Southend Untied U18's 3 Dagenham & Redbridge U18's 0
Report by Rob Craven
Photos by Graham Bridgeman-Clarke
Ryan Auger grabbed a first-half brace and front-man Duane Ofori-Acheampong got off the mark for the 2010/11 season as Southend United's Under-18 side completed a comfortable 3-0 win over Dagenham & Redbridge at Boots & Laces.
The result means that Blues have won two of their opening three League matches of the season ahead of a five-week sabbatical, during which they will attempt to qualify for the Second Round of the Football League Youth Alliance Cup Southern Section from Group 5.
Head of Youth Ricky Duncan made one enforced change to the side that defeated Leyton Orient as Jack Paxman replaced George Smith in the attacking midfield space just behind Ofori-Acheampong. Smith has been appearing for the Republic of Ireland in the Jezek Under-18 International Tournament taking place in the Czech Republic.
After a bright start, Ofori-Acheampong thought that he had put Blues in front after seven minutes as he beat the Dagenham goalkeeper to the ball from James Stevens' threaded pass and stabbed into the net. However, his celebrations were short-lived as the linesman raised his flag for offside.
The Daggers appeared dangerous on the counter-attack and only an instinctive block with his legs at the near post by Daniel Bentley kept out a glancing contact from a right-wing cross. Bentley then recovered quickly to push away a fiercely-struck rebound before the ball was finally lashed over from 15 yards.
That double-save was to prove all the more important after 20 minutes as the Blues moved in front. Teddy Nesbitt's sweeping pass from the left flank picked out Auger, who outmuscled an opponent before smashing his shot into the 'keeper's thigh. The ball seemed to be going wide, but such was the spin imparted on it that it diverted course wickedly as it bounced and crept inside the left-hand upright.
Within four minutes, Auger had netted his third goal in four starts for the Under-18s. This time the midfielder ghosted in off of the right flank to race onto Julian Okai's precise pass and then expertly curl his shot around the goalkeeper with the outside of his right boot.
An unsighted Bentley gathered a low free-kick from behind his defensive wall in the 27th minute, but this was a rare moment of concern for Southend, who could have added to their tally before the half-time whistle.
Kane Ferdinand flicked Louis Baucutt's long throw goalwards, only for a defender to scramble the ball clear, before Stevens twice fired wide of the target from long range in front of onwatching first-team management duo Paul Sturrock and Tommy Widdrington.
Bentley again impressed, palming a hard-hit effort from an acute angle into the side-netting five minutes before the break, but the half ended with Okai's sizzling shot from 25 yards being deflected over by the narrowest of margins.
Such was the Blues' superiority that they were able to pass the ball around at will for long periods of the second half. They still managed to carve out chances with their possession, though, and Ofori-Acheampong's galloping run was only stopped by the brave Dagenham 'keeper diving at his feet before Ferdinand nodded a Baucutt throw across the face of goal.
Okai and Stevens then teamed up for a free-kick that the latter blasted at the custodian ahead of the arrival of the third goal on 73 minutes. Blues had swung a number of crosses into the penalty area in quick succession before Nesbitt's deep centre was of the requisite quality for Ofori-Acheampong to nod a back-post header into the opposite corner of the net.
Substitutes Fope Coker and Rhys Mackay combined with three minutes remaining for Mackay to fire just wide, and Stevens chipped inches over from another Coker delivery seconds later, but Southend were forced to settle for a 3-0 triumph ahead of next weekend's trip to Millwall.
Southend United U18s: Daniel Bentley, Anthony Furlonge, Teddy Nesbitt, James Stevens, Louis Baucutt, Kane Ferdinand, Ryan Auger (Fope Coker 57), Alex Woodyard, Jack Paxman (Michael Hyland 65), Duane (Rhys Mackay 81), Julian Okai.
Substitutes not used: Luke Chambers, Hicham Abdellah.
