Southend United goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan's stunning one-handed save prevented Oxford from taking a first minute lead during Saturday's Roots Hall clash.

The shot-stopper tipped visiting midfielder David Savage's thumping 20-yard drive away from his right post, leaving Shrimpers skipper Phil Whelan to block a follow up effort from U's striker Andy Scott.

After surviving their early scare, Blues took the initiative and forward Tes Bramble headed over the bar after meeting a chipped free-kick from midfielder Brian Barry-Murphy.

Goalmouth melee - Tes Bramble, Leon Cort and Barrington Belgrave get stuck in Pictures: STEVE O'CONNELL 7PH9S8C

With 19 minutes gone, left-winger Mark Rawle scuffed an 18-yard effort into former Shrimpers keeper Andy Woodman's midriff.

Another Barry-Murphy set-play evaded the Oxford defence on 25 minutes, with Whelan heading inches past the right post.

But Blues made the breakthrough four minutes later, when front-runner Barrington Belgrave was grounded inside the box by ex-Southend defender David Morley after latching on to right-back Stephen Broad's centre.

Bramble claimed the penalty and left Woodman rooted to the spot as he rolled the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the net -- his 13th goal of the season.

Balancing act - Barrington Belgrave shows off his skills in Southend United's 2-2 draw with Oxford on Saturday 7PH9S7C

With 43 minutes played, Bramble embarked on a surging run from inside his own half, ignoring Savage's best attempts to rip off his shirt, and forced Woodman to turn the ball past his right post from 20-yards.

And from the resulting corner -- the first of the game --midfielder Ian Selley played a one-two with Barry-Murphy and curled over a super cross, which gangly defender Leon Cort powered inside the left-post with his head.

But the Seasiders allowed Oxford to pull themselves back into a game which had looked well out of their reach three minutes into stoppage time.

Savage picked out Scott's unmarked run into the Southend box and the frontman's tight angled eight-yard drive took a deflection off Blues midfielder Stuart Thurgood and flew high into the net.

With 50 minutes played, Flahavan smothered a close range effort from Scott at his near post, but spilled the ball, leaving Cort to slide in and prevent Sam Stockley from finding an open net.

Bramble struck a long range drive over the bar on 65 minutes and Southend's substitute wideman Scott Forbes summed up a miserable afternoon by shooting woefully wide of the left-post from just eight yards. Whelan also headed over again after combining well with Selley.

But the hapless Forbes gifted Oxford an equaliser in the 71st minute when he handled inside the box under-pressure from Stockley, following a left-wing Whitehead free-kick.

Powell gratefully blasted the ball past Flahavan into the right hand side of the goal, but it was Blues who finished stronger.

Published Monday, March 4, 2002