SOUTHEND United’s youth team coach Danny Heath was pleased to see the squad implementing some of their learnings from the training ground as his side fought back to draw 1-1 with Welling United on Wednesday afternoon.

Blues trailed at half-time to Tomi Obalini’s 35th-minute strike, but Jack Stone notched his third goal of the season midway through the second half to secure a share of the spoils in the National League U19 Alliance Academy South Division clash at Garon Park.

“We work to a syllabus and the topic on Monday was around strikers getting into goalscoring positions to either score in the first phase or the second phase, so we’ve talked a lot about rebounds and making contact in the second phase,” Heath explained.

“When balls come into the box, we worked on getting first contact, then getting second contact and even third contact. On those three phases, from the cross Stoney made the first contact, Obi [Okafor]’s in and around it getting the second contact and Stoney’s got up off the floor to make the third contact.”

“From a development point-of-view and the things we’re working on in training, that is a positive, and we’ve also done a lot of work around the opposite wing-back getting around the back post, so Mitch [Ward]’s header is another positive on that topic.”

“That is what it is about with development and learning. Game situations are an opportunity for the boys to go and show what they have learned in training, and in the second half when we got the quality on the ball, that gave our attacking players more opportunities to get those chances,” he added.

Heath made two changes to the team that had picked up the first point of the season at Dorking Wanderers seven days previously as the Gurie twins, Joe and Jonny, dropped to the bench at the expense of Obi Okafor and Zevyan Makangu.

Welling crafted the first opening of the match in just the second minute as Omar Kamara attempted to catch out Charlie Brown with a shot from the left-hand edge of the penalty area, but the Blues custodian reacted quickly and pushed the low effort out at his near post.

The game quickly turned into a physical battle, with Southend unable to break down a stubborn defence.

Set-pieces appeared to offer the hosts the best opportunity to move ahead, but no-one managed to read an eleventh-minute slide-rule pass from Joshua Jackson and Olu Shobowale then curled a 25-yard free-kick wide of the right-hand post on 15 minutes.

The visitors took advantage of the teenage Shrimpers failing to build any momentum, and Obilana’s persistent run just before the half-hour mark culminated in Nigel Nyako dragging a shot wide from the edge of the penalty area.

Three minutes later, Blues defender Julius Nwike did well to force Joseph Ikeusan away from goal as he led another attack.

Welling took the lead ten minutes before half-time following a long right-wing throw by Devontae Campbell.

Although Southend managed to get the initial propulsion clear, the ball fell to Obilana, who steered a superb left-footed finish into the right-hand portion of the net.

Kamara smashed high and wide before Nyako warmed the gloves of Brown as the Wings sought to add to their lead, but Blues ended the half strongly and Jackson’s free-kick presented Stone with a chance to equalise.

He contested a high ball with goalkeeper Peter Balogun, but he couldn’t turn home from inside the six-yard box after winning his initial aerial duel.

Welling could have scored a second goal soon after the interval, but Charlie Brown made a fine save with his legs at the near post to thwart Nyako, who had borne down one-on-one with the goalkeeper from the left-hand side of the penalty area.

After that initial warning, Southend started to haul themselves back into the game, and Makangu was unfortunate that defender Mesach Blabiyi was in place to cover having pressed Balogun into a mistake outside his penalty area on 49 minutes.

Okafor then made progress into the penalty area before dragging his shot wide, and Ward was unlucky not to find the target on 57 minutes when he arrived at the far post to meet a swinging Stone delivery with a diving header.

Nonetheless, Southend were indebted to Brown once again shortly afterwards when he closed down Rocky McCarthy and encouraged the Welling substitute to angle his shot wide of the left-hand post as he attempted to convert a pass from Kamara.

Within seconds, Shobowale and Jackson had transitioned Blues into attack and Ward delivered a left-wing cross that was met by Stone’s powerful header around 15 yards from goal.

The ball rebounded off the crossbar and Okafor did enough to prevent a defender from clearing before Stone picked himself up to fire the ball through the legs of Balogun and level the scores.

From that point, Southend were on top, although Balogun saved easily from a Shobowale free-kick and Poxon guided a 20-yard strike narrowly wide of the left-hand post. Mecca Samuels fired off-target for hosts five minutes from the end before drilling another attempt straight at Brown, but the game ended with Nwike’s overhead bicycle kick clearing the crossbar by inches.

Southend United U19s: Brown, Nwike, Ward, Jackson (Jonny Gurie 86), Molefi, Shobowale, Okafor, Miller (Joe Gurie 57), Stone, Makangu, Poxon.

Subs not used: Barrett, Okai-Mensah & Goulbourne.