Despite a group of over-officious stewards, the outrageous admission price of £23, dreary skies and the appearance of pathetic porky referee Mick Fletcher, nothing was to dampen the spirits of the travelling Blue Army, who were vocal throughout and aided their team’s second away victory of the campaign.
Manager Tilson stuck with the same starting eleven as had triumphed 2-1 at home to Oldham Athletic six days previously, which meant a first away start for third-year scholar James Lawson. Striker Wayne Gray sat on the substitutes’ bench as he awaited his return from injury; fellow front man Freddy Eastwood took up a position just behind the away dug out as he watched his side carve out numerous chances in an action-packed ninety minutes.
Much of the fine work for Southend came on the flanks, and this is perhaps no coincidence when you consider that ex-Shrimper Nicky Nicolau was the left-sided winger for the hosts. The Camden Town-born talent was roundly booed and derided both on and as he left the pitch, but he had very little influence for his new club, in an attacking sense at least.
Indeed, the first United goal arrived after just 66 seconds, with the delivery coming from the right-hand side, where a foul had been committed. Kevin Maher took the set-piece, and after Shaun Goater had failed by inches to get his head to the ball, Barrett appeared to nod home powerfully into the bottom right-hand corner of the net, his first goal of the campaign after the ten of last term. (1-0)
A rip-roaring start almost saw Maher double the lead in the most fortunate of circumstances, his skidding left-wing free-kick bouncing awkwardly in front of goalkeeper Tom Heaton, who managed to get enough behind the ball to divert it away from the right-hand corner of the net.
There was a cautionary note for Blues as Swindon briefly threatened to post an equaliser. Firstly Gareth Whalley’s free-kick was flicked well over the crossbar by Rory Fallon, and then a Michael Pook cross from the right-hand bye-line picked out the late run of Andy Guerney, the one Town player to play with real spirit, who powered a bullet header inches over Darryl Flahavan’s goal.
But both defences were guilty of sloppy play, and when James Lawson’s innocuous-looking crossfield pass was hooked skywards by left-back Jack Smith, goalkeeper Heaton had to be alert to block on his own goalline.
A further period of Southend pressure ensued, with Andy Edwards set-piece from the halfway line leading to a swerving strike by Luke Guttridge, who watched on in horror as Heaton somehow leapt to his left to palm away for a corner. Mark Gower’s delivery was driven across the face of goal by Edwards.
Gower and Lewis Hunt were then guilty of slack work at the back as Smith burst past both of them midway through the first period, only for Pook to smash ten feet over the crossbar. Mitchell Cole at the other end may have been better employed by going alone rather than cutting back for Goater, whose shot was blocked by Jerel Ifil. Gower wasted a great chance to head United in front seconds later, nodding Cole’s hanging cross across the face of goal.
Luke Guttridge was cautioned as referee Fletcher gave the first of a series of bemusing decisions – the former Cambridge United captain clearly took the ball. Just minutes after Guerney’s deflected shot had been well saved with an athletic dive from Flahavan, Lawson was pole-axed by Smith, and with his assistant flagging, Fletcher somehow decreed that play should continue.
Guerney was booked ten minutes from the break after one niggling tackle too many, and from Maher’s free-kick, Barrett’s over-the-shoulder shot was deflected over. Maher then threaded a pinpoint pass down the inside-left channel, and Goater’s wonderful turn fooled Patrick Collins, allowing the Bermudan international the space to fire inches past the right-hand post.
The Robins did come back into the game in the closing stages of the opening 45 minutes, with a Whalley corner headed weakly at Flahavan by Collins, and then Fallon hitting an equally tame shot at the former Woking custodian in stoppage time.
Half-time: Swindon Town 0 Southend United 1
Town were renewed for the second half, and were helped when Barrett was booked for lunging in on Pook. Guerney’s free-kick from wide on the right picked out substitute Ricky Shakes, whose header tested Flahavan from 12 yards. Youngster Shakes was again the key on the hour mark, when his neat flick deceived Che Wilson. His cross found Fallon, who directed the ball off target.
Gower was given space as Cole and Lawson teamed up on the left flank, but the one-time Tottenham Hotspur trainee fired over from twenty yards out. Halfway through the second period, Barrett managed to force a powerful header onto the roof of the net from 17 yards despite a wayward flag-kick from Maher.
Swindon were starting to look ominous, and came closest to scoring when midfield playmaker Stefan Miglioranzi could not quite touch his close-range header into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal. Adam Barrett then appeared to handle a punt upfield with the underside of his arm, but thankfully the bungling Fletcher was looking the other way at the time.
With ten minutes left, Miglioranzi again powered a header marginally off target from a Guerney cross, and then after an eternity, substitute Christian Roberts’ free-kick right on the edge of the penalty area was charged down by a brave Wilson.
When, with two-and-a-half minutes left to play, Wayne Gray found the back of the net, it looked set to seal a comfortable win and afford supporters a cushion for the dying minutes. The replacement for hard-working Lawson planted a firm header into the ground and up into the roof of the net from Maher’s free-kick next to the left corner flag. (2-0)
But Fletcher was not finished toying with the Shrimpers. Firstly he booked full-back Wilson for a clumsy challenge that barely justified a free-kick, and predictably Swindon scored from it. Guerney was the provider with a deep set-piece on the halfway line that Collins prodded back across goal and, as the Southend defence stool statuesque with their hands in the air appealing for offside, Fallon nipped in to tap home from two yards. (2-1)
Fallon had a further great chance to level as he headed strongly past the right-hand upright from a Shakes cross, dug out after rounding Wilson. Despite Darryl Flahavan being booked for time-wasting, Southend held on to move up into the play-off positions. A further test of their prowess in Coca-Cola League One awaits next Saturday when Tranmere Rovers come to Roots Hall.
Full-time: Swindon Town 1 Southend United 2
1 CCL1 2 SOUTHEND UNITED 4785 Adam Barrett 2 Wayne Gray 88 4-4-2 TEAMS 4-4-2 Tom HEATON Darryl FLAHAVAN Andy GUERNEY Lewis HUNT Patrick COLLINS Andy EDWARDS Jerel IFIL Adam BARRETT Jack SMITH Che WILSON Michael POOK Mark GOWER Stefani MIGLIORANZI Kevin MAHER Gareth WHALLEY <46 <85 Luke GUTTRIDGE Nicky NICOLAU <71 Mitchell COLE Rory FALLON <66 James LAWSON Jamie CURETON <46 <90+3 Shaun GOATER Matty BULMAN Bart GRIEMINK Steve JENKINS >90+3 Spencer PRIOR Tony THORPE >46 >66 Wayne GRAY Ricky SHAKES >46 >85 Mark BENTLEY Christian ROBERTS >71 Jay SMITHSWINDON TOWN
Rory Fallon 90
SUBS
Match Statistics |
Swindon Town (0)…1 Southend United (1)…2 @ the County Ground, Swindon in Coca-Cola League One on Saturday 10/09/05 |
Goals: Southend: Barrett 2 (headed right-wing Maher free-kick into bottom right-hand corner; inside area; timed at 01:06), Gray 88 (headed left-wing Maher free-kick into roof of net; inside area; 87:24); Swindon: Fallon 90 (tapped in low Collins pass from close range; inside area; 89:21). |
Bookings: Southend: Guttridge 29 (foul), Barrett 56 (foul), Wilson 90 (foul), Flahavan 90+4 (unsporting behaviour); Swindon: Guerney 36 (foul), Smith 90+4 (foul). |
Sent-off: none |
Total Goal Efforts | Robins 21 Shrimpers 13 |
Shots/Headers On Target | Robins 6 Shrimpers 5 |
Shots/Headers Off Target | Robins 11 Shrimpers 7 |
Blocked shots | Robins 4 Shrimpers 1 |
Hit Woodwork | Robins 0 Shrimpers 0 |
Corners | Robins 4 Shrimpers 6 |
Free-kicks | Robins 11 Shrimpers 16 |
Offsides | Robins 2 Shrimpers 4 |
Sundries |
Match Time | 96:41 (First half: 47:37, Second half: 49:04) |
Indicated Stoppage Time | First half: 2 minutes, Second half: 3 minutes |
Referee: Mick Fletcher (West Midlands FA) 2 out of 10 (2/5 General Control, 0/3 Application of the Laws of the game, 0/2 Appearance and Personality) – simply pitiful. James Lawson was left pole-axed by Andy Guerney, who had already been booked, so he escaped without so much as a free-kick. Luke Guttridge got the ball in a tackle and was cautioned. Had no control, only gave the correct decision when prompted by his assistants, and missed a blatant (and unfortunate) penalty when Barrett handled in the box because he was inexplicably looking the other way. Any referee with a personalised number plate on his car deserves to be lambasted. |
Attendance: 4785 (579 Shrimpers) |
Programme Cover: Ricky Shakes |
Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com