Good win - Southend United saw off Aveley
(Image: ROB CRAVEN)
5th February
Southend United FC
Football
Sport.
SOUTHEND United's under 18 coach Tom Bailey was pleased with the way his squad adapted to a different challenge during a 4-1 victory against Aveley.
Blues extended their lead at the top of the National League U19 Alliance Division A table to four points with a third straight success in all competitions.
Sisanda Maguranyanga netted twice to take his competitive tally for the season to 18, with Brandon Dadson and Finley Ledger also on target for Bailey’s side.
“Aveley made it difficult for us; their goalkeeper went direct every time and they got around the first and second balls really well,” Bailey reflected.
“It gave us problems in trying to get control, and early on in games we have to do things better. We have to be quicker out the blocks.”
“It was a different challenge, and that has been something that’s been really good about the league this year because it has presented those different challenges.
"Earlier on in the season, we played some teams where we know each other and it was very open, and we were able to run through teams with the quality we have.”
“Now teams are adapting, whether that’s something they are doing when they play us or whether they do it all the time.
"Billericay and Bishop’s Stortford played with a low block and they made it difficult to break them down.
"Today it was direct and we got better dealing with it as the game went on."
Southend made just one change to the starting line-up as Kye Munro replaced Dylan Pattison in midfield, and they were indebted to goalkeeper Luca Sorrentino for an excellent eighth-minute save following a sluggish start.
Florin Craciun flicked the ball on for Sonny Winn, and his low strike was brilliantly turned around the left-hand post.
The hosts responded with Dadson setting up Muhammad Limbada on the edge of the ‘D’ in the 13th minute.
The midfielder, who had set Southend on their way at New Lodge in their previous fixture, was unfortunate when his right-footed strike crashed back off the crossbar after beating Austin Taylor in the Aveley goal.
Sorrentino then saved Elijah Grant’s effort from an acute angle in the 19th minute before Blues finally started to step up a gear.
A quick break saw Dadson pass to Munro, and his through-ball was perfect for Maguranyanga, only for the forward to take an uncharacteristically heavy touch and lose possession in the penalty area.
Midway through the first half Ibrahim Lima won the ball and found Maguranyanga, whose hold-up play led to an invitation for Limbada to shoot from 20 yards out again, with this attempt flying narrowly wide of the left-hand upright.
After Prince Chinedum’s excellent challenge in the opposite penalty area averted any danger on 25 minutes, Maguranyanga was presented with a fine opportunity to open his account from Dadson’s chipped pass.
Again, the former Rangers youngster failed to bring the ball under control and Taylor was able to sweep the ball from his feet just inside the area.
Finally, after Taylor had gathered again from Maguranyanga, the forward found the target in the 33rd minute.
Dadson provided the assist, slipping his team-mate clear through the centre of the pitch, and this time he made no mistake as he confidently stroked past the advancing custodian from the edge of the penalty area.
There was a slight alarm for the teenage Shrimpers four minutes before half-time when Alfie Rossiter’s free-kick was allowed to find its way to Grant inside the six-yard box.
However, his first-time finish was saved by Sorrentino and, in general, Southend were enjoying much more control at this point.
Maguranyanga’s thunderous free-kick was charged down by the defensive wall, with Limbada glancing Oscar Miller’s cross wide from the rebound.
The midfielder went close again with an aerial effort on 43 minutes when Ronnie Durussel whipped the ball in from the right touchline and Taylor produced a point-blank save.
But, Southend doubled their advantage 60 seconds later following a dazzling run from Maguranyanga down the left flank.
He got the better of a defender with a mazy dribble before cutting the ball back from the goal-line for Dadson to poke home at the near post from inside the six-yard box.
In a frenzied start to the second period, Dadson unleashed a fierce strike from 25 yards that narrowly cleared the crossbar before curling inches over from a similar distance with the help of Yobor Sorae’s decoy run.
Limbada also nodded a Munro cross wide, but at the other end Craciun dragged a shot across the face of goal and Frankie Ebbs saw a header cleared off the line.
Munro also forced a parried save from Taylor during this passage of play, with the goalkeeper scrambling to push the loose ball around the post as the midfielder attempted to convert the follow-up.
Blues then found themselves caught out on 57 minutes as a Rossiter free-kick was planted into the bottom left-hand corner by Ebbs to halve Aveley’s deficit.
The Millers enjoyed their best spell of the game in the aftermath of that goal, and Grant saw a strike deflected into the side-netting before Sorrentino punched away the resultant Rossiter corner whilst under heavy pressure.
Nonetheless, Southend bounced back and, after Miller’s clean strike had been repelled by Turner’s left boot in the 65th minute, Maguaranyanga made no mistake with another clinical finish after his run had been picked out by the left wing-back in return.
He cut inside a defender before firing past Taylor to make it 3-1 and provide the hosts with a two-goal cushion.
Maguranyanga was denied a hat-trick when a skilful attempt with the outside of his right foot was palmed away by Turner, before Chinedum’s imperious header was also kept out by the visiting shot-stopper.
Substitute Ledger then slotted the wrong side of the right-hand upright as Blues piled on the pressure.
Aveley responded, with captain Grant smashing a 30-yard free-kick over before James Datey dispossessed Elijah Elhgues in the area and Craciun fired against the base of the right-hand post.
But it was Southend who sealed the three points in stoppage time when Dylan Pattison cut the ball back superbly for Ledger to tuck away his first goal for the under 18s.
Southend United U18s: Luca Sorrentino, Ronnie Durussel, Oscar Miller (Dylan Pattison 68), Ibrahim Lima, Prince Chinedum, James Datey, Yobor Sorae, Kye Munro, Sisanda Maguranyanga, Muhammad Limbada (Finley Ledger 74), Brandon Dadson (Jude Morgan 80).
