The Shrimpers-online Match Report
Carlisle United 2-2 Southend United: The Shrimpers Steal A Point After Dramatic Brunton Park Finale
Southend United looked beaten for much of the evening, then somehow looked like winners, before Georgie Kelly’s 96th-minute equaliser completed a remarkable finish at Brunton Park.
Georgie Kelly 4′, 90+6′
Leon Chambers-Parillon 83′, Kyle McAdam 90+2′
Southend United escaped Brunton Park with a point after one of the most extraordinary finishes of their season so far, drawing 2-2 with Carlisle United despite spending long periods of the match second best.
For much of the evening this looked like a game Carlisle would regret not putting beyond The Shrimpers.
Rob Elliot’s side were quicker, sharper and more dangerous during a first half in which Georgie Kelly’s fourth-minute opener could easily have been followed by more.
Southend stayed alive, however, and that ultimately proved crucial.
Leon Chambers-Parillon equalised seven minutes from time before Kyle McAdam produced a sensational strike in the second minute of stoppage time which appeared to have completed an unlikely smash-and-grab victory.
But there was still one final twist.
Kelly struck again in the 96th minute to rescue the point Carlisle’s overall performance deserved and deny Southend what would have been a scarcely believable victory.
Carlisle make the perfect start
Southend knew from the preview that Carlisle’s league position did not reflect the attacking threat they had shown during the opening weeks.
It took the home side only four minutes to demonstrate why.
Brad Nicholson helped release David Ajiboye down the left and the Carlisle winger drove forward before delivering the ball across the penalty area.
Kelly was waiting and the striker made no mistake from close range, steering his finish past Joe Duncan to put Carlisle 1-0 ahead.
It was exactly the kind of start Southend had wanted to avoid.
Carlisle’s confidence immediately increased and Kelly soon had another opportunity, heading over after Ajiboye again found space to deliver.
The hosts were finding too much room, particularly when attacking quickly, and Southend were struggling to gain any sustained control of the match.
Southend struggle to settle
Ryan Colclough provided one of Southend’s first real moments of danger when Adam Desbois raced from his goal to block his effort inside the penalty area.
Captain Ollie Coker then dragged a shot wide from distance as The Shrimpers began to show brief signs of a response.
But Carlisle remained the more dangerous side.
Southend were fortunate not to hand the hosts a second goal when Duncan’s pass from the back went straight to Teddy Jenks inside the penalty area.
Jenks moved the ball on and Carlisle were presented with a huge opportunity, only for Duncan to recover and make the save.
It summed up a difficult opening half for The Shrimpers.
Harvey Bunker was also denied by Duncan and Carlisle continued to find promising positions without producing the second goal their play arguably deserved.
Southend did have a penalty appeal when McAdam went down after collecting Colclough’s cross, but the referee waved away the protests.
The scoreline was probably kinder to The Shrimpers than the performance. Carlisle had created the better chances and Southend could consider themselves fortunate to remain only one goal behind.
Dyer changes it at the break
Kieron Dyer responded immediately.
Zavier Massiah-Edwards was introduced for his Southend debut at half-time, replacing captain Ollie Coker as The Shrimpers looked for greater attacking momentum.
There was an immediate opening.
Anthony Hartigan delivered a free-kick which Rayan Oyebade met with his head, but Desbois made the save to prevent Southend levelling.
Dyer went further in the 58th minute.
Promise Omochere replaced Harry Cardwell while Josh Popoola came on for Colclough, giving Southend fresh legs and a different attacking shape.
Popoola soon threatened after good work involving Vontae Daley-Campbell and Massiah-Edwards, his effort taking a deflection wide.
There were signs of improvement, but Carlisle continued to create the clearer opportunities.
Carlisle fail to finish Southend off
The home side repeatedly had chances to make the game safe.
Kelly was presented with another excellent opportunity after being found free inside the Southend penalty area, but his finish lacked the conviction of his early opener.
Duncan was called upon again and Carlisle’s failure to find a second goal gradually became more significant as the clock ticked towards the closing stages.
Sam Austin replaced Darren Oldaker after 70 minutes and soon tried his luck from distance, curling an effort over the crossbar.
Southend still had only a one-goal deficit to overturn.
For all Carlisle’s superiority, they had left the door open.
Chambers-Parillon punishes Carlisle
Seven minutes from time, The Shrimpers finally walked through it.
Loose defensive play from Carlisle presented Omochere with possession and the substitute showed good awareness to roll the ball into the path of Leon Chambers-Parillon.
The midfielder swept his finish home from close range to make it 1-1.
It was Chambers-Parillon’s fourth league goal of the campaign and continued an excellent individual start to the season.
More importantly, Southend had somehow hauled themselves level in a game which Carlisle had controlled for long spells.
McAdam sends the away end wild
Southend suddenly sensed an opportunity for more.
Both teams pushed forward during the closing stages and, two minutes into stoppage time, The Shrimpers produced a moment which appeared to have stolen the match completely.
Hartigan’s corner from the right was only cleared as far as McAdam outside the penalty area.
The left-back met it magnificently.
His 25-yard strike flew into the top corner to put Southend 2-1 ahead and spark wild celebrations among the 386 travelling supporters.
From being second best for so much of the game, The Shrimpers were suddenly seconds away from returning south with all three points.
Kelly has the final word
Carlisle refused to accept defeat.
Deep into stoppage time, captain Morgan Feeney’s clever header found Kelly in space inside the Southend penalty area.
The striker adjusted himself and swept a controlled half-volley into the bottom corner.
It was the 96th minute.
Carlisle 2-2 Southend.
There was barely time for anything else.
For Southend, there was immediate disappointment after coming so close to completing an extraordinary turnaround.
But once the emotion of conceding so late subsides, this should be viewed as a point gained rather than two thrown away.
A point stolen — and an important one
There will be days this season when Southend play considerably better than this and take nothing.
This was the opposite.
Carlisle were the stronger side for large parts of the contest and should have converted more of the opportunities they created, particularly during the first half.
At half-time, a one-goal deficit gave Southend a route back into a match which could easily have been beyond them.
The Shrimpers stayed in it.
Dyer changed the game with his substitutions, Omochere again made a decisive contribution, Chambers-Parillon continued his excellent scoring form and McAdam produced one of the moments of Southend’s season so far.
For a few extraordinary minutes, it looked as though Southend had turned an unlikely point into an astonishing victory.
Kelly’s late equaliser prevented that, but this is exactly the type of afternoon which can matter over the course of a promotion challenge.
When you cannot play well enough to win, finding a way not to lose is valuable.
The key moments
Southend’s season continues to build
The point extends Southend’s unbeaten away start to the National League campaign.
The Shrimpers have now taken eight points from their opening four away fixtures, having won at Altrincham and Solihull before drawing at Woking and Carlisle.
After seven matches, Southend’s record stands at four wins, two draws and one defeat, with 14 goals scored and ten conceded.
The Shrimpers move onto 14 points from seven matches and, after Saturday’s results, sit fifth in the National League in a tightly-packed group near the top of the table.
That is an excellent return from the opening seven games, particularly considering there have already been difficult afternoons against Kidderminster, Woking and now Carlisle.
Match facts
| Match detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Result | Carlisle United 2-2 Southend United |
| Half-time | Carlisle United 1-0 Southend United |
| Southend scorers | Leon Chambers-Parillon 83′, Kyle McAdam 90+2′ |
| Carlisle scorers | Georgie Kelly 4′, 90+6′ |
| Attendance | 7,126 |
| Away following | 386 Southend supporters |
| Venue | Brunton Park |
| Referee | Steven Copeland |
| Competition | Enterprise National League |
Teams
Carlisle United
Desbois, Nicholson, Feeney (C), Ellis, Duru, Williams, Azeez, Bunker, Jenks, Kelly, Ajiboye.
Subs used: Luamba, Obiero, Wearne, Galvin, Linney.
Unused: Mair, Harper.
Booked: Duru 62′.
Head coach: Rob Elliot
Southend United
Duncan, Daley-Campbell, McAdam, Oyebade, Goodliffe, Oldaker, Chambers-Parillon, Ollie Coker (C), Hartigan, Cardwell, Colclough.
Subs used: Massiah-Edwards for Coker 46′, Omochere for Cardwell 58′, Popoola for Colclough 58′, Austin for Oldaker 70′, Taylor for Chambers-Parillon 90+3′.
Unused: Sims, Cox.
Booked: McAdam 7′, Daley-Campbell 43′, Cardwell 53′, Omochere 90+4′.
Head coach: Kieron Dyer
The Shrimpers-online verdict
Southend did not deserve to win this match.
For long spells, Carlisle were the better side and their biggest frustration will be that they failed to convert enough chances to put The Shrimpers out of sight.
But football seasons are not built solely on the afternoons when everything goes well.
Promotion-chasing sides also need to take points when they are below their best.
Southend survived Carlisle’s strongest periods, responded to Dyer’s substitutions and found a way back into the game. They then came within seconds of stealing an extraordinary victory.
Kelly’s equaliser means it is one point rather than three, but Southend remain unbeaten away from home and leave Brunton Park with something from a game they could easily have lost comfortably.
Those points count exactly the same in April.
