strike of the campaign, and arrived in his fifty-first outing.

Half-time - Southend United 3 Scunthorpe United 1

Leon Cort grabbed his first goal of the season shortly before half time.

An early second half opportunity saw Broughton shoot off target after a badly placed clearance from Andy Butler before the visitors, who had begun to take control of proceedings pulled another goal back four minutes after the re-start, a low left wing centre from Taylor found Steve Torpey who despatched a neat low finish past the outstretched arm of Flahavan.

For whatever reason, Southend now found it hard to get themselves going in the same manner as they played in the first period, and Tilson’s men were clearly struggling to gain possession, and when a blue shirt did grab hold of the ball it was often swiftly given away.

A curling free kick from Scunthorpe’s leading goalscorer, Glasgow Rangers loanee Steve MacLean, drifted inches wide of Flahavan’s post before Pettefer made an absolutely fantastic block to deny the same player.

However, for all their possession, Scunthorpe found clear-cut opportunities hard to come by, and the Shrimpers finally began to create second half chances of their own.

Constantine struck a volley into the arms of Evans following a neat back header by Broughton before a low Jupp cross saw the heel of substitute Lewis Hunt flick the ball onto Gower who shot at the legs of Evans.

Gower then sprinted to the goalline before cutting inside and seeing his lobbed effort headed away by Paul Hayes before, with four minutes to spare, the fourth crucial goal arrived. Everything stemmed from a Scunthorpe free kick, which saw Barwick’s effort blocked by the Southend wall before the ball was hoisted out onto the right flank where Tesfaye Bramble, also on off the bench, raced clear before slipping a ball across the box where Constantine, despite a mishit, guided a low effort past the helpless Evans and into the bottom left hand corner.

Evans’ evening still wasn’t finished though, and he was on form to deny Constantine a hat-trick when he pushed the 22-goal hitman’s long range effort around the foot of the post.

That however, was that, in what was a highly entertaining Friday evening fixture. By the TLG reckoning, three more points should do us…

Mark Wallis
www.thelittlegazette.com