A stoppage time equalizer cruelly deprived SOUTHEND United’s under-19 team victory in a 1-1 draw at Maidstone United on Monday afternoon.
With just under 15 minutes left in their most recent National League U19 Alliance South Division match, Jack Stone came off the bench to put the Blues ahead.
However, there was enough time left for the home team to steal a point at the end of an exciting match at Gallagher Stadium.
The forward, who had been brought on as a substitute just after the hour mark, turned in from six yards out after Ellis Lawson’s long left-wing throw was flicked on by Archie McGonigle at the near post, setting up Stone’s well-executed set-piece intervention.
But Harry Short, a substitute, grabbed a through-ball, nodded himself clear of the defence, and then fired a low shot into the bottom left corner of the net, forcing the youthful Shrimpers to settle for a share of the spoils.
The assistant referee’s flag for offside had been raised during the build-up, which infuriated Blues. However, the officials conferred and the goal was given.
Danny Heath, the youth team’s coach, made four changes to the squad that had suffered a dismal loss against Maidenhead United in their previous match. Joshua Jackson, the midfielder, was back in the starting lineup, along with defenders Ellis Lawson and Lorenzo Saponara.
After being found by a left-wing centre, Gluckstead made his imprint in less than 60 seconds, just as Maidstone’s Akajh Santosh appeared certain to score with his first touch.
Santosh stabbed the ball towards the bottom right-hand corner, but Gluckstead managed to turn it around the post.
The home side started well but, when Blues did establish a foothold, they managed to force the Stones back towards their own goal.
Goalkeeper Chris Swift had an uncomfortable moment in the ninth minute when his clearance went straight to McGonigle, but he couldn’t bring the ball under control to test the custodian.
McGonigle did draw a save from Swift two minutes later after George Pulham had combined with Beau MacDonald to hook the ball into the penalty area.
McGonigle’s first-time volley was directed towards goal, but Swift wasn’t tested by the strike.
As the first half approached its mid-point, it was Maidstone’s turn to exert pressure, and Santosh was denied again by Gluckstead after being located by Elliott Wenham, with the Blues goalkeeper diving full-length to his left-hand side to push a shot wide.
Wenham was then thwarted by Louis Bragg throwing himself in front of a fierce shot before the forward’s left-footed attempt was charged down by Bragg after he had been picked out on the left-hand side of the penalty area by Ashton Mitford.
Having ridden out that period, Southend now pushed forwards again and Ronnie Blake found McGonigle in space on the edge of the penalty area, only for his shot to be blocked by a defender.
Jake Huet’s marauding run forwards earned a corner and later Obi Okafor nodded over from a MacDonald flag-kick.
The opening period ended with Blues on top, although Pulham couldn’t crane his neck sufficiently to glance a right-wing MacDonald cross towards goal in the 41st minute before Okafor sent MacDonald’s flick onto the roof of the net with an acrobatic overhead bicycle kick.
Southend had more than matched their opponents in the first half, so it was no surprise that Heath elected to keep the same side after the interval.
But Saponara suffered an injury shortly after the break and Oscar Jones was a 50th minute replacement.
Michael Wills forced Gluckstead into a fingertip save with a well-struck long-range effort whilst Blues were still reorganising, but Blues hit back and Joshua Jackson let fly with a 30-yard attempt that narrowly cleared the crossbar in the 54th minute.
Pulham had seen a shot blocked in the build-up to that chance, and he had another opportunity on the hour mark when he held off Barney Richards to latch onto a long ball.
Defender Richards stayed tight, and Pulham’s final involvement was to see his shot charged down.
Stone was his replacement, but he would need to bide his time to contribute. Instead, Huet did well to track AJ Clark’s run and force the Maidstone player to shoot off-target.
Liam Parle then set-up Mitford, who couldn’t keep his 67th-minute attempt down.
Okafor’s shot was blocked to McGonigle as play switched immediately to the opposite end, but the midfielder’s strike was guided straight at Swift, and Blues were indebted to Gluckstead again on 71 minutes as he brilliantly held Mitford’s close-range header from a Wills corner.
Southend took the lead when Stone showed his desire to score by firing in from McGonigle’s flick, and he could have added a second with 11 minutes remaining when he beat Richards to the ball, only to drag his shot across the face of goal.
Okafor then sent a skidding strike into the gloves of Swift on 80 minutes before going down under a challenge from Tyler Hatton as Blues looked to extend their advantage.
No penalty was awarded, and instead the focus turned to the defence to find out if they could keep a first clean sheet in six matches.
Ultimately the answer was no as Short delivered a dramatic equaliser, but Blues did well to withstand further pressure as Josh Boderah angled a shot wide and Wills smashed over before the final whistle eventually sounded on a 1-1 draw.
Blues are back on the road twice in three days next week with trips to Dover Athletic on Monday and Welling United on Wednesday.
Southend United U19s: Gluckstead, Bragg, Lawson, Jackson, Huet, Saponara (Jones 50), MacDonald (Shehu 82), Blake, Okafor (Poxon 82), McGonigle, Pulham (Stone 63).
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