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The Terriers headed back north to west Yorkshire with a point ? but it should have been three as for the third time this season already the opposition was reduced to ten men.

Andy Booth wasn?t in the travelling squad down to Southend with an injury which Gary Taylor-Fletcher was given the nod for his first full debut. Junior Mendes was brought onto the bench to be in the first 16 for the first time this season after an impressive performance for the reserves in midweek against Barnsley in which Town reserves won 5-2. David Mirfin is out with injury meaning Andy Holdsworth was given his usual right back role.

Southend?s captain Kevin Maher made the team coming back from a knee tendon injury, Bentley and Cole were back on the bench after injuries. Andy Edwards made the starting 11 after recovering from a calf strain injury. Experienced Shaun Goater was left on the bench despite scoring his 250th league goal recently.

Southend?s gallant defensive rearguard denied Town after Pawel Abbott grabbed his fourth goal in as many games in grand style to cancel out Freddy Eastwood?s opener but once Eastwood saw red in innocuous circumstances, Town should have reeled in the Shrimpers.

Town took to long to settle into their rhythm, though there were good individual performances, and by the time they did they were one down.
Southend wideman Mark Gower, having a shot blocked by Andy Holdsworth, was allowed to deliver a left wing cross from which Wayne Gray sent in a looping header that caught Paul Rachubka too far off his line, the keeper stretching to tough the ball onto the bar.
The ball fell kindly to Eastwood, who was left with a simple tap in to put the Shrimpers ahead with 14 minutes gone.

Town produced some lovely build ups with Mark Hudson often shining and Gary Taylor-Fletcher showing some nice touches on his full debut in place of the injured Andy Booth.
Southend, too, had some promising moments and it was as well that Martin McIntosh and Danny Adams were at their best.
Town hit their best spell in the quarter hour before the break, creating a number of chances but the finishing lacked conviction, while the aerial power of Booth was sorely missed.

But Abbott chanced the picture altogether in added on time in the first half, moments after collecting a silly booking for mouthing off at the referee after proving slow in getting back onside.
The Town goal getter stuck in style as he latched on to Rachubka?s clearance following a Southend corner and he exposed the slow covering home defence, racing past Che Wilson and driving in an accurate ground shot across keeper Darryl Flahavan.
Seven minutes into the second half Southend were hit by the dismissal of Eastwood following his tangle with Holdsworth. Eastwood, the star player in Soutend?s promotion through the play-offs last season. Pushed Holdsworth after the whistle had gone for a Town free-kick but when referee Paul Merlin brandished a red card it surprised most of the crowd.

It was the third time in as many games that Town?s opponents had seen red. This time, however, there was further reward.
Star man McIntosh was unlucky on 67 minutes when his fierce downward header from Danny Schofield?s corner was blocked on the line by team mate Abbott.

Schofield should have won it for Town on 71 minutes as he danced through the Shrimpers defence only to fire wide.
Town threw in the lot, forcing three corners in rapid succession, but Southend?s gallant defenders hung on to beat the odds.

Sean?s star man: Martin McIntosh

Southend: Flahavan, Jupp (Hunt 10), Barrett, Edwards, Wilson, Pettefer, Guttridge (Bentley 76), Maher, Gower (Goater 81), Eastwood
Subs not used: Cole, Smith

Town: Rachubka, Holdsworth, N Clarke, McIntosh, Adams, Brandon (Mendes 78), Hudson, Worthington, Schofield, Abbott, Taylor-Fletcher
Subs not used: Senior, T Clarke, Carrs, Collins

If you have any comments about my match report please e-mail me at sean.makin@terrier-bytes.com