Cheltenham Town bowed out of the Carling Cup at the first hurdle after surrendering a narrow lead in the final stages of this one on a warm evening at the Abbey Business Stadium.
This was the third consecutive year in which the two sides have crossed paths at this stage of this competition with each of the previous encounters eventually settled in extra time.
Despite the Shrimpers creating the lion's share of first half chances, it was the home side which carried a hard-fought lead into the break after Elvis Hammond had touched over from close-range on the stroke of half time.
But Southend striker Lee Barnard popped up here with a pair of headed goals in the final quarter of an hour to prevent this first round tie going the distance to book the Essex side's place in the second round draw.
TEAM NEWS: Boss Martin Allen made two changes to the side which came from behind to defeat Grimsby Town on Saturday. Oliver Bozanic was away with the Australian squad in Limerick ahead of their game against the Republic of Ireland tomorrow evening so Barry Hayles, who grabbed the winner at the weekend, was promoted to the first XI. Meanwhile at the back, Michael Townsend came in for Drissa Diallo, who dropped to the bench.
7th minute: Southend midfielder Jean-Francoise Christophe was lucky to escape a booking for a clumsy foul on Michael Pook in the fifth minute, and a second infringement two minutes later handed the home side the opportunity to craft the first chance of the game. Justin Richards crossed from the left but Hayles shot over from 10 yards.
8: Shrimpers frontman James Walker called goalkeeper Scott Brown into a pair of saves in a matter of minute, the first from range and the second from the edge of the six yard box.
10: Christophe almost crowned a sweeping Southend move with a low strike from 20 yards, but the effort skidded wide of the left upright.
14: Southend striker Lee Barnard should have done better with a close-range header after some good work by Walker in the left-hand corner to provide the service.
20: Sloppy defending handed Matt Heath Southend's next sight of goal, striking the left post with a header after Alan McCormack picked out the centre half with a ball from the right.
21 BOOKING: Simon Francis, the Shrimpers right back, ghosted into the box and went to ground after an apparent challenge by Lee Ridley. The referee however felt he had gone to ground a little too easily and flashed the first card of the evening for simulation.
30: David Bird blasted over a volley from all of 30 yards, while Walker missed the target with a long ranger of his own a moment later.
34: The next chance arrived to Heath, who met Franck Moussa's ball from the left with a looping header but again the home side were let off the hook as the ball dropped a foot wide of the target.
38: Allen's side created their best chance of the half seven minutes before the break when David Hutton raced onto a measured pass by Bird. Elvis Hammond had dummied it to confuse the Southend defence and only a finger tip stop by Steve Mildenhall denied the former Spurs man the opening goal from an angle down the left.
40 BOOKING: Grant was the second Southend player to go into the book for dissent having conceded a foul on the edge of the box. Hutton swung that in and Townsend met it with a powerful header but again Mildenhall was alive to the danger, instinctively pushing it to safety. The Southend number one had produced the best two stops of the half despite his attacking players creating the greater number of chances.
45 GOAL: Cheltenham Town 1-0 Southend United
The home side claimed the opening goal of the night courtesy of Hammond on the stroke of half time, punishing their visitors for their profligacy in front of goal earlier in the half. The move started out on the right, David Bird whipping a ball in from the right into the conjested penalty area. The ball arrived at Andy Gallinagh, down the left-hand side of the box, who struck a low shot on target before poacher Hammond applied the final touch from close-range.
HALF TIME: 1-0
46: Pook drew a diving stop from Mildenhall with a strike from 20 yards seconds after the restart.
51: Gallinagh released a strike from 16 yards after some neat football by Cheltenham inside the Southend box, but Mildenhall took it at head height.
56 SUBSTITUTION: Julian Alsop replaced goalscorer Hammond, who left the game with an injury having clattered into an advertising hoarding 10 minutes after the break.
69: All of Cheltenham's work was almost undone with a little over 20 minutes remaining when Shane Duff handed Brown a difficult back pass to clear. The goalkeeper presented Barnard with a chance to capitalise from 20 yards. Brown though redeemed himself with a low save to spare his blushes.
70 DOUBLE SUBSTITUTION: Lee Sawyer (for Christophe) and Dougie Freedman (Walker) came on for Southend with 20 minutes remaining. Freedman claimed two goals when his former club Crystal Palace routed Cheltenham 7-0 at Selhurst Park in this competition back in 2003, the last of which he converted on his hands and knees.
72: Barnard was gifted another good chance three minutes later, this time Bird presented the striker the ball after an error at right back. The striker cut in and drove a low one but Brown gathered at the second attempt. Grant fired one wide am moment later.
76 GOAL: Cheltenham Town 1-1 Southend United
The Shrimpers levelled the game with 14 minutes of normal time to play. Francis sent a ball over from the left to the far post where Heath arrived to head back across goal and present Barnard with the straight forward task of heading home from close-range.
83 SUBSTITUTION: Josh Low replaced Hutton for the final seven minutes.
84: McCormack drilled a 25 yard shot straight into Brown's midriff after a promising build-up by Southend.
88 GOAL: Cheltenham Town 1-2 Southend United
Barnard's second headed goal in 12 second half minutes negated the need for extra time for a third consecutive year. He met Francis's curling ball from the right touchline with a firm header which sailed beyond Brown to assure his side's place in the second round.
90 SUBSTITUTION: Tom Denton came on for Bird, while Alex Revell was sent on in place of double goalscorer Barnard.
FULL TIME: 1-2
CHELTENHAM TOWN (4-4-2): Brown; Bird (Denton 90), Townsend, Duff (c), Ridley; Hutton (Low 83), Pook, Gallinagh, Richards; Hammond (Alsop 56), Hayles. Subs not used: Diallo, Watkins, Tabor, Richardson (Gk).
SOUTHEND UNITED (4-4-2): Mildenhall (c); Francis, Heath, Mvoto, White; Grant, Christophe (Sawyer 70), McCormack, Moussa; Walker (Freedman 70), Barnard (Revell 90). Subs not used: Sankofa, Herd, Betsy, Joyce (Gk).
REFEREE: D.S. McDermid
ATTENDANCE: 1,918 (176 from Southend)
Murry Toms at the Abbey Business Stadium
