SOUTHEND United's hopes of progressing to the area final of the National League Under 19 Alliance Academy Cup were quashed by a dominant performance from Aldershot Town in a 4-0 victory at Goals Soccer Centre.

Blues were prospectively 180 minutes from the national final of the competition, to be held at St George's Park in May, when the match kicked off.

But, within two minutes they trailed to Finn Evans' composed finish, and Evans set up Danny-James Carter before adding a third just before half-time.

Marc Nouble contributed the fourth in second half stoppage time and Blues coach Danny Heath admitted the visitors were worthy winners.

"Aldershot to deserve to be in the next round," said Heath.

"For us as staff, first and foremost it's about the performance, but for the boys it was a cup game and you only get one opportunity to get into the next round.

"There's no chance to collect points over the course of a league campaign in this competition."

"It was disappointing, and it looked like Aldershot were enjoying playing against us.

"It's not nice losing games of football at any level, even at development level, but if you do lose you have to go down fighting and making it as hard for the opposition as possible.

"In truth, from 3-0 at half-time it was always going to be tough to turn it around.

"We've got to learn from this and start demonstrating our principles when times do get tough."

The game was switched from Boots & Laces to the 3G facility at Chase High School earlier in the day due to a waterlogged surface at the club's training ground.

But Aldershot took the change in their stride and established a lead almost instantly when Evans was located down the right-hand side of the penalty area and he slotted beyond Luke Cerullo and inside the left-hand upright.

Mikey Faulkner was close to restoring parity on five minutes when he connected with Hatcliff's whipped cross, only for the ball to drift wide of the right-hand post, but Blues appeared to struggle to find space on a narrow pitch and, as the opening period progressed, Aldershot moved into the ascendancy.

Evans crossed just over the head of Carter in the 18th minute before Maddox McMillan's effort beat Cerullo and required the covering Jake Huet to clear off the goal-line.

Three minutes later Harry Thorpe struck the woodwork with a thunderous shot against the left-hand post before Cerullo gathered Carter's follow-up.

Cerullo made a fingertip save to deny Evans at the mid-point of the first half, but the visitors finally doubled their lead in the 37th minute as the forward slid the ball in behind the Blues back-line and Carter side-footed past the exposed Cerullo from twelve yards out.

Aldershot did look at their most vulnerable shortly after scoring and Hatcliff's stinging shot was spilled by goalkeeper Jasper Sheik, who recovered the loose ball before Stone could pounce, whilst a mirror image of the set-piece goal a week ago, with Beau MacDonald this time taking the corner and Ronnie Blake stepping over the delivery, culminated in Faulkner's shot being turned away.

But, having failed to gain a foothold in the match, Southend's task was made much harder three minutes before half-time when Evans converted his second goal by ghosting into the penalty area unmarked and turning into the roof of the net from close range.

The result of the match was probably decided within a couple of minutes of the restart.

Blake's corner was met by Zak Hammond at the far post, and the referee adjudged Aldershot defender Horatio Fowler to have blocked the aerial effort with his elbow on the goal-line.

Fowler was dismissed for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, but Stone blasted the spot-kick over and Blues remained three goals adrift.

Blake's cross was nodded wide by Huet shortly afterwards, but Aldershot could have sealed their victory on 55 minutes when Evans centred for McMillan and he couldn't sort his feet out to tap home at the back post.

Blues were struggling to lift themselves, and substitute Nouble set up McMillan, who again failed to add a fourth goal when well-placed to do so on 74 minutes. MacDonald did see another effort blocked late on but, deep into injury time, Nouble rose to nod a free-kick delivered by Joe-Lewis Evans past Cerullo to complete a 4-0 win.

Southend United U19s: Cerullo, Jones, Huet, Shehu, Hammond (Bradbury 53 (McGonigle 66)), MacDonald, Pulham (Poxon 60), Blake, Stone (Okafor 60),  Faulkner (Jackson 74), Hatcliff.