Matchwinner - Jack Stone celebrates scoring for Southend united against Dover Athletic
(Image: ROB CRAVEN)
Southend United FC
Football
Sport.
Southend United's under 19 side recorded their third consecutive victory to maintain the pressure on the top three in the National League U19 Alliance Academy South Division.
Jack Stone delivered the only goal against Dover Athletic at the Crabble Athletic Ground in the 17th minute of the game, but a resolute performance from Danny Heath’s squad saw them shut out their opposition for the third successive fixture.
Heath was delighted with the standard of performance from the teenage Shrimpers, who sit five points behind third-placed Oxford City with a game in hand: “
I thought the boys were fantastic,” he declared.
“It was a 1-0 win, but I felt it was a comfortable win. Josh [Barrett] has only had two attempts to save throughout the whole game.”
“I was really pleased that we dealt with Dover’s direct play and got first and second contacts.
"In possession, the boys played our game really well.
"We had good quality in possession on a tough pitch, so it was similar to Welling in that the boys have played some great stuff in tough conditions.”
“That’s a compliment to them, because they are a group of outstanding football players and a group of outstanding men that give everything for this football club. Everything they do comes from their heart, so I’m really proud and pleased.”
Blues were unchanged from the side that defeated Boreham Wood 4-0 in their previous fixture, and they came under some pressure from their hosts in the opening stages.
Barrett punched a left-wing cross out from underneath his crossbar in the sixth minute, and made a smart save after a forward got the better of Julius Nwike after a quarter-of-an-hour.
On 17 minutes, Southend took the lead through a familiar source. Mitchell Ward assessed his options before spotting Joe Poxon’s run, and the Shrimpers skipper received possession down the left-hand side of the penalty area, from where he was able to square to Stone, who forced the ball over the line from close-range.
Dover went on the hunt for an immediate response, and Barrett made a full-stretch save to tip a 20-yard attempt around the right-hand post before the defence held firm during a succession of corners, with Barrett punching one clear and Nwike nodding another off the head of an attacker.
Despite leading, Southend had shown little of their attacking prowess during the opening quarter of the encounter, but it looked as though that might change when Stone challenged the goalkeeper for a through-ball.
But the marksman was injured in the process and was unable to continue, necessitating his replacement by Obi Okafor on 25 minutes.
Joshua Jackson saw a free-kick charged down, and Teddy Woolland skewed the rebound wide from 25 yards out, before the opening period finished with Okafor latching onto the ball on the right-hand apex of the penalty area and flashing his shot wide of the near post.
The game was played on a dry and uneven surface, and that had made it difficult for Blues to impose their game on their opponents but, as the half progressed, the visitors had dealt increasingly impressively with any threat possessed by Dover.
“In terms of our prep work before the game and nullifying their strengths, we identified that they play quite an open game with high full-backs and they look to get the ball forward early, and I thought our boys stood up to that brilliantly,” said Heath.
“As staff, the message at half-time was that the job was only half-done, and the way we started the second half was going to be important in terms of not allowing them to get a foothold in the game.
"We had a strong foundation to build upon and, as the second half went on, we felt that the one goal was going to be enough to win the game, and that’s a compliment to the players.”
The tempo of the game picked up after the break, and that was reflected in Southend’s comfort in possession, although it took some time for them to fashion repeated openings, once an Alfie Humphrey centre towards Poxon had been cleared in the 47th minute.
Both teams refused to give any quarter in the midfield battle, and matters threatened to boil over following a late tackle on Jackson in the Dover half on 74 minutes. Poxon was cautioned, as well as the perpetrator and another opponent, for their roles in the coming-together.
Humphrey and Ward had just combined to set up Woodley, who miskicked when well-placed inside the penalty area, and on 77 minutes Olu Shobowale curled a free-kick over.
Okafor then went close twice in quick succession, the first time with a driven shot that flew past the left-hand upright, and then when he stretched but diverted the ball wide after George Pulham’s shot had been saved.
Zevieyan Makangu was sent on with a couple of minutes remaining as Southend attempted to see out the game, but Barrett had to be alert in the fourth minute of stoppage time to turn a near-post strike into the side-netting.
The corner was cleared, and the teenage Shrimpers were able to celebrate an eleventh victory of the season.
“Before the technical and tactical stuff comes into play, we talk a lot about how the physical and the psychological aspects are more important,” Heath explained.
“You have to have that fight, that determination, that resilience and that commitment.
"They are things that should be a given, but the boys, not just today but throughout the whole season, have demonstrated that in abundance.”
“Last year we didn’t have enough of that.
"We always say to the boys that, whatever the outcome and result after the 90 minutes, whether we’ve lost or won, we want them to walk off the pitch with the opposition knowing they have been in a tough game.
"We don’t want to be enjoyable to play against.”
“Dover’s best bit of pressure came in the last five minutes, in added time, where they put a few throws into the box and a few crosses and a couple of corners, and the boys stood up to it like men and defended their goal with everything.
"I’m pleased and the boys are pleased."
Southend United U19s: Joshua Barrett, Teddy Woolland, Mitchell Ward, Joshua Jackson, Julius Nwike, Olu Shobowale, George Pulham, Alfie Humphrey, Jack Stone (Obi Okafor), Nathan Woodley (Zevieyan Makangu), Joe Poxon.
Unused substitute: Thato Molefi.
Goals: Stone (17).
Cautioned: Poxon (74, adopting an aggressive attitude).
