Anfield here we come as Latics clinch replay

Athletic 1, Southend 0
THE ROUTE to Anfield proved far from as straightforward as the map suggests.

For any self-respecting Athletic fan, watching the team eke out this scratchy but hugely-significant win must have been as uncomfortable as flying long-haul in a straitjacket.

Thankfully, given a first half in which Southend went close to pooping the party which erupted at the final whistle, the visitors had a footballing loony of their own down on terra firma.

Bilel Mohsni is an imposing and talented player. But his red card sustained during the opening period, the result of two ill-advised tackles, left his frustrated manager Paul Sturrock pulling his hair out.

In a stroke, it also put Athletic on a firm footing. There was still work to do, of course, given that a reduction in opposition numbers has not always equated to success in recent times.

And it took some time. But as the home side gradually rose above a tense atmosphere at Boundary Park, a rare purple patch of play sprung into action.

The poor conditions, with an unsympathetic polar wind blowing a swirl around the ground, were forgotten when James Wesolowski carefully chested the ball into the range of Chris Taylor, who hit home an unstoppable first-time shot past Luke Daniels just before the hour mark in front of the Rochdale Road Stand.

Against a team reduced in spirit as well as number, the odd scramble apart there were few chances for Southend to level.

A one-goal lead is never enough to sit on without fear, though, despite scant evidence that the Shrimpers had it in their power to respond.

And the levels of trepidation are amplified massively when the prize is so big – not least financially, with cash-strapped Athletic faced with a potential £200,000 pot of gold.

So it was understandable that the final whistle was met with elation both in the stands and among the players on the pitch.

Here it is in print: Athletic are going to play Liverpool.

Ironically, it was Mohsni who almost put Athletic’s dream date in doubt early in the game when driving in a 30-yard shot which goalkeeper Alex Cisak hurriedly tipped over his own crossbar.

Athletic centre-back Zander Diamond then appeared to get a hand on the ball as the same player controlled Peter Gilbert’s corner at the far post. Referee Gary Sutton either didn’t see the incident, or chose to rule it inadvertent.

And as fired-up Southend continued to hurry up Dickov’s men with their pressing game, Michale Timlin struck a shot from outside the penalty area which had Cisak diving to his left to push around the post.

Mohsni picked up his first yellow card for a crude foul on Kieran Lee in an innocuous area of the field.

Athletic finally went close when Shefki Kuqi narrowly failed to catch up with Diamond’s flick-on from a deep Taylor free-kick and seconds later, Tom Adeyemi’s low side-footed effort from the edge of the box was blocked by one of a sea of Southend bodies.

Anthony Grant’s lunge on Kuqi brought him a booking and after Dean Furman had a shot easily saved to register the home side’s first attempt on target, Blair Sturrock forced Cisak into an excellent stop with a header from a flicked-on long throw. It was bound for the top corner, but for the Australian’s agile intervention at full stretch.

Luca Scapuzzi controlled on his chest and hit a clean effort too close to Daniels as Athletic tried to find their rhythm, before Mohsni got his marching orders for a late challenge on Furman in the centre of the pitch.

Athletic failed to capitalise and a scrappy, drab opening period ground to a close.

At the start of the second half, Scapuzzi switched to a central role behind Kuqi with Taylor moving wide on to the left wing.

Athletic immediately looked more potent, helped also by a willingness to try to beat the elements in keeping possession while attempting to pick a way through.

Kieran Lee had a goal disallowed for offside after Daniels had fumbled Scapuzzi’s low drive and after a couple more half-chances, Athletic broke the icy atmosphere through Taylor’s strike.

Scapuzzi released Kuqi with a slid pass down the left channel, the burly striker turned and poked in a cross and after Wesolowski had presented Taylor with the chance to shoot home from eight yards, Athletic finally had an advantage.

Kuqi hit the side-netting with another attempt and Diamond struck the outside of a post with a header from Taylor’s corner as the home side continued to dominate.

Southend made a treble substitution to try to find a way back into the contest.

The best they could do, though, was engineer a poor punch by Cisak from replacement Ryan Hall’s corner, alongside a goalmouth scramble to fend the ball away following a deep Hall free-kick four minutes before the end.

At the other end, Mark Phillips almost deflected Lee’s cross into his own net before the final whistle rendered Athletic's dream a reality.