Calver hits four as Shrimpers qualify for next stage (From Echo)

Calver hits four as Shrimpers qualify for next stage

9:25am Tuesday 7th October 2008 in

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CRAIG Calver’s four-goal salvo ensured that Southend United’s Under-18 side qualified for the knockout stages of the Puma Youth Alliance Cup with a match to spare after a stunning 5-3 victory at Queens Park Rangers.

Calver hit two in each half while Fredrik Ljungström netted his first competitive goal for the club as both teams attacked with purpose and skill.

It was former Ipswich Town scholar Calver who provided Southend’s striking edge, opening the scoring after a mere four minutes.

There appeared to be little danger when Calver collected the ball on the left-hand side of midfield but he drifted in from the touchline before sending a dipping effort over the bewildered goalkeeper and into the top right-hand corner.

The lead lasted just 75 seconds as Rangers equalised when Merrick James-Lewis was adjudged to have fouled the R’s left-sided midfielder just outside the Blues box.

The same player lifted his effort over the defensive wall and Nathan McDonald, who appeared to misjudge the flight of the ball, and into the roof of the net.

But with Southend controlling the midfield, it was no surprise that they regained the lead on 28 minutes.

Calver again cut in from the left, this time exchanging passes with Stuart O’Keefe on the edge of the box, with the return pass releasing him free of the defence.

The forward could have squared to Justin Hazell, but chose to shoot himself and unleashed a neat finish into the right hand corner of the goal.

With 33 minutes gone, there was a third goal for Blues when O’Keefe’s burst of pace gained him the freedom to blast against the inside of the post, with Ljungström perfectly-placed to tap the rebound into the net.

Jack Morris soon netted an unfortunate own goal to make it 3-2 but after the break Calver completed his hat-trick with a simple finish.

Once again the two-goal cushion lasted a little more than five minutes with Rangers’ imperious front man German rising unchallenged at the far post to power a header high into the net from a right-wing corner.

But Calver soon made sure of Southend’s win with his seventh goal of the season as he stabbed the ball into the back of the net to complete a memorable afternoon.

Southend: McDonald; Byrne, Jones, Osifuwa, Morris; Abbey; James-Lewis (Milner 84), O’Keefe; Hazell (Dennis 87); Ljungström (Crawford 66), Calver.