Southend United U18's 2 QPR U18's 1
Report by Robert Craven

An injury-time winner from James Lindie continued Blues' Youths impressive recent run, quashing Queens Park Rangers' immediate title hopes in the process.

The west London outfit would have claimed the South-East Conference of the Youth Alliance for a second consecutive campaign had they recorded a victory at Boots & Laces this morning, but a highly professional performance from Southend United's young scholars ensured that they would have to wait another week, Blues stretching their unbeaten run to five matches with a 2-1 success.

Whilst the visitors named eight second-year scholars and an over-age goalkeeper, Blues boss Ricky Duncan included Jack Morris at left-back in a makeshift defence.

With Tom Hopkins and Ricky Byrne injured, Ade Osifuwa ill and Ronnie Jones enjoying a spell on work experience at Heybridge Swifts - where he scored one and set up the other in a 2-2 draw with Ryman League Premier Division promotion-chasing Staines Town in midweek - Gordon Rieck started alongside David Obaze in the centre of the defence.

First-year midfielder Stuart O'Keefe began the match in his favoured central midfield role alongside skipper Davis Abbey, with trialist Jordan Yong on the left. Forward Sam Higgins returned from work experience at Blue Square Conference South club Bishop's Stortford to partner Lindie up front. James Stevens, who starred for the Under-16s in their successful tour to France, where they won the Le Portel Cup, was named amongst the substitutes.

Despite only right-back Dan Harvey and goalkeeper Nathan McDonald starting in defence from the first-choice five at the start of the season, the back-line stifled QPR from the outset, with McDonald commanding his penalty area with a newfound confidence. Rangers were allowed just one sight of goal in the first half when a midfielder drilled the ball past the left-hand upright on 35 minutes.

Rieck and Obaze were towering presences at the heart of the defence, whilst Morris was committed to his unfamiliar job at left-back, giving the opposition winger no room to deliver dangerous crosses.

At the other end, too, chances were few and far between. Obaze did have the ball in the net in the game's first chance on 20 minutes, but Rieck was adjudged to have impeded the goalkeeper in jumping for Jamie Forshaw's free-kick.

Higgins watched as his effort from the edge of penalty area was deflected wide after O'Keefe had found the forward in space, whilst Lindie was unfortunate when he chased Higgins' deflection of a long McDonald goal-kick but was beaten to the ball by the 'keeper.

In stark contrast, Southend took the lead straight after half-time. Morris delivered a high free-kick into the penalty area, where Rieck flicked the ball into the path of Obaze, who prodded into the corner of the net from eight yards.

Forshaw was replaced by Medi Abalimba, the tricky midfield star, but even that change did not prompt a glut of goalmouth action. With fifteen minutes left, Danny McGuire curled a set-piece wide for Rangers, and eventually it would prove to be the talented midfielder who would equalise.

Abalimba had put in a mature performance since his introduction, but was caught in possession and QPR broke, with McGuire collecting the ball and sending an unstoppable shot over McDonald and in off of the underside of the crossbar twelve minutes from time.

The goal opened the game up, and Obaze made a fine block in the penalty area before a Rangers forward chipped over when faced with an advancing McDonald. The Blues custodian also made a fine save from a strong shot delivered from close range.

However, Southend also attacked when the opportunity arose and O'Keefe set up Yong, who sent a right-footed shot wide. Yong then failed to connect properly with a Higgins' centre, the ball falling to O'Keefe, whose shot was charged down.

There was just time for the Blues to adminster a sucker-punch. Abbey lofted a free-kick from inside his own half, and O'Keefe crossed to the near-post, where Lindie rose to nod a majestic header into the top right-hand corner of the net. It was the last action of the match, and capped yet another strong display from Ricky Duncan's teenage hopefuls.

Southend United U18s: Nathan McDonald; Dan Harvey, Gordon Rieck, David Obaze, Jack Morris; Jamie Forshaw (Medi Abalimba 52), Stuart O'Keefe, Davis Abbey, Jordan Yong; Sam Higgins, James Lindie.

Subs not used: James Stevens, Kyle Asante, Tashan Adeyinka, Fredrik Ljungström.

Photo: Graham Bridgeman-Clarke