On The Ball written by Gareth Payne.
Full-time - With almost the last kick or head of the game Oli Johnson gives City the win. Scott Vernon gave Southend the lead in first-half stoppage time but two goals from sub Oli Johnson, the first a tap-in on 78 minutes after Steve Mildenhall had saved from Grant Holt and then in injury-time Johnson met an Anthony McNamee corner from the left with a glancing header to send the home crowd into rapturous delight.
90+3 - City come so close to taking all three points. A Mc Namee cross falls at the feet of Johnson but McCormack somehow manages to hook it over his own bar from two yards. McNamee's corner is met by the stooping head of Nelson and off the foot of a defender for another corner. The second McNamee corner is met by a near-post glancing header by sub Oli Johnson and the back of the net ripples. In dramatic late fashion, City have claimed all three points. Leeds United have also won 2-0, but Charlton Athletic have lost at home to Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 so the gap to fourth-placed Addicks widens to nine points.
90th - The first booking of the match goes to Russell Martin for blocking off John Herd a couple of yards outside the box. Two men over the free-kick, Francis the right-footer and Malone the left. It's the right foot of Francis, which draws a great save from Forster. Four minutes of time to be added on at the end.
88th - Southend almost capitalise on some poor play from City. Paterson is played in and he shoots on the turn but a comfortable gather for Forster.
86th - Simon Francis hammers the ball behind for corner, which McNamee takes and Nelson meets with a partial header.
85th - Holt is brave to go up and win the header ahead of Mildenhall, but takes a clattering from a McNamee cross from the right. The skipper's header goes over the bar though.
80th - Steve Tilson makes his second change of the evening introducing John Herd for Frank Moussa.
78th - Oli Johnson is in the right place at the right time to tap home his second City goal. Holt's initial effort was saved superbly by Mildenhall low down to his left but he could only palm it out and straight to Johnson who had the simpliest of tap-ins from six yards out.
74th - City committing numbes forward and Paterson tries to latch onto a through ball but Russell Martin does brilliantly on the cover round.
72nd - Doherty at his best with a last-ditch tackle on Paterson inside the penalty area and Russell Martin with the diving header to clear the corner and set City on the attack.
70th - Instant half-chance for Johnson. Holt nods down and Johnson kicks the ball off his standing foot for a goal kick. In the next attack the sub runs at the Southend backline and beats his man but his shot is blocked.
69th - The two central midfielders are withdrawn, Simon Lappin and Stephen Hughes by Smith and Johnson. Looks like Johnson to partner Holt with McNamee right and Martin left. Smith and Hoolahan in the middle of midfield.
67th - City preparing a double change, Oli Johnson and Korey Smith.
64th - City carve Southend apart. The ball is fed into Hoolahan, who beats three men and rather than shooting on his left foot, passes to Chris Martin, who from a tight angle, forces a one-handed save from Steve Mildenhall in the Shrimpers goal. McNamee's corner is met by Doherty but wide.
62nd - Tonight's attendance is 24,824.
60th - Chris Martin wins a corner off the defender. McNamee over to take from the right. Taken off the head of Nelson coming in and McNamee, on his first start for City has to go over to the other side to take. Deep delivery and Holt throws himself at it, but his diving header goes wide.
58th - Hoolahan is the first to a loose ball in midfield, drives at the Southend defence but fires over from 20 yards.
54th - Ball over the top finds Matt Paterson but the former Southampton striker is stopped in his tracks by the covering Gary Doherty. Corner to Southend, which Scott Malone will take left-footed from the right, headed down by Paterson but Forster pounces on the loose ball.
51st - Grant Holt comes the closest City have come all match, as he cuts inside and clips a shot off the outside of Mildenhall's post from 20 yards.
47th - Rose delivers an inviting ball in from the left which Chris Martin rises above his marker but flicks it narrowly wide of the far post.
46th - Southend get us back underway and City attack the Norwich and Peterborough Stand second half.
"Thats changed the team talk :(" - hrsthenwc
Half-time - Two games in League One postponed this evening. Colchester United's home match with Brentford and Exeter City's game with Bristol Rovers are the two off. Charlton Athletic trail at home to Brighton & Hove Albion, while Leeds United are being held at Elland Road against Oldham Athletic. Millwall lead away to MK Dons and the in-form side Swindon Town are winning 2-1 at the County Ground against bottom of the table side Stockport County.
45+1 - Southend take the lead right at the end of the first half! Damien Scannell just succeeds in knocking the ball around Rose and latching onto it. He then whips in a low cross that comes off the knee of Doherty, off the legs of Nelson and straight at the feet of Scott Vernon, who from three yards finishes off the legs of Fraser Forster into the roof of the net. That goal will put a different perspective on manager Paul Lambert's half-time team talk, who was looking for a reaction to the weekend defeat to Southampton, which he got early doors.
45th - A poor clearance only goes as far as Alan McCormack, who looks to curl one from 20+ yards but well over Forster's bar as we head into two minutes of stoppage time.
39th - City's turn to apply the pressure, back-to-back corners and then finally Lappin floats in a right-footed cross and Nelson looks to get in round the back but on the stretch can only toe wide.
38th - City break after a period of pressure from Southend United. Hoolahan feeds Chris Martin in the left channel and the striker skips instead the area but is forced inside and backwards. He tries to turn, but instead opts to lay it off for Simon Lappin to strike left-footed and he forces a fingertip save from Mildenhall.
35th - Mildenhall gets lucky. The goalkeeper clears a backpass straight at Grant Holt's head but the ball rebounds back to him to safety.
28th - The Southend reshuffles sees Paterson partner Scott Vernon in attack with Damien Scannell moving to left-midfield, Scott Malone drop back to left-back and Adam Barrett shift to centre-back to partner Pat Baldwin, who some may remember from the Colchester United game in January. Baldwin is on loan from Colchester for the rest of the season.
27th - A deflected cross wins Southend a corner, which Simon Francis takes from the right and Adam Barrett stoop to stomach wide.
26th - Chris Martin with a stunning spin to get away from Adam Barrett inside the area. He steps inside Pat Baldwin as well and then hammers a left-footed shot narrowly wide of the far post. The second very good chance of the match so far for City folllowing the opening minute opportunity for Hughes.
25th - Doesn't look like M'Voto is going to return as the Shrimpers prepare a replacement. The replacement is former Southampton striker Matt Paterson, whose moved as part of the deal that saw Lee Barnard head in the opposite direction.
22nd - Jean M'Voto is down injured for Southend at the moment, the big centre-back looks to have suffered a head injury, physio is on.
17th - A long ball forward is headed half-clear by Michael Nelson and Scott Vernon is the first to react with a half-volley, which is high, wide and not very handsome, Forster was unmoved.
16th - "Sounds like a good atmosphere." - jigs69 - A brilliant start to the match by City, high tempo and matched pound for pound by the crowd, which is bumper yet again!
15th - McNamee is hauled down by Frank Moussa near the left-hand touchline, 15 yards goal. The winger is over it. A brilliant left-footed delivery, Doherty and Nelson go in for it and both fail to make any meaningful contact. Nelson gets up appealing for a penalty. Referee Mick Russell not in the slightest bit interested.
14th - An accidental shot by left-back Michael Rose forces Mildenhall to tip over his own bar. He was looking for a cross but it arrowed towards goal instead.
11th - "Start listen the pre-match in Hong Kong time 3:15am, come on the Canaries and 3-1 to Norwich, Holt, Martin and Spillane come on as a sub scoring!" - David Lee from Hong Kong
9th - Only a brilliant block from Simon Francis prevents a goalbound Grant Holt header, from a McNamee cross the right. Definitely orthodox wingers and McNamee looks to have the beating of his full-back, Adam Barrett time and again.
7th - Long ball forward from Fraser Forster, eludes the Southend defence and Hoolahan chases centrally but the Irishman can't quite reach it and Steve Mildenhall comes out to collect.
3rd - The midfield look to have shaped up in a flat four, rather than the traditional diamond. Hoolahan on the left, McNamee on the right with Hughes and Lappin central.
1st - Anthony McNamee and Wes Hoolahan kick-off for City, attacking the Barclay Stand first half and Stephen Hughes almost puts City ahead on 44 seconds. Chris Martin floats over a cross, which McNamee retrieves and plays back for Hughes, who side-foots inches wide. What a start that would have been!
"Right - no messing - we need to batter these lot tonight. 4-0 to City!!" - hrsthenwc
There is a change to the scheduled referee with Mick Russell replacing Graham Horwood in the middle.
Darel Russell's red card against Southampton was upheld by the FA earlier today so the midfielder misses out through suspension, as he starts a three-match ban for serious foul play. Korey Smith drops to the bench and in come Stephen Hughes and Anthony McNamee for his first City start. Team news:
CITY: Forster, Nelson, R.Martin, Hughes (Smith 69), Holt (c), Doherty, Hoolahan, C.Martin, Lappin (Johnson 69), Rose, McNamee. Subs not used: Steer (GK), Gill, Spillane, Adeyemi, McVeigh.
Southend: Mildenhall, Francis, Malone, Christophe, Baldwin, Barrett (c), McCormack, Scannell, Moussa (Herd 80), Vernon, M'Voto (Paterson 25). Subs not used: Jack (GK), Sankofa, Freedman, Laurent, Spencer.
Referee: Mick Russell
To have your say on the match, simply head over to our 'Message Board' found under the 'Fans' tab and post your comments on the thread entitled, 'CITY v SOUTHEND - OFFICIAL THREAD'. To post on the message board you will need to be registered on canaries.co.uk, if you are not then complete this simple online registration form.
