Share of the spoils - for Southend United
(Image: ROB CRAVEN)
Southend United FC
SOUTHEND United's under 18 coach Tom Bailey believes the festive break may have arrived at just the right time for his squad after Blues laboured to a goalless draw at Bishop’s Stortford.
The result means Southend go into the New Year level on points with league leaders West Ham United Foundation at the top of the National League U19 Alliance Division A - with a game in hand - although they were indebted to goalkeeper Luca Sorrentino, who made a string of fine saves after a bright start faded away.
“We had a few chances in the first half, but we lacked a little bit of quality on the ball,” said Bailey.
“In the second half they came at us a lot more aggressively and, to be honest, they should have won the game.”
“We seem to have hit a bit of a wall in recent weeks.
"Perhaps this break comes at a good time; players can go away, reset, and come back with a different level of energy and hunger and we can put things right.”
“It’s a bit of a disappointing way to finish this half of the season, but there have been plenty of positives from September to now, and overwhelmingly the emotion from this last game is that it wasn’t good enough.”
Bailey named a much-changed side with a number of regular starters unavailable, meaning Joe Buck and Dylan Pattison were handed the opportunity to impress at the back. Oliver Neville, a member of the Community Foundation’s A team, joined goalkeeper Joshua Barrett on the substitutes’ bench.
Despite those changes, Blues started on the front foot and Nikolay Zlatev - captaining the team in the absence of Ronnie Durussel - broke away straight from the kick-off.
Ibrahim Lima eventually received the ball on the edge of the penalty and drew a low save from Stortford shotstopper Toby Atkins.
Buck then dragged an effort wide from 20 yards out before the visitors went even closer to an opening goal in the eighth minute.
Zlatev flicked the ball into the path of midfielder Kye Munro, who saw his first-time attempt tipped onto the base of the left-hand upright. Atkins then did well to recover quickly and push Zlatev’s follow-up off-target.
Blues were able to control possession during the opening exchanges, and Pattison stabbed over after Oscar Miller’s corner had been flicked on at the near post in the 21st minute before Brandon Dadson was prevented from latching onto a Zlatev through-ball by the outstretched leg of defender Oliver Edwards.
By then, the first signs of Stortford edging into the game had arrived as Miller was required to cut out a pass intended for Haydn Kearney, and on 34 minutes forward Marco Tagliatavore gained possession from a long clearance and flashed a shot narrowly wide of the right-hand post.
When Southend attacked, they lacked the precision of previous performances, and Dadson curled over from 25 yards out after exchanging passes with Lima whilst Zlatev fired over from an acute angle following Dadson’s reverse pass into the penalty area on 35 minutes.
Munro also thumped a volley wide after making a good run across his marker to connect with Dadson’s cross before Zlatev lashed a shot into the side-netting, but the best opportunity of this period fell to Tagliatavore, who was brilliantly thwarted by Sorrentino’s right hand as he attempted to convert a one-on-one opportunity.
When the second half started, it was the home side that looked the more dangerous.
Kearney volleyed over from a Charlie Goodacre cross in the 47th minute and, after Zlatev hooked Miller’s delivery into Atkins’ gloves at the opposite end, the same pair combined with Kearney galloping onto the ball and smashing narrowly over.
Tagliatavore then saw a driven finish deflected past the far post before Sorrentino made a superb point-blank stop to prevent Josh Safro from converting the resultant corner.
On 52 minutes, the Blues custodian made yet another vital contribution, standing tall to save from Tagliatavore after Freddie Purkiss had put him clear.
Kearney then supplied Goodacre, who side-footed wide, before a misplaced James Datey pass presented Tagliatavore with yet another opportunity on the hour.
This time Pattison did well to hold him up before Sorrentino narrowed the angle and forced the forward to steer his shot wide of the right-hand post.
Sisanda Maguranyanga struggled to find his usual pockets of space, and his afternoon was epitomised by a passage of play in the 69th minute when he seized on an under-hit pass but found himself closed down on the edge of the penalty area and he failed to get a shot away.
Munro drew a full-length save from Atkins, who grabbed his 25-yard daisy-cutter at the second attempt, and Zlatev also forced Atkins into a save late on, but Stortford continued to look more likely to find a winner, despite Edwards firing a volley wide on 78 minutes.
As the match entered stoppage time, Blues were forced to scramble clear as Ethan Ottley and Bailey Carless sent dangerous deliveries into the six-yard box, whilst Ben Asante fired straight at Sorrentino from close-range. Carless also chipped over from the edge of the penalty area, but Blues held on to gain a share of the spoils.
Southend United U18s: Luca Sorrentino, James Datey, Joe Buck (Oliver Neville 65), Ibrahim Lima, Dylan Pattison, Oscar Miller, Yobor Sorae, Kye Munro, Nikolay Zlatev, Brandon Dadson, Sisanda Maguranyanga.
Sub not used: Joshua Barrett.
