Southend United 1-1 Waltham Forest (Southend win 6-5 on Penalties)

Luke Chambers was Southend United’s penalty shoot-out hero as he decisively saved Manu Dagher’s spot-kick to help the Blues progress to the Fourth Round of the Essex Senior Cup supported by BBC Essex after defeating Waltham Forest.

The fixture was the first in the 128-year history of the competition to go straight to penalties at the end of 90 minutes without extra time as the Stags held Blues to a 1-1 draw but, after eleven successful attempts from the two clubs, Chambers leapt to his right to push out Dagher’s twelve-yarder and earn Southend a 6-5 victory on spot-kicks.

The exciting denouement could not have been predicted after a drab first half in which neither team managed to register a shot on target. It took twelve minutes for the visitors to have the first attempt in anger when Josh Bonnett’s free-kick deflected wide off the defensive wall, and a further five minutes for Blues to threaten as Jemal Johnson’s left-wing centre was diverted onto the roof of the net by Andras Molnar.

Towering front man Shamir Mullings thought he had headed United in front on the half-hour as he met Anthony Furlonge’s swinging cross and nodded over goalkeeper Aaron Ormand, but the effort was ruled out for offside. The opening period concluded with Johnson sending a teasing ball across the face of goal after a good passing move and George Smith curling narrowly over the bar from 30 yards out.

Stags skipper Gazmend Dauti was inches away from connecting with Elton Sackey’s dangerously curling free-kick eight minutes after half-time before Luke Prosser responded at the other end by guiding Johnson’s inswinging cross inches past the left-hand upright.

Slowly but surely the game was being prized open, and Smith managed to engineer himself some room in the penalty area before his shot was blocked out to Lee Sawyer in the 56th minute. The ex-Chelsea midfielder snatched at his effort and sent it flying over from twelve yards out.

Ormand was called upon to make an outstanding save at his near post just before the hour mark after Sawyer chipped the ball over the Waltham Forest defence from the left bye-line. Smith met the ball on the half-volley, but Ormand managed to make an important stop at point-blank range.

Midway through the second half, the Stags shotstopper was at it again, this time thrusting out a left leg to keep out a driven Johnson shot from Marlon Agyakwa’s cross-field pass. The ball rebounded out to Sawyer again with the same result as the 22-year-old set himself for a curling attempt which cleared the bar.

With Southend just beginning to peg the opposition back, the Stags took the lead with just 20 minutes remaining. Dagher had been switched to the left flank and, when a corner was won down that side of the pitch, he claimed the final touch to Sackey’s delivery amongst a host of bodies to send the ball into the roof of the net at the near post.

Forest went in search of a second, with Dagher beating Furlonge for pace, only to see Chambers spring off his line to grab the ball at his feet, and the introduction of first-year scholar Jack Payne in place of Agyakwa soon made a difference to the hosts.

In the 76th minute, the diminutive playmaker picked up the ball just inside the visitors’ half, advancing to 25 yards out and a central position from where he sent a strong shot against the outside of the right-hand post with Ormand beaten.

Four minutes later, Blues were level. A high delivery into the Forest penalty area led to indecision in the back line and, with the ball bouncing around, it was Johnson who took control, stepping to the left to steady himself before dispatching a rocket of a shot into the top left-hand corner of the net from ten yards.

Merrick James-Lewis drew a save from Ormand after Sawyer dummied Payne’s pass, and Johnson dinked narrowly over after Mullings and Smith had flicked the ball into his path, but there was to be no separating the Football League club from the Ryman League Division One North outfit in the regulation 90 minutes.

Sawyer, Johnson, Payne, James-Lewis and Smith all made sure with their spot-kicks, but all five were cancelled out by their opponents to leave the contest all-square at 5-5 in the shoot-out. Sudden death followed and, when reserve team boss Graham Coughlan fired his penalty home, the pressure transferred to Dagher, who was unable to beat youth team ‘keeper Chambers from twelve yards.

The draw for the Fourth Round of the competition, which Blues can now look forward to, will be broadcast on BBC Essex at 4.30pm on Friday, 11th November.

Waltham Forest: Aaron Ormand, Elton Sackey, Tashan Nicholas, Lukman Mojeed, Andras Molnar, Antone Douglas, Manu Dagher, Gazmend Dauti, Jeff Hammond (Richard Shittu 61), Joel Palmer (Billy Melton 90), Josh Bonnett.
Substitutes not used: Kardan Campbell, Jamie Moore, Billy Healey.

Report thanks to http://www.southendunited.co.uk