Virtually a year to the day Southend, led by David Webb were well beaten, 4-0, by a mightily impressive Yeovil side who simply swept United aside with fantastic football. On this dingy, damp afternoon in Somerset however we saw a completely different side of Gary Johnson’s team, and undoubtedly, and somewhat sadly, the Glovers are the most unsporting side the Shrimpers have faced for many years.
The decision of the Football League panel to put one of the National List’s jokers, Mick Fletcher, in charge of a side who find it impossible to go into a tackle without their studs showing and to crawl on the floor everytime the ball approaches the penalty area was simply ridiculous. United have had huge, huge problems with Fletcher in the past and his vendetta against the Essex side continued in this game.
It is often easy to point a finger at an official when maybe the team are to blame and yes, United were not quite themselves in the first period, but neither were their hosts, but Fletcher assisted the cause of this game and of that there is no doubt. The bizarre sending off of Blues skipper Kevin Maher ultimately cost Southend at least a point. Maher’s first caution, on the hour, was for an alleged high foot, a high foot which was no more than six inches of the ground, whilst the captain was simply victim of Yeovil’s disgusting gamesmanship for a second ‘foul’ nine minutes from time, with the scores level, as Gavin Williams threw himself onto the floor as the crossed Maher’s path. From the resulting free kick Yeovil grabbed the crucial lead.
Indeed, it was inevitable inside the first five minutes that, at the very least, Southend were going to have at least one player sent-off and with very little else on Fletcher’s mind, Southend were always up against it.
Injury to Spencer Prior meant that Andy Edwards deputised at the back, whilst Duncan Jupp was replaced at right back by Lewis Hunt with Mark Bentley shifting into midfield. Unfortunately Edwards was forced off mid-way through the first half with a nasty injury, replaced by Jupp as Hunt moved into the centre alongside Adam Barrett.
Persistant rain made the Huish Park pitch remarkably slippery, and it was the home side who adapted the better early on, and with five minutes played a Gavin Williams shot was deflected wide of the post by Barrett before the Shrimpers defender did well shortly afterwards to block a fierce Scott Guyett effort.
Ex-Everton frontman Phil Jevons began to lead Yeovil’s unwelcome edge-of-penalty-area dives, with Bartosz Tarachulski soon following suit and Fletcher falling for them every single time. Ironically, Fletcher did not do what most referee’s would have done in not sending-off United goalkeeper Bart Griemink after the Dutchman handled the ball outside the penalty area, and with the Shrimpers, for once, let off the hook Griemink’s legs kept out Lee Johnson’s low free kick.
Wayne Gray probed United’s first opportunity, testing Chris Weale with a skidding shot, but it was all Steve Tilson’s side could muster attack wise before the break.
Jevons’ free kick, needless to say ‘won’ himself, cannoned back off the crossbar before Griemink did well to hold onto Williams’ low shot.
The hosts grabbed the lead two minutes before the interval, a harmless looking Williams cross catching out Griemink and his defence, allowing Jevons’ to flick a header just inside the post from four yards. (1-0)
Half-time: Yeovil Town 1 Southend United 0
The Shrimpers came out a much improved side after the interval and created the better chances of the two sides as Yeovil began to creek under pressure, and Southend had two penalty appeals for handball emphatically ignored by an uninterested Fletcher.
However, with 61 minutes played, Southend grabbed a most deserved equaliser, defender Barrett grabbing his seventh goal of the season when his head got the slightest of touches into a Maher free kick to direct the ball past Weale from close range. (1-1)
Following the leveller, Tilson’s men enjoyed their best spell of the match, and moments after Barrett’s strike a neat Carl Pettefer cross saw Gray’s volley bounce inches wide of the upright before the same striker saw Weale magnificentally push his deflected shot around the post.
As Yeovil came forward again in what was becoming a very open second half, Griemink blocked at the feet of Williams following a pacey run before a fine stop from the big shot-stooper denied Tarachulski’s header before Barrett dived in to block the rebound from Jevons.
Maher’s free kick dropped just a fraction over the crossbar on 80 minutes before the turning point arrived just a minute later when Maher was so harshly dismissed by the incompetent Fletcher.
From the resulting Williams free kick, Polish frontman Tarachulski stabbed the ball in from close range to edge Town back in front. (2-1)
Then, just a minute later the game was over when Southend were caught out on the right flank and Williams again turned provider for Australian Guyett to slid the ball home at the far post. (3-1)
The Shrimpers replied with Bentley’s header thumping off the crossbar in the final minute, but unlucky Southend were already a beaten team, a result their performance did not merit. United would have lifted themselves into an automatic promotion spot with a victory, but instead Tilson’s men have to settle for seventh spot having dropped two places from fifth.
Full-time: Yeovil Town 3 Southend United 1
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Mark Wallis
www.thelittlegazette.com