MATCH STATS SOUTHEND UNITED: Flahavan, Francis, Clarke, Barrett, Hammell, Campbell-Ryce, Guttridge, Maher, Gower, Paynter, Eastwood. Subs: Hooper (for Campbell-Ryce, 63), Hunt (for Guttridge, 63), Harrold (for Paynter, 63), Cole, Collis. NORWICH CITY: Gallacher, Colin, Doherty, Shackell, Drury, Hughes, Safri, Etuhu, Croft, Earnshaw, McVeigh. Subs: Henderson (for Croft, 78), Ryan Jarvis (for McVeigh, 90), Fleming, Camp, Spillane. SCORERS: Southend: Eastwood (9), Hammell (68), Gower (90) Norwich: Earnshaw (35, 39), Etuhu (47) MAN OF THE MATCH EDP & EN: Gary Doherty PinkUn poll: Earnshaw (38%) ATTENDANCE: 11,072 (1,958 Norwich fans) REFEREE: Uriah Rennie. Last City match was August 27, 2005 - the 1-0 home defeat by Leeds. Never far from controversy, but at least he's Premiership standard. ADDED TIME: First half: 2 mins Second half: 4 mins YELLOW CARDS: Southend: Francis (foul on McVeigh, 90), Gower (removing his shirt, 90). Norwich: Safri (foul on Maher, 75). RED CARDS: None SHOTS ON TARGET: Southend 6, Norwich 4 SHOTS OFF TARGET: Southend 4, Norwich 11 CORNERS: Southend 4, Norwich 3 FOULS:  Southend 9, Norwich 16 OFFSIDES:  Southend 1, Norwich 1

Tuesday September 12, 2006
CHRIS LAKEY

Norwich’s away blues continued on the east coast – but it took a last-gasp equaliser to deny them their first away win of the campaign.

With the seconds ticking by it looked like City would be able to withstand Southend’s late charge.

They even had time for two-goal Robert Earnshaw to miss at least two opportunities to grab his first Norwich hat-trick – only for Mark Gower to strike to send the majority of the crowd home happy.

City will be applauded for their goalscoring – again, their first Championship strikes away from home this seaon – but their defending will come into question, as will the way they failed to kill off the game while holding a 3-1 lead.

Instead, they stood toe to toe with Southend – and paid the price.

City boss Nigel Worthington was able to field Dickson Etuhu, despite the midfielder’s struggle with a chest illness which affected him at the weekend, but Carl Robinson was a notable absentee.

Paul McVeigh came in for Darren Huckerby down the left, with Andy Hughes replacing Robinson.

City were straight on the attack, Jurgen Colin finding McVeigh, whose cross was turned into the area by Hughes without finding a yellow shirt.

McVeigh should have put City ahead with less than five minutes gone, when he picked up the ball on the edge of the area after a terrific run down the right by Lee Croft, but knocked his shot wide of Darryl Flahavan’s right-hand post.

It was a bright start for the Canaries, McVeigh, certainly early on, showing that he has his own bag of tricks.

But after the confident start it suddenly all went wrong, and it was the genius of Fredy Eastwood which proved City’ undoing.

Collecting a long ball from Adam Barrett on the edge of the area, his first touch was sublime, setting him up for a shot which left Paul Gallacher rooted to the spot.

Norwich tried to respond, Youssef Safri’s corner finding the head of Hughes only for a defender to get in the way.

But Southend’s tails were up, Eastwood suddenly finding a different gear, and defender Adam Barrett came close with a header from Kevin Maher’s free kick on the left as the Canaries began to rock.

City’s efforts to get back into the game weren’t helped by their inability to keep possession or string passes together.

Etuhu had sight of goal after a strong run through midfield, but on the run he shot a yard over, while Earnshaw saw a shot blocked.

Robert Earnshaw beats Southend keeper Darryl Flahavan to score his first goal on the road for City this season.

City were trying their best to get back, but Southend were feeding off hesitancy all over the field by the visitors.

A sign of Norwich’s problems was a long free kick which Gary Doherty won at the back post – he headed across goal but there was no one within a country mile to attack the ball.

The fact that City were in the goalmouth was encouraging, but they needed to take advantage.

Earnshaw was seeing little of the ball and when he did have possession it was a long way from goal.

The Welshman sent an effort well wide, matched by Safri’s drive from all of 30 yards. He was closer on the half-hour mark from a similar distance as City slowly got something of a foothold in the game.

What they desperately needed was a goal, and Earnshaw duly delivered 10 minutes from half-time with his first away goal of the season, first heading an excellent Hughes cross against the keeper before poking home the rebound.

Perhaps Southend will feel a little aggrieved, but give Earnshaw a sniff of goal and he will punish you.

And he proved that point admirably on 39 minutes, his persistence in a goalmouth scramble putting City ahead. McVeigh had done well to get the ball back in the area from the left, it bounced around with Etuhu trying to get a good foot on it, but then up popped the Welshman for his sixth of the season.

Suddenly, it was City’s tails that were up and Earnshaw was within sight of his hat-trick in the dying moments of the half, only for keeper Flahavan to head a loose back-pass away from the striker.

Half-time: Southend United 1, Norwich City 2

What City needed to do was put the game out of Southend’s reach after the break.

And Etuhu duly delivered with just two minutes gone. It was a real quality, team goal, with Etuhu, McVeigh and Hughes, who played a terrific ball out wide right to Croft, all playing a part. But the cross had to be perfect, and it was, straight onto the head of Etuhu who headed home with aplomb.

Robert Earnshaw is congratulated by Paul McVeigh and Lee Croft after scoring his first away goal for City this season.

City had turned round a game that had looked at one stage to be slipping away. But determination and not a little patience had paid off.
Now it was up to City to kill the game, although Southend did quickly test Gallacher, who did well to turn away a Maher shot.

An angry Nigel Worthington berated his team for losing possession when all they needed to do was frustrate their hosts.

Southend almost took advantage, but Doherty did well to clear a goalbound effort and then did even better to get himself in the way of Luke Guttridge’s goalbound shot after Gallacher had beenaught out by a deflection on Eastwood’s cross.

It was end to end stuff, which was not what Worthington wanted.

Southend boss Steve Tilson made a triple change just after the hour mark in a bid to get his team back in the game, and they had a great chance, courtesy of referee Uriah Rennie, when Mark Gower was adjudged to have been fouled on the edge of the area, although he appeared to slip over the ball.

Hamill took it, and fired it over City’s defensive wall giving Gallacher no chance – and putting City on the back foot once again.

Drury took a leaf out of Doherty’s book with a good block and then Eastwood headed just over as Southend went from being almost on their knees to walking tall.

Gallacher saved again from Maher while Doherty, yet again, got his boot in the way of a shot as Southend threw everything at City.

Gallacher had to be sharp after confusion in the City box, while a rare break at the other end saw Earnshaw fire just over.

With time running out the crowd of just over 11,000 was on its feet, but it was the Southend fans who were cheering in injury time as Eastwood’s shot was beaten out by Gallacher only for Mark Gower to fire home the rebound with just seconds remaining.

Result: Southend United 3, Norwich City 3