Exeter City 2 Southend United 2.

Saturday 14 April 2001.

Referee: P Walton

Att: 4535 (with 287 away fans) 

Match Report by Vince Coulter 

EXETER fought back bravely from a two goal deficit to earn a vital point. City found themselves two goals down inside 21 minutes but recovered well with goals from Steve Flack and skipper Jamie Campbell. Exeter named the same side who lost against Plymouth a week ago. They made the worst possible start and fell behind in only the fourth minute. Michael Black floated a free kick into the box and Tessaye Bramble rose highest to nod the ball into the bottom corner. City worked hard to get back into the game and were unlucky not to pull level in the 17th minute. Andy Roscoe's corner was drilled straight at Paul Buckle who stood unmarked on the edge of the box. Buckle thumped a shot which looked goal- bound until goalkeeper Daryl Slahavan stretched out a hand and deflected the ball against the crossbar. Christian Roberts then floated a deep cross which was met by Flack but his header flew into the arms of the goalkeeper. City fell further behind in the 21st minute. Black whipped in a low cross from another free kick and again Bramble had time and space to tap the ball home from close range. City chased the game and pulled a goal back in the 27th minute. Kwane Ampadu picked out Flack with a fine long ball and the giant striker superbly lobbed it over the ad- vancing goalkeeper for his sixth goal in seven games. The goal helped City grow in confidence as the half wore on. Roberts exchanged passes with Amapdu and whipped in a low cross which Buckle thumped over the crossbar. While City had most of the possession the visitors continued to look dangerous on the break. Just before half time Bramble picked out Mark Rawle who attempted to take the ball around Arjan Van Heusden but the big goalkeeper forced him wide and Rawle could only find the side netting. City should have pulled level 15 minutes after the restart. Roscoe skipped past a defender and floated a fine cross into the box. Gary Birch met the ball well but headed over the crossbar from close range. Roscoe then found Flack with another fine cross from the left but his header struck a defender. Roscoe continued to look a threat on the left for City. His cross was flicked on by Flack, but Buckle scuffed his shot well wide. Exeter brought on young striker Damian Spencer as they continued to search for an equaliser. Roberts came close to levelling the scores but he skipped past two players but saw his powerful shot deflected just over the bar. At the other end Rawle broke well and fired a shot straight at Van Heusden. Roberts then connected well with Van Heusden's long clearance and forced the goalkeeper to save well with a low shot. City then hit the bar for the second time in the game when Camp- bell drilled the ball through a crowded goalmouth following a Roberts' corner. Exeter got a deserved equaliser with eight minutes remaining. Campbell rose well to meet Roberts' corner and headed the ball into the top corner. In the dying minutes City could have grabbed victory when Roberts 
drilled the ball at the goalkeeper but Southend held on and City were forced to settle for a point. 

Exeter City
Van Heusden. Power. Epsesse-Titi. Campbell. Ampadu. Buckle. Zabek. Roscoe. Roberts. Birch. Flack.
Substitutes: Spencer (for Birch, 71). Not used: Fraser, Burrows, Holloway, Read.

Southend: Flahavan, Searle, Whelan, Broad, McSweeney, Maher, Johnston, Forbes, Black (Thurgood, 90), Bramble, Rawle (Lee, 85). Subs not used: Lunan, Webb, Newman.

Scorers:
Exeter - Flack 27, Campbell 82; Southend- Bramble 4, 21.

Bookings:
Exeter - Flack 90;
Southend McSweeney 44, Searle 51, Flahavan 79.

Referee: P Walton (Northants)

Attendance: 4,535.

★ Star Man:
Andy Roscoe fine second half performance

Match report 2 from the BBC website:

Exeter City salvaged a vital home point from a 2-2 draw after falling two goals behind to Southend. And the Grecians fight-back was so strong that they created enough chances to have won.

Southend went ahead after four minutes when a Michael Black free-kick was headed in by Tesfaye Bramble. After 21 minutes, another free-kick from Black found Bramble who took advantage of poor marking to to net his second.

A great individual goal from Steve Flack put Exeter back in contention after 27 minutes. But the equaliser from Jamie Campbell – a header from a cotner – did not arrive until 10 minutes from time.