Barnsley storm into the third round of the Emirates FA Cup after a six-goal thriller at Roots Hall!
Yet another goal for Kieffer Moore, a brace from Cauley Woodrow and a first Reds strike for Mike Bähre saw the Reds earn another victory in this enthralling season as the FA Cup journey continued at Southend.
Daniel Stendel had made a few changes following the defeat at Sunderland in midweek, with Bähre, George Moncur and Jacob Brown brought into the starting XI.
In soaking wet circumstances, the Reds began nicely enough, zipping the ball around the park and asserted their dominance on the opposition, with Southend though remaining a threat from the occasional corner kick.
On 22 minutes the first big chance for either side as Moore latched onto a Moncur through-ball and having got a shot away despite the 'keeper closing him down, the ball was cleared off the line by Blues defender John White.
Woodrow tried his luck from the edge of the box on 40 minutes, 'keeper Mark Oxley could only parry it behind for a corner and that saw the breakthrough...
It was a similar set-play to the one that saw Moore score a second goal on Wearside last Tuesday night, as Alex Mowatt's pinpoint inswinging corner was met by the head of Kieffer who made it 13 goals for the season to give Barnsley a deserved 1-0 lead.
With five minutes of stoppage time coming to a close, the hosts fortuitously levelled the tie...
A Sam Mantom corner kick towards the near post looked to take a touch off Moore and into his own net for 1-1 at the break.
HALF TIME: Southend 1-1 Barnsley
The second half was scrappy initially as both sides looked to take hold of the contest, with Blues' midfielder McLoughlin trying a long range effort that flew over the crossbar, and Moncur at the other end saw a similar chance just miss the bar.
But on 57 minutes another Mowatt corner brought reward for Stendel's Reds...
His set-piece was fumbled by Oxley in goal and in the right place at the right time was former Southend man Woodrow to put the Reds back ahead in the tie.
A few minutes later as the hour mark passed, Woodrow again tested Oxley, with the 'keeper having two attempts at thwarting him, eventually tipping the ball behind.
Stendel went to his bench on 68 minutes as he introduced full back Dani Pinillos who replaced the earlier cautioned Zeki Fryers.
It was 3-1 in the 70th minute when a Bähre corner wasn't dealt with by Dru Yearwood who failed to clear his lines and Mike picked the ball back up, drove it across the box and there was that man Woodrow to grab his second of the game.
Woodrow nearly had a chance for his hat-trick when another flowing Reds attack saw him head towards goal, but a combination of luck and good defending saw the ball cleared at the last minute.
With around 10 minutes left on the clock came a second change for Barnsley as scorer of the Reds' first goal, Moore was replaced by Brad Potts.
The game was thrown back in the balance on 82 minutes when McLaughlin's corner was nodded in by Timothee Dieng for Southend to make it 3-2, and make the Reds sweat.
It looked like 3-3 in the last minute of normal time when veteran centre half Michael Turner thought he'd equalised but his toe-poked finish was eventually ruled out despite lots of confusion amongst the officials. We aren't sure if it was for offside or a handball.
As we entered a minimum of five minutes additional time, Victor Adeboyejo came on in place of two-goal hero Woodrow.
The Reds sealed the victory in the last minute of that added-on time, as Potts stormed forward, the ball found Bähre who from a tight angle buried the finish for 4-2 and a place in the third round draw this coming Monday evening!
FULL TIME: Southend 2-4 Barnsley
Davies, Brown, Pinnock, Lindsay, Fryers (Pinillos), Mowatt, McGeehan, Moncur, Bähre, Moore (Potts), Woodrow (Adeboyejo).
Unused subs: Greatorex, Jackson, Thiam, Cavaré.
Att: 3,616 (343 Reds fans - thank you for your support!)
