Southend United U18's 0 Luton Town U18's 2
Robert Craven reports

Southend United slipped to a 2-0 defeat at home to a strong Luton Town line-up, although boss Ricky Duncan will be more concerned with the Under-18 side's current injury crisis.

With four players having moved into non-League football on a work experience basis, the Head of Youth saw Durran Reynolds and Davis Abbey limp out of action during the first half of the Youth Alliance clash against the Hatters, joining Jamie Forshaw on the sidelines. The midfielder, who was injured playing in the reserves' 2-1 defeat to Colchester United in midweek, will sit out the next six to eight weeks after breaking his second, third and fourth metatarsals in his right foot.

Duncan made four changes to the side, but was forced into a fifth only seven minutes into the game when Reynolds was injured as Southend defended a left-wing corner. Having received treatment from physiotherapist Ben Clarkson, he left the field with his right arm in a sling, mirroring his early departure in the Youth Alliance Cup game at Peterborough United earlier in the season.

A slow early start to proceedings in bitterly cold conditions saw Nathan McDonald watch a 20-yard shot fizz past the left-hand post a quarter-of-an-hour in. However, Southend responded quickly, Dan Harvey's free-kick headed over the bar by Tom Hopkins as the captain sought a second goal in successive fixtures.

Sixty seconds later, Fredrik Ljungström collected Ricky Byrne's throw, holding off a defender before blazing over the crossbar. The Swedish striker appears to be adapting to the English game, his new-found strength and determination culminating 72 minutes in when he was cautioned for a high foot in a challenge with a Luton defender.

Right-back Harvey experienced contrasting fortunes on the half-hour mark, first losing the visitors' left-winger and witnessing McDonald dive at full-stretch to push a strong shot away from the right-hand upright, then covering well to block a fierce shot twelve yards from goal.

The Southend shotstopper was called upon four minutes later as Luton carved out another opportunity, a forward creating space for himself before sweetly caressing a shot towards the bottom left-hand corner with the outside of his right boot. McDonald thrust himself to his right to tip the ball around the post.

The Hatters, with the wind at their backs, made their pressure tell four minutes before half-time when a cross was swept in from the right-hand side and was met by a glancing header at the near post. The ball appeared to take a slight deflection in nestling just inside the left-hand post.

Blues were unable to start the second half with midfielder Abbey in their side as he suffered a serious lower leg injury having left his foot in a challenge in the centre of the pitch. Under-16s talent Jamie Dennis replaced him, with Abbey taken immediately to hospital.

Sam Higgins, the trialist who had impressed in his two previous appearances for the club, went close just after the break when his speculative effort flew just past the post, and on 54 minutes, Jack Morris collected substitute Ronnie Jones' wonderful cross-field ball before seeing a strong shot charged down.

Just after the hour, Richard Priest's excellent centre was nodded goalwards by Higgins, though the 'keeper was able to make a comfortable save. Despite the introduction of a third forward, Tashan Adeyinka, for Morris, Southend could create no clear-cut opportunities, and in the dying seconds, Luton added a third goal.

It arrived down the left-hand side, a burst of place seeing a forward cross for Town's substitute front man, who met the ball with an outstretched right boot to touch the ball into the bottom right-hand corner. Duncan will be hoping that his ever-younger team can recreate their F.A. Youth Cup heroics when they travel to Barnet next Saturday.

Southend United U18s: Nathan McDonald; Dan Harvey, Tom Hopkins, Ricky Byrne, Durran Reynolds (Ronnie Jones 7); Medi Abalimba, Davis Abbey (Jamie Dennis 45+2), Richard Priest, Jack Morris (Tashan Adeyinka 72); Sam Higgins, Fredrik Ljungström. Sub not used: Kyle Asante.