Southend United 3-2 Yeovil Town: The Shrimpers Roar Back From Two Down In Stunning Roots Hall Comeback
Darren Oldaker’s brilliant free-kick sparked an extraordinary Southend United fightback before Leon Chambers-Parillon levelled and debutant Promise Omochere completed a remarkable turnaround as The Shrimpers came from 2-0 down to beat previously unbeaten Yeovil Town.
There are afternoons when a football match seems to change almost without warning.
This was one of them.
Southend United were staring at a second consecutive home defeat when Luke McCormick doubled Yeovil Town’s advantage shortly before the hour mark at Roots Hall.
The Glovers had arrived in Essex unbeaten, having won their previous three National League matches, and at 2-0 up appeared well placed to extend that impressive start.
Then Darren Oldaker stepped up.
His superb free-kick after 66 minutes didn’t merely reduce the deficit.
It changed the entire feel of the afternoon.
Roots Hall came alive, Southend found another gear and Yeovil — so composed for much of the game — suddenly found themselves trying to survive a wave of Shrimpers pressure.
Leon Chambers-Parillon made it 2-2 with 11 minutes remaining before Promise Omochere completed the turnaround on his Southend debut, powering home the winner just five minutes from time.
A Cautious Opening
The opening stages were very different from the frantic closing minutes which would eventually define the afternoon.
Southend enjoyed plenty of early territory and possession, but chances were limited as both teams attempted to play their way into the contest.
Yeovil then struck with the first meaningful opportunity of the game after 25 minutes.
Zain Westbrooke lifted a pass forward for Archie Davies, who got the better of Harry Taylor before nudging the ball beyond Joe Duncan and into the far corner.
It was a frustrating goal from Southend’s perspective, particularly after a relatively controlled opening.
But falling behind did provoke an immediate response.
Chambers-Parillon drove forward and found Ryan Colclough, whose firm effort from outside the penalty area was comfortably gathered by Jos Barker.
Three minutes later Chambers-Parillon won possession back on the left, drove into the Yeovil area and forced Barker to turn his effort behind at the near post.
Southend were beginning to find space in the wide areas, with Colclough and Lewys Twamley both increasingly involved, but the equaliser would not arrive before the interval.
Half-Time
Southend United 0-1 Yeovil Town
The Shrimpers Turn Up The Pressure
Southend emerged for the second half with far greater urgency.
Colclough was involved almost immediately when a Yeovil clearance dropped his way, forcing Barker into a low diving save.
The winger then went down in the penalty area following a challenge from Jordan Norville-Williams, prompting loud appeals from around Roots Hall, but referee Tolu Sangowawa allowed play to continue.
Chambers-Parillon dragged another effort wide before Colclough again tested Barker from distance, this time forcing the goalkeeper to tip over.
The pattern of the game was becoming increasingly clear.
Southend were pushing.
Yeovil were being forced deeper.
And yet, almost unbelievably, it was the visitors who scored next.
McCormick Punishes Southend
It had been one of the major talking points in The Shrimpers-online’s pre-match preview.
Luke McCormick had scored four times across Yeovil’s previous three matches and had been identified as the player Southend particularly needed to contain.
He demonstrated exactly why in the 58th minute.
Ryan Jones broke down the right before pulling the ball back into McCormick’s path, and the Yeovil captain placed his effort beyond Duncan and into the bottom corner.
It was a ruthless piece of finishing from a side who had spent much of the opening stages of the second half on the back foot.
Southend had created the pressure.
Yeovil had scored the goal.
At 2-0, The Shrimpers suddenly had an enormous task ahead of them.
Three Changes And One Moment Of Quality
Kieron Dyer responded.
Ryan Oyebade, Josh Popoola and new signing Promise Omochere were all introduced after 63 minutes, with the Bristol Rovers loanee making his Southend debut.
Three minutes later the comeback began.
Oldaker stood over a free-kick around 25 yards from goal and produced a strike worthy of changing any football match.
The midfielder lifted the ball over the Yeovil wall and beyond Barker into the top corner.
It was Oldaker’s first goal for Southend United.
More importantly, it transformed Roots Hall.
The noise increased instantly and the sense that something might still be possible spread around the ground.
The Goal That Changed The Game
At 2-0, Yeovil appeared to have absorbed Southend’s pressure and punished The Shrimpers on the counter.
Oldaker’s free-kick changed that completely.
From that moment, Southend no longer looked like a team simply chasing the game.
They looked like a team convinced they could win it.
Chambers-Parillon Levels It
Southend continued to push.
Harry Cardwell headed a good opportunity wide as the pressure increased, but there was no escape for Yeovil in the 79th minute.
Omochere was heavily involved.
The debutant raced onto an excellent forward pass from Chambers-Parillon, cut inside and returned the ball to the midfielder.
Chambers-Parillon’s effort wasn’t the cleanest strike he will ever hit, but nobody inside Roots Hall cared.
The ball found its way beyond Barker and into the net.
2-2.
For Chambers-Parillon it was a third goal of the campaign and a second consecutive home match on the scoresheet.
For Southend, the comeback was suddenly one goal away from becoming something memorable.
Promise Omochere Completes The Comeback
There are worse ways to introduce yourself to Roots Hall.
With five minutes remaining, Omochere received possession with his back to goal and Joe Gubbins tight behind him.
The Southend striker showed strength and sharp footwork to roll his former Shrimpers opponent before driving into the area.
From a tight angle, Omochere then smashed an unstoppable finish high into the roof of Barker’s net.
Roots Hall erupted.
Omochere had been on the pitch for little more than 20 minutes.
He had already helped create the equaliser.
Now he had scored the winner on his debut.
From 2-0 down to 3-2 up.
The turnaround was complete.
A Late Yeovil Appeal
There was still time for one final moment of controversy.
Yeovil appealed strongly for a penalty after Johl Powell went down following a challenge involving Vontae Daley-Campbell inside the Southend area.
The referee again remained unmoved and play continued.
Southend survived the remaining moments to complete one of the most dramatic victories Roots Hall has witnessed in the opening weeks of the season.
The Goals
Davies raced onto Westbrooke’s pass and beat Duncan to give Yeovil the lead.
Ryan Jones pulled the ball back for McCormick, who finished clinically into the bottom corner.
A superb 25-yard free-kick over the Yeovil wall and into the top corner sparked the comeback.
Omochere combined with Chambers-Parillon before the midfielder’s low effort found its way beyond Barker.
The debutant rolled Gubbins before smashing a powerful finish into the roof of the net.
The Shrimpers-online View
We talked before this match about Southend needing to make their good periods count.
Against Kidderminster they dominated the first half, scored only once and ended up losing.
At Woking they again produced the better first-half football, led by a single goal and had to settle for a draw.
Against Yeovil, the problem was different.
This time The Shrimpers somehow found themselves two goals behind despite producing most of the second-half pressure.
What followed told us something else about this team.
They didn’t accept it.
Oldaker’s free-kick was outstanding, but the response afterwards was just as impressive.
The substitutes changed the energy of the game, Chambers-Parillon again showed his growing importance and Omochere produced just about the perfect debut.
To arrive from the bench, help create the equaliser and then score the winner in front of the South Stand is some introduction.
There will still be things for Dyer to look at.
Southend have now conceded five goals across their last two matches at Roots Hall and they gave themselves an enormous mountain to climb here.
But there are occasions when the character of a victory matters as much as the performance.
This felt like one of them.
Yeovil arrived unbeaten, in form and two goals ahead.
Southend still found a way to win.
And if The Shrimpers needed a reminder of what Roots Hall can feel like when the crowd and team feed off one another, they got it during an extraordinary final 24 minutes.
Match Details
Southend United
Darren Oldaker 66′
Leon Chambers-Parillon 79′
Promise Omochere 85′
Harry Taylor 45+1′
Dan Cox 73′
Promise Omochere 90+2′
Yeovil Town
Archie Davies 25′
Luke McCormick 58′
Zain Westbrooke 61′
Teams
Joe Duncan, Vontae Daley-Campbell, Harry Taylor (Rayan Oyebade 63′), Dan Cox, Kyle McAdam, Darren Oldaker, Lewys Twamley (Josh Popoola 63′), Oli Coker (Promise Omochere 63′), Leon Chambers-Parillon, Harry Cardwell (Sam Austin 89′), Ryan Colclough (Anthony Hartigan 86′).
Unused substitutes: Jack Sims, Zavier Massiah-Edwards.
Jos Barker, Archie Davies, Joy Mukena, Joe Gubbins, Jordan Norville-Williams, Ryan Jones (James Daly 60′), Zain Westbrooke, Brett McGavin (Hayden Muller 60′), Luke McCormick (Johl Powell 74′), Michael Obeng (Charlie Lennon 74′), Slavi Spassov (Sam Walker 55′).
Unused substitutes: Jack Kingdon, Loick Ayina.
