Tykes secure FA Cup 3rd Round place over Shrimpers in rainy Roots Hall affair

Southend United 2-4 Barnsley

Match Report and Photos By Andy Wilkins/ @andywilkins24

Southend United welcomed high flying fellow League 1 side Barnsley to Roots Hall in the Emirates FA Cup 2nd Round. Both teams had played each other once earlier this season at the visitors’ Oakwell ground just under a month ago with Barnsley having been the victors following an 87th minute header from Kieffer Moore.

Southend came into this off an emphatic 2-0 win over fellow bottom half side Scunthorpe United in midweek with goals from Timothee Dieng and Sam Mantom whilst Barnsley lost 4-2 at fellow high flyers Sunderland.

It was the visitors who looked most bright in the opening half with many good opportunities going to waste by the forward line of the Tykes whilst Southend slowly were dragged into the game. It took them a considerable amount of time to get going in the opening section.

It wasn’t until the 41st minute when Moore headed home a corner driven in by Alex Mowatt for the visitors however that lead lasted all of nine minutes as Southend came back into the game with a header from Sam Mantom in the 4th minute of five added minutes to the first half.

Southend went into the break somewhat motivated following that late strike however it wasn’t to be the most perfect of restarts for them as former-Shrimpers loanee Cauley Woodrow fired a rebound home for Barnsley in the 56th minute following a save off Blues keeper Mark Oxley following another Alex Mowatt corner.

Woodrow eventually got his second of the game against his former-loan club with a strike in the 70th minute which seemed to put the game out of sight for the visitors as it first seemed. The former-Fulham trainee tapped the ball into the net following Mike Bahre’s cross which was met with a negative reaction from the home crowd soon after.

Southend did eventually get back into the game with a Dieng header off Stephen McLaughlin’s corner in the 84th minute. A few minutes later saw a Sam Mantom cross being met with the head of Michael Turner to make it 3-3 or so the home fans thought before it turning out that the linesman had called it for offside.

To make matters worse for the home fans, Barnsley soon wrapped up a 4th in stoppage time through Mike Bahre smashing the ball home which ultimately ended Southend’s hopes of pushing for a Tuesday night replay at Oakwell in 10 days time.

The final whistle blew and with it, Barnsley had sealed their place in the FA Cup 3rd Round for the 14th time in 15 seasons and for Southend, it meant they had endured a 2nd cup exit of the season.

Things could go from bad to worse on Wednesday night when they travel to fellow League 1 side Luton Town for their Checkatrade Trophy 2nd Round tie of which if they suffer defeat, they will be playing just League 1 football until May without interruption. Southend remain on the road next weekend when they travel to Fratton Park to take on high flyers Portsmouth whilst desperately needing some points and a few good results.

Things could remain brilliant for Barnsley as they welcome Manchester City Under 21’s to Oakwell in the Checkatrade Trophy 2nd Round on Tuesday night themselves before returning to the road to take on Wycombe next Saturday.