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Southend vs Cheltenham
 0 - 2 
Date: 
07/08/2004
Venue: 
Roots Hall
Attendance: 
5,332
Referee: 
Clive Penton

Apologies. Technical issues prevented this report from appearing immediately after the game.

Cheltenham Town achieved their first opening day of the season win since 1996 with a highly encouraging performance at Roots Hall.
The afternoon was a complete role reversal of the events of exactly 12 months ago when Cheltenham were outplayed by Southend at the same venue.
A quick, sharp and well organised Robins performance earned them a 2-0 win with goals from JJ Melligan, on his debut, and Kayode Odejayi.
Robins boss John Ward selected a starting XI containing ten of his players from last season with only £25,000 signing JJ Melligan of the newcomers named. The team lined-up in a 4-5-1 formation with Martin Devaney and Graham Fyfe wide in midfield. Melligan, David Bird and Grant McCann filled the central positions with Kayode Odejayi up front as a lone striker.
The match kicked off in baking hot conditions, virtually identical to the opening day of last season, and the players were careful to conserve energy and take on water at regular intervals.
The opening exchanges were evenly contested, Southend danger-man Mark Gower seeing an on-target shot held by Shane Higgs and Martin Devaney having a powerful shot blocked by Andy Edwards, but it was the Robins who grabbed a 17th minute lead with a neat piece of skill from Melligan.
Grant McCann took a free-kick wide on the left on the half-way line, Odejayi won the header and found Graham Fyfe in mid-field. Fyfe passed to Melligan on the edge of the box and the Irishman produced a sharp touch and turn around veteran defender Spencer Prior, giving himself the space to plant a shot beyond goalkeeper Bart Griemink from 14 yards.
The Robins were given another chance four minutes later when Fyfe was brought down just outside the box after a determined run. McCann tried his luck with a free-kick but it drifted high over the crossbar.
Cheltenham were earning some profit from keeping five in midfield, a tactic they employed with some success away from home last season. They squeezed the space in their own half, stifling the Southend attacks, while breaking quickly on the counter with midfielders charging forward in support of Odejayi.
It was one of those charging midfielders, Martin Devaney out wide on the right, who made the second goal on 28 minutes.
Devaney collected a pass on the half-way line and out-paced left-back Nicky Nicolau. He charged into the box from the right-hand side, holding off Nicolau as he tried to tackle back, and delivered a low cross for the arriving Odejayi to touch in at close range.
Southend were having to come up with some ideas to circumnavigate the massed Cheltenham defenders and one long, hanging cross from Duncan Jupp almost did the trick on the half-hour mark. Gower collected the ball at the far post but Higgs was equal to his low drive with a diving stop.
Moments later the Robins almost made it 3-0 when an intelligent ball from Melligan sent Odejayi clear. The big striker sprinted away his markers but this time former Birmingham City and Swindon Town goalkeeper Bart Griemink got down to beat his shot away.
Southend's best chance of the contest arrived nine minutes before the break when David Bird mis-kicked his clearance from a cross by Lawrie Dudfield. Gower was left with a free shot at goal from 12 yards but Higgs reacted instantly to block with his legs.
Cheltenham made a lively start to the second half with Fyfe cutting in from the left and firing over the bar; then Jamie Victory got away on the left and crossed for Odejayi. The scorer of the second goal reached the ball fractionally before Griemink but directed his header wide of the target.
Fyfe just failed to make contact with a Brian Wilson cross at the far post as the Robins continued to look the team more likely to register the next goal.
Frustration was growing in the stands as the home team struggled to make an impression on the game, although striker Wayne Gray dragged a shot about a metre wide after a penalty area scramble.
Both managers made changes on the hour mark. Southend's Steve Tilson threw on an extra forward in the shape of Tesfaye Bramble, the brother of Newcastle United's Titus Bramble, while Ward replaced the hard-working Odejayi with Steve Guinan.
Melligan, who missed much of pre-season with a thigh injury, then gave way to Ashley Vincent and Southend made a further change, sending on former Aston Villa striker Michael Husbands, as the game visibly slowed in pace. Both sides had worked hard and tried to play a passing game but the sweltering conditions were taking their toll.
With 15 minutes to go a tired pass from Prior gifted possession straight to Devaney just inside the Southend half initiating a three v three break. Devaney had Guinan and Vincent looking for space either side of him but he made a poor choice in electing the shoot, the effort drifting well wide from 25 yards.
As the game entered the closing stages Cheltenham continued to hold a well-displined defensive shape and continued to find attacking options as soon as they got hold of the ball.
Vincent lifted a shot over the bar after a fine solo run and there was late controversy when Bramble was given a straight red card for a reckless tackle on Victory. Southend captain Kevin Maher was yellow carded for dissent in the aftermath. He followed Cheltenham's Devaney and McCann into referee Clive Penton's book, the pair having been cautioned earlier in the second half.
SOUTHEND UNITED: Griemink; Jupp, Edwards, Prior, Nicolau; Pettefer (Bramble 59), Maher, Hunt, Gower; Gray, Dudfield (Husbands 66). Other subs: Flahavan, Barrett, Wilson
CHELTENHAM TOWN: Higgs; Wilson (Gill 86), Brough, Duff, Victory; Devaney, Melligan (Vincent 68), Bird, McCann, Fyfe; Odejayi (Guinan 60). Other subs: Taylor, Brown
REFEREE: C.Penton (Sussex)
ATTENDANCE: 5,332 (378 visitors)

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 Match Information
 
  Southend Cheltenham
Goals : 0 2
Possession : 66% 34%
Shots On Target : 7 4
Shots Off Target : 3 5
Corners : 5 2
Fouls : 12 11
Most Fouls : Prior (4) Devaney (3)
Yellow Cards : 3 2
Red Cards : 0 0
 
Scorers :
Melligan 18
Odejayi 29
 
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