Beaten - Southend United lost to Dover Athletic
(Image: ROB CRAVEN)
Southend United FC.
SOUTHEND United's under 19 side missed out on the chance to move up to second in the National League U19 Alliance Academy South Division following a 2-1 defeat to Dover Athletic on Monday.
Blues looked like they had earned at least a share of the points when Jack Stone converted Alfie Humphrey’s right-wing centre in the 80th minute, but Dover forward Kaeden Jeffries netted 10 minutes later to add to Leo Moore’s opener early in the second half.
It was another painful conclusion to a fixture, following on from last week’s penalty shoot-out loss in the Academy Cup away to Maidstone United, and youth team coach Danny Heath had contrasting emotions after the match.
“In the first half, our quality was frustrating at times, whether that was in the final third, with the final ball or the end product,” he said.
“When we were building from our defensive third, they were only getting opportunities to counter from us giving the ball away.”
“The second half was disappointing. We gave the ball away on our attack for their first goal, and we then had to stop the attack by giving away a free-kick, and then I don’t think we’ve defended it very well.”
“The boys reacted quite well after going a goal down, and if we had played in the first 60 minutes like we did when we reacted, then the outcome might’ve been different. We changed the shape and in the last 15 minutes or so we finished the better team and created three or four good opportunities.”
“We felt we should’ve had a penalty, but Dover also had some decisions that they didn’t get. They then hit us on the counter, and we felt there was a free-kick on Mitchell [Ward], but they came away with the ball and we tried to play offside when it probably wasn’t the right time, and to be fair, their lad has run in and finished it well,” he added.
Ward was one of two changes to the starting line as Alfie Humphrey was also restored to the team having been forced to sit out the visit to the Gallagher Stadium. Obi Okafor and Joshua Jackson joined trialist Teddy Woolland on the substitutes’ bench.
Blues created the first chance of the game in the fourth minute when Beau MacDonald rolled the ball out to Olu Shobowale on the left-hand side and his cross was glanced narrowly wide of the far post by Stone.
Opportunities were at a premium with the gusty conditions affecting the ability of both teams to locate a telling pass.
However, on ten minutes, Dover’s Finn Roberts crossed for Max Woodfine, and he sent a first-time volley over the crossbar.
Seven minutes later, Alfie Humphrey, MacDonald and Joe Poxon linked up well with a quick passing move on the right that culminated in Zevieyan Makangu thumping over from 15 yards out, but the game had passed the half-hour mark before either side was able to craft another opening.
Again, it was the hosts that possessed the greater threat as Stone chased down a long ball in the 33rd minute, only to steer his left-footed shot straight at Kye Davidson in the Dover goal. Seven minutes later, Poxon burst into the penalty area and went down as he tried to cut back onto his right foot, but the referee dismissed claims for a spot-kick.
There were no changes at the break for Blues, who had to contend with a reinvigorated Dover outfit in the second half.
Woodfine found Jeffries in the 51st minute, but his scuffed finish was easy for Joshua Barrett to collect and, on 58 minutes, Jake McCarthy threaded a pass through to Woodfine, but Rio Thomas made a perfectly-timed tackle to concede a corner.
The visitors took the lead five minutes later.
Southend lost possession high up the pitch and Ward was forced to give away a free-kick to break up the Dover attack.
Former Blues player Zak Hammond sent a deep delivery into the heart of the penalty area from the right touchline and Leo Moore’s header bounced off the underside of the crossbar and found its way into the net.
Going behind appeared to galvanise the teenage Shrimpers, and Humphrey and Poxon combined midway through the second period to set up Stone, who saw his fierce strike partially charged down by defender Essa Jadama, enabling Davidson to make a comfortable save.
On 71 minutes, Stone was shoved over 25 yards from goal and Shobowale’s free-kick was curled narrowly over, before Noah Coleman responded for Dover by hooking into Barrett’s gloves from a set-piece.
Heath sent on Okafor, Jackson and Woolland with a quarter-of-an-hour remaining in an attempt to turn around Southend’s fortunes, and immediately ex-Vauxhall Motors and Burnley youngster Woolland met a Jackson free-kick, but his downward header was agonisingly out of the reach of Stone and Poxon on the edge of the six-yard box.
That mattered little three minutes later when Blues levelled through a familiar source.
Shobowale instigated the move, tracking across midfield before offloading to Makangu.
He slipped the ball in behind the Dover defence and Humphrey’s measured delivery was forced home from four yards out by Stone at the near post.
Southend continued to attack without locating the final pass to test Davidson, and they were frustrated when Okafor cut the ball back for Jackson, who went down under a challenge from Moore and saw his appeals for a penalty waved away. Woolland guided his shot straight at Davidson when the ball ran loose from the tackle.
The mood was worsened in the final minute of the regulation 90 when Dover snatched the winner.
The visitors won possession in midfield, with Southend players feeling Ward was fouled.
Dover broke away and Woodfine fed Jeffries, who beat the offside trap to slide his finish beneath Barrett and leave Blues still searching for a first win of 2025.
Southend United U19s: Joshua Barrett, Julius Nwike (Teddy Woolland 75), Mitchell Ward, Zevieyan Makangu, Rio Thomas, Olu Shobowale, Alfie Humphrey, Nathan Woodley (Joshua Jackson 75), Jack Stone, Beau MacDonald (Obi Okafor, 75), Joe Poxon.
