Reds down and out in gathering gloom SOUTHEND United players, officials and the minted fans flew up in a chartered plane for this. Next stop for them in the cup is at Spurs, more likely than not. For depressed Barnsley the free fall reached down and out. Not just beaten, they were well beaten by the team at rock bottom of their league. And as Southend supporters jigged about Oakwell in celebration, conga-ing up and down the aisle, Barnsley fans bleated, "There's only one Andy Ritchie." Their gripe was with Oakwell power brokers who binned manager Ritchie for Simon Davey. Right enough Davey wasn't to blame last night he picked the strongest team he could. New lads Adam Eckersley, Dwayne Mattis, Grant McCann and Kyel Reid were either cup tied or contracted out. In came Paul Heckingbottom at left back and striker Michael Coulson with Sam Togwell back in the middle with Martin Devaney working for width. Together with the usual crew, it should have worked. On a very grim night it did not. Southend, despite what the table tells you, aren't the worst team in the league. A run of six unbeaten proves that. Before they began to turn their season around, Barnsley beat them 2-0 at Oakwell in the league. How things have changed. Southend have progressed from the FA Cup tie with Barnsley that finished 1-1 at near flooded Roots Hall a couple of weeks back. Barnsley can't say the same. Far from it. Davey's verdict was damning too. "We can't buy ourselves a goal at the moment. We're not getting any sort of rub of the green anywhere in the area," he admitted. "When you're losing games, confidence is low. We need to pull together and make sure we can get ourselves out of it. We have to pick the players up. It's difficult because that dressing room is down at the moment. "When I took over I knew it was going to be a hard job and it will be until the end of the season." The solution? Davey hopes to have more luck in the transfer market than he did yesterday with targeted striker Leon Constantine from Port Vale. "We've got a group of players who are used to being in that bottom zone and losing games. The only way to change that is to get new faces in," he contended. Even so, the first 20 minutes belonged to Barnsley. Rob Atkinson, once again preferred to Antony Kay, might have had a penalty when a raised hand blocked his header at a right wing corner. Keeper Darryl Flahavan was then stretched by Daniel Nardiello. Paul Hayes, always positive on the left and Hayes, Barnsley's man of the match, posted a good ball into the near post, Nardiello got in front of the cover and his header was goalbound until Flahavan flung himself at it. Southend hadn't done a lot before taking the lead and the goal was a huge credit to their longest-serving player. Kevin Maher likes to loiter behind the main attacking event. He did exactly that in the 21st minute as Jamal Campbell Ryce and Freddy Eastwood pressed the box. The ball was laid back to Maher and from 25 yards his right foot did the rest, steaming into the top left-hand corner of Nick Colgan's net. From the kick-off Barnsley might have levelled as Hayes sped down the left and delivered to the inside left channel where Brian Howard let fly from 10 yards. Peter Clarke chucked himself into the line of fire and Southend were safe. They were almost celebrating again some quarter of an hour later as Colgan had and then dropped a Campbell Ryce drive. Lee Bradbury piled in looking for scraps, Colgan made good his error with courage. Five minutes into the second half and Eastwood fluffed an open goal. A free header and the net beckoning, his header skidded wide. Barnsley should have levelled when Coulson robbed Peter Clarke. Only keeper Flahavan barred his way. The youngster tried to steer a shot under the keeper and failed. Southend needed no more encouragement. They got it though when Alan McCormack robbed Paul Reid. He took it wide right and picked out Bradbury almost inside the six-yard area. A turn and a touch and a low drilled finish from close and the tie was over. Only Colgan prevented 3-0 from the next attack as Mark Gower, Bradbury and Eastwood combined. Colgan stood up to the shot after defenders were found wanting. The Barnsley keeper couldn't relax and made four more saves he might happily stick in his scrapbook. The best Barnsley mustered in the latter stages came from Atkinson at a corner. He got the nod and watched it drop
