SOUTHEND United were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw a 10 man Hartlepool United this afternoon.
Pools skipper Luke Waterfall was red carded just four minutes into the second half at the Prestige Group Stadium.
But Blues were unable to convert the chances which came their way with Oli Coker, Noor Husin, Josh Walker, Gus Scott-Morriss and Jack Wood all failing to score when well-placed as Kevin Maher’s side were forced to settle for a share of the spoils.
Early on, Coker sent a low 20 yard shot straight at Hartlepool goalkeeper Joel Dixon before Southend threatened again in the 13th minute as Walker superbly beat his man in the left hand side of the penalty area.
The striker immediately delivered a low, left wing cross which picked out Coker only for the midfielder to see his shot blocked in front of goal by Hartlepool skipper Waterfall.
After the midfielder’s half chance, the game became rather stop-start with the hosts’ Luke Charman and Waterfall both requiring lengthy spells of treatment along with Shrimpers midfielder Oli Coker.
Charman was eventually forced off following a poor challenge from Cav Miley which resulted in the Shrimpers midfielder being shown a yellow card.
But, once the match resumed, there remained a lack of clear-cut chances with Nathan Ralph heading over James Morton’s left wing corner and Pools’ Adam Campbell seeing his well executed left foot volley smartly held high to his left hand side by Blues goalkeeper Collin Andeng Ndi.
But Campbell came even closer to scoring towards the end of a 56 minute half as the attacking midfielder slammed a powerful 25 yard free-kick against the inside of the right post before the ball bounced to safety.
After surviving the scare, the Shrimpers were boosted just four minutes into the second half when Waterfall was red carded after picking up his second caution of the afternoon.
The Pools skipper was yellow carded in the first half for arguing against a Southend throw on and, having already been let off for a foul on Harry Cardwell, Cardwell was ordered off for pulling the shirt of Josh Walker as the Shrimpers striker moved away from the defender.
Moments later, Miley had a long range shot tipped over by Dixon before Blues made a double change just past the hour mark with Noor Husin and Jack Bridge replacing James Morton and Joe Gubbins.
The substitutions saw Nathan Ralph revert to left sided centre-back with Bridge at left wing-back and Husin in central midfield for the first time since recovering from surgery on his shin.
Bridge soon fired over the crossbar from 20 yards before a sliding Coker sent an inviting left wing cross from Husin over the crossbar from a narrow angle at the far post.
In reply a powerful long range shot from Campbell was easily kept out by Andeng Ndi before the Shrimpers came close to breaking the deadlock in stunning fashion as Husin’s brilliant left footed shot from long range dipped just wide of the right post.
Blues soon threatened again with Gus Scott-Morriss volleying inches over from eight yards following a left wing corner from Bridge and, with the good chances continuing, an unmarked Walker headed Scott-Morriss’ right wing cross wide of the left post from 12 yards.
In a further bid to breakthrough, the Shrimpers made a third change in the 85th minute with Danny Waldron replacing Coker before Wood replaced Walker late on.
And it was Wood who wasted Blues’ last chance to score as he raced onto Scott-Morriss’ through ball only or his shot to be saved by the body of Dixon before the ball squirmed across the face of goal and stayed out of the back of the net.
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