Southend United 2-4 Barrow: Shrimpers’ Unbeaten Run Ended at Roots Hall
Southend United’s five-match unbeaten National League run came to an abrupt end as Barrow claimed a 4-2 victory at Roots Hall.
The Shrimpers arrived back home on a high after their remarkable 6-1 victory at Gateshead, but a very different afternoon unfolded in Essex.
After a scrappy and goalless opening 45 minutes, Rekeem Harper and Seb Thompson put Barrow two goals ahead before Ryan Colclough scored his first Southend goal from the penalty spot.
A Darren Oldaker own goal restored Barrow’s two-goal advantage and, although Leon Chambers-Parillon gave Southend hope in stoppage time, former Shrimper Dan Mooney immediately responded to complete an impressive away victory.
For Kieron Dyer’s side, it was a frustrating afternoon in which promising moments never developed into the kind of sustained performance Southend had produced during their excellent recent run.
Barrow provide an early warning
Barrow almost made the perfect start when a well-worked corner found Seb Thompson, whose curling effort came back off the crossbar with Jack Sims beaten.
Southend survived that early scare and began to find their way into the contest.
Sam Austin, fresh from his hat-trick at Gateshead, delivered an inviting ball across the face of goal, but neither Promise Omochere nor Zavier Massiah-Edwards could provide the finishing touch.
The Shrimpers then passed up an even better opportunity.
Kyle McAdam’s low cross from the left picked out Omochere in front of goal, but the striker somehow directed his effort wide when presented with an excellent chance to open the scoring.
Southend penalty appeals waved away
Southend felt they could have had a penalty when Leon Chambers-Parillon went down inside the area, but referee James Oldham was unmoved.
There was further controversy when Omochere went down after appearing to get to the ball ahead of Barrow goalkeeper Ben Winterbottom. Rather than receiving a penalty, the Southend striker was shown a yellow card.
It was symptomatic of an increasingly stop-start first half in which both teams became frustrated with the officiating.
Darren Oldaker tested Winterbottom from a free-kick, while Barrow continued to carry a threat at the other end, but neither side could find the breakthrough.
Barrow take control after the break
The decisive period of the game arrived after half-time.
Seven minutes into the second period, Barrow finally broke the deadlock.
A long free-kick was helped on by Paul Mbiya-Kalambayi and Rekeem Harper reacted inside the penalty area to finish beyond Sims and put the visitors ahead.
Dyer responded immediately.
Ryan Colclough, Sahid Kamara and Ephraim Yeboah were introduced for Austin, Massiah-Edwards and Omochere as Southend attempted to change the momentum of the contest.
There was an immediate glimpse of encouragement when Colclough combined with McAdam before seeing his low effort blocked by Winterbottom.
But instead of Southend finding an equaliser, Barrow doubled their advantage.
Thompson makes it two
Thompson, who had already struck the crossbar in the opening minutes, tried his luck from distance in the 66th minute.
His effort took a significant deflection off Ben Goodliffe and flew beyond the wrong-footed Sims.
Lewys Twamley replaced captain Oli Coker as Dyer made another attacking change, and the Shrimpers finally found a route back into the contest with 15 minutes remaining.
Colclough burst into the Barrow penalty area and was brought down, with Oldham this time pointing to the spot.
The substitute took responsibility himself and converted the penalty to register his first goal for Southend.
At 2-1, Roots Hall suddenly had reason to believe.
Oldaker own goal proves costly
Barrow could have restored their two-goal advantage when Arian Allen broke clear, but Sims stood tall to make an important save.
The reprieve proved temporary.
With six minutes of normal time remaining, former Southend midfielder Dan Mooney caused problems down the right and sent the ball across goal.
Oldaker attempted to intervene but could only divert it beyond Sims and into his own net.
It was Oldaker’s second own goal of the season and appeared to have settled the contest.
Southend, however, had one more response.
Chambers-Parillon gives Southend late hope
Eight additional minutes gave the Shrimpers time to launch one final attempt at an unlikely comeback.
Oldaker delivered a corner from the right which Winterbottom failed to claim and Chambers-Parillon reacted at the far post to force the ball home.
It was the midfielder’s sixth goal of the season, continuing his outstanding individual start to the campaign.
Suddenly it was 3-2.
Any hope of a dramatic rescue lasted only moments.
Former Shrimper Mooney finishes it
Mooney collected possession and powered beyond Rayan Oyebade before also beating McAdam.
The former Southend man then curled a left-footed finish beyond Sims to make it 4-2 and finally end the contest.
It completed an excellent second half for Barrow, who had punished Southend repeatedly after the interval and secured back-to-back victories for the first time this season.
A bad afternoon, not a bad start
The result brought Southend’s five-match unbeaten league run to an end and provided a sharp reminder of how quickly momentum can change in the National League.
Seven days earlier, the Shrimpers had produced one of their most extraordinary away performances in years by scoring six times before half-time at Gateshead.
This time it was Southend who were left trying to understand how a game had escaped them.
There were opportunities before the break — particularly Omochere’s chance from McAdam’s cross — and two penalty appeals that Southend felt could have changed the complexion of the afternoon.
But Barrow were the more clinical side when the game opened up after half-time.
Southend responded twice after falling behind, first through Colclough and then Chambers-Parillon, but on each occasion Barrow found another answer.
It is a disappointing result, but it should also be viewed in the context of what has still been an excellent opening to the campaign for Dyer’s side.
The task now is to make sure this remains an isolated setback rather than the beginning of a change in momentum.
Southend had opportunities to take control before half-time but failed to make them count. Once Barrow went ahead, the visitors were far more ruthless, scoring four times after the interval and finding another goal each time the Shrimpers threatened to force their way back into the match.
Match details
Goals
Southend United: Ryan Colclough 75′ (pen), Leon Chambers-Parillon 90+1′
Barrow: Rekeem Harper 52′, Seb Thompson 66′, Darren Oldaker 84′ (OG), Dan Mooney 90+5′
Starting XI: Jack Sims, Vontae Daley-Campbell, Ben Goodliffe, Rayan Oyebade, Kyle McAdam, Oli Coker, Darren Oldaker, Zavier Massiah-Edwards, Sam Austin, Leon Chambers-Parillon, Promise Omochere.
Changes: Sahid Kamara for Massiah-Edwards 54′, Ryan Colclough for Austin 54′, Ephraim Yeboah for Omochere 54′, Lewys Twamley for Coker 69′.
Unused substitutes: Anthony Hartigan, Harry Taylor, Finley Woodham.
Starting XI: Ben Winterbottom, Marcel Oakley, Paul Mbiya-Kalambayi, Thierry Latty-Fairweather, Kennedy Digie, Isaac Marriott, George Walker, Xavier Benjamin, Alex Reid, Seb Thompson, Rekeem Harper.
Changes: Danny Amos for Latty-Fairweather 48′, Dan Mooney for Reid 67′, Ben Jackson for Walker 67′, Arian Allen for Thompson 67′, Keaton Ward for Harper 77′.
Unused substitutes: Corey Edwards, Mikey Lane.
Barrow: Walker 15′, Marriott 22′, Allen 90+7′.
The Shrimpers-online verdict
This was a frustrating comedown after the extraordinary afternoon at Gateshead, but one defeat should not overshadow the progress Southend have made during the opening weeks of the season.
The concern will be the manner in which the game moved away from the Shrimpers after half-time. Barrow took their opportunities and, even when Southend threatened a comeback, immediately found a way to regain control.
There were still positives. Colclough opened his Southend account, Chambers-Parillon scored his sixth of the campaign and the Shrimpers continued fighting deep into stoppage time.
What matters now is the response. The unbeaten run is over, but Southend’s strong start to the season is not. One disappointing afternoon at Roots Hall does not undo what came before it.
