report v Southend 22/8/00

FOR centuries, residents of London and the south-east have been travelling to Southend for some welcome recuperation from the stresses, strains and hurly-burly of everyday life.

Birmingham City, fresh from their mauling by Fulham, paid a visit to the Essex seaside resort last night and felt much better for it.

Three goals in the opening half-hour of their Worthington Cup first round, first leg, tie set Blues up for a nice little coast on the coast.

The Third Division defence separated like curtains every time Blues advanced and this two-leg tussle was done and dusted after a third of the first instalment.

Southend and Fulham are slightly different kettles of fish - as are Southend and Nottingham Forest, who Blues visit on Saturday.

This emphatic statement of the two-division gulf between these respective sets of Blues, though, can only bolster confidence threatened by last Friday's chastening chasing by les hommes de Tigana.

Blues manager Trevor Francis gave Jerry Gill a chance at right-back while Martin Grainger reverted to his specialist left-back position.

Michael Johnson moved into his favoured central defensive slot at the expense of Darren Purse.

Nicky Eaden moved into an advanced right-sided role, in which his composed display will have provided Francis with plenty of food for thought, while alongside him was skipper Martyn O'Connor, back after a groin injury.

Up front, Marcelo partnered Peter Ndlovu in the absence of injured Geoff Horsfield.

From the first kick, the Shrimpers shrivelled whenever Blues ran at them.

Birmingham should have led after two minutes when Marcelo beat goalkeeper Andy Woodman to Gill's long ball and nodded square for Ndlovu who, with the 'keeper grounded, blazed over from 20 yards.

Five minutes later, Eaden showed what finishing was all about when, as defenders dithered, he buried a loose ball in the penalty area from ten yards.

The 323 travelling Blues fans had hardly stopped celebrating when Ndlovu, his pace terrifying a lumbering defence, escaped into acres of space.

From his cross Marcelo, in hardly less space, scored with a simple header.

The swift double strike punctured the expectancy of the home supporters and their mood was hardly brightened by a series of unforced errors from their side.

Southend did threaten on 22 minutes when centre-back Leo Roget ventured forward to power a header from David Lee's free kick over the bar but it was an isolated worry for Blues.

Ndlovu sent another first-time effort over the bar but a third goal always appeared imminent. So it proved.

Martin Grainger curled in a corner and Johnson rose above a tremulous defence to head beyond Woodman.

Southend's miserable first half was summed up on the stroke of half-time.

Awarded a free kick 20 yards out, here was a chance to supply a glimmer of hope. Ian Bennett lined up his defensive wall. Spectators held their breath.

Scott Houghton ran up . . . and sent the ball over that wall and over the bar over the North Bank stand where it disappeared into the magnificent mosaic of pinks that merged in the Essex sunset - the most appalling miss at Roots Hall since Sandy Anderson's wretched penalty howler at the same end in a League Cup tie with Stoke City in 1959.

Southend summoned more passion after half-time without translating it into danger as Blues cruised. Francis unleashed Andrew Johnson and Dele Adebola and the former set up the latter to turn smartly in the box and lash the fourth in.

After Bryan Hughes swept home the fifth goal from another Grainger corner, Blues were left to reflect on an utterly professional job done.

	Eaden - 7
	Marcelo - 10
	M. Johnson - 30
	Adebola - 75
	Hughes - 86