by SOUTHEND United under-19s produced their best performance of the season as they hammered Bromley with four unanswered goals at Boots & Laces on Friday evening.
The Blues quickly put memories of Wednesday’s defeat at Eastleigh to one side as Obi Okafor grabbed a brace and George Pulham and substitute Jack Stone both netted in the second half in a 4-0 win. which ended a 10 game winless streak.
With two games in the space of 48 hours, youth team coach Danny Heath made a number of changes with the arrival of goalkeeper Harvey Gluckstead, defenders Jake Huet and Ola Shobowale, midfielders Aidon Shehu, Ronnie Blake and Pulham and forward Okafor into the starting lineup.
Southend got off to a flying start and Archie McGonigle headed over from 25 yards in just the second minute before Ellis Lawson and Okafor combined to give the midfielder another chance less than 60 seconds later, McGonigle pulling Okafor back and at half smell over the game. target.
The hosts dominated possession and put together some good patterns of play, with Lawson enjoying plenty of space down the left.
After 19 minutes he crossed to the far post for Pulham to score, but he was unable to make the required touch from close range.
Despite how well they had started the game, it took until the 25th minute for the Blues to make a save from Bromley goalkeeper Jamie Johnson.
Okafor turned Shehu’s pass into the path of Mikey Faulkner and his fierce strike demanded a relentless stop from Johnson.
Minutes later Johnson made a comfortable save after Pulham got the better of another Lawson cross from the left wing.
Southend continued to press forward and, on 32 minutes, Pulham found Blake in the middle of the pitch and fired a shot wide of the right post from 25 yards out.
Shortly afterwards Faulkner and McGonigle linked up to set up Shehu for a right footed shot which was charged down by the Bromley defender.
Okafor had the ball in the back of the net after 35 minutes when they headed home from a Lawson cross, but the referee disallowed the effort due to a foul on the goalkeeper.
However, three minutes later the forward was celebrating when Shehu found Lawson on the left and Okafor sent his delivery past Johnson as Okafor ran across the front of a defender.
Having taken the lead, the Blues were indebted to Cerullo on 41 minutes for ensuring they went in at the interval a goal to the good.
Kayden Intsitu was found by Emmanuel Deh in the penalty area and a low strike was roused before Kassim Dagher fired into the side netting.
If the teenage Shrimps had gone in at the break all square, it might have been a blow to morale given the way they dominated the first period, and Bromley’s frustration was measured as the half-time whistle blew. sang and Deh seemed to respond. angry in front of the Blues bench, earning himself a warning.
The second period started very much in line with the first period when Faulkner found Pulham and Johnson converted his shot, and Okafor was able to get a goal on the rebound.
In the 49th minute it was the same three when Southend made it 2-0; Okafor crossed from the left, Faulkner flicked the ball forward and Pulham drilled his finish under Johnson and into the bottom left corner of the net.
Midway through the second period, Blake drew another fine save from Johnson with a clean shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Lawson continued, with Johnson blocking at the back of the left wing and the referee denied Lawson the chance after he ran in to challenge the goalkeeper.
There was a tense moment seven minutes later when Cerullo was forced off his line to thwart Keron Francis’ effort at the expense of a corner, which saw Regan Salter’s powerful header clear of the goalkeeper from the resulting flag kick.
Huet’s first effort cleared the crossbar on 76 minutes before Blake was unlucky when his superb strike from the ‘D’ flew past Johnson but bounced back off the crossbar.
When the third goal came after 84 minutes, it came after a combination of substitutes Cameron Hall and Jack Stone, Stone made a long pass down before turning inside Intsitu and shooting arrows into the bottom left corner .
Stone could have added a second, but he sent a shot wide of the target after another direct pass, leaving the onus on Okafor to complete the scoring with a minute remaining as he headed home after Huet’s leader was pushed out by Johnson. .
The Blues under 19s are next in action on Friday 19th April when they travel to Woking, with a home game against Dartford and an away game at Aldershot Town to finish the season.
Southend United U19s: Cerullo, Huet, Lawson, Shehu (Jackson 90), Molefi, Shobowale, Pulham (Bragg 88), McGonigle (Hall 79), Okafor, Faulkner (Stone 79), Blake.
Sub unused: Gluckstead.
