CUP HEROES CRASH BACK TO EARTH

Exeter City 0
Southend United 2
(Pennyfather, Clark) 

Attendance 2213

Match Report by Robert Bowden 

Sad Exeter City came back to earth with a sick- ening thump after their mid Iweek Milk Cup - triumph over Devon rivals Plymouth Argyle. The excitement created by that win and the prospect of a money spinning second round tie against First Division Aston Villa evaporated as Southend strengthened their position among the Fourth Division pacemakers. I feel let down' admitted Exeter manager Colin Appleton afterwards. I gave the side that beat Plymouth a vote of confidence, but they weren't able to carry over the enthusiasm and commitment they showed on Wednesday night. 'We had a lot of young players who didn't do the running and a lot of experienced players who didn't do the talking. Bankrupt of ideas up front, outmanoeuvred in midfield and hesitant at the back, it all added up to another thor- oughly miserable afternoon for Exeter's long-suffering supporters. In stark contrast Southend, with Exeter old boy Danny O'Shea bustling in midfield, were positively bubbling over with ideas. Richard Cadette, fast and full of trickery, gave out of touch Exeter a succession of heart-stopping moments during an otherwise instantly forgettable first half. Nick Marker, who had the unenviable task of trying to contain the live-wire striker, scampered back to make one desperate last-ditch tackle. And there was another lucky escape for Exeter after half an hour when Steve Phillips headed on O'Shea's cross but Cadette, unmarked deep inside the area, just failed to apply the finishing touch. With Phillips, a stocky rather unlikely looking striker keeping John Impey fully occupied, it looked only a matter of time before Bobby Moore's men converted their superiority into goals. And when goalkeeper John Shaw and Marker had a difference of opinion about who should clear O'Shea's searching long throw, Glenn Pennyfather pounced to put his side ahead with a 35th minute flash of opportunism. Referee Howard King might just as well have blown the final whistle there and then for all the prospect there was of Exeter clawing their way back into the game. They flattered to deceive on a handful of occasions, notably when Martin Ling, one of few Exeter players to emerge with much credit, flashed a fierce shot into the side netting. But they had no idea how to combat Southend's rigid offside trap and Phillips nearly added to Exeter's misery just before the break when he pounced on a mistake by Keith Vine, only to thump his shot straight at a relieved Shaw. It took Exeter nearly an hour to carve out their first clear cut chance but when Trevor Morgan finally found Ling with an intelligent through ball the teenage winger stumbled, recovered but only managed to send his shot past the post.
'If Martin had scored then it might have given us the spark we needed, but we can't afford to get into the position where we need a goal to get us going', said Appleton. Southend, jolted back into life by that narrow escape, promptly wiped out any ling- ering doubt about where the points were going. Ling took time off from his single handed assault on the Southend defence to nod Shane Westley's header off the line, but it was only a temporary reprieve. Not for the first time Phillips was the first to react when Barry Silkman's corner was only partially cleared and Paul Clark was given the time and the space to control his pass and stroke it leisurely past Shaw. Appleton almost immediately replaced on- loan striker Garry Kimble with substitute Paul Williams, but it was a thankless time for Saltash marksman to make his Football League debut. Full back Graham Kirkup, who had his hands full marshalling the manacing Pennyfather, did manage to set up a couple of late openings for Ling, but unhappily his finishing let him down. And Cadette could have rubbed salt into Exeter's wounds had he managed to nod home a third goal right at the death after O'Shea and Phillips had once again com- bined to leave City's defen- ders red-faced.

Southend:
Stannard, Stead, Lampard, O'Shea, Westley, Hat- ter, Clark, Silkman, Cadette, Phillips, Pennyfather, sub: McDonough.

Star ratings

3* Shaw
3* Kirkup
2* Viney
3* McNichol
3* Impey
3* Marker
3* Ling
3* A. Kimble
2* G. Kimble
2* Morgan
2* Crawford