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Pre-season friendly
Chelmsford City 0 Southend United 1

His 28th-minute strike proved to be the winner for the visitors, packed full of first team talent, who aim to complete the best possible preparation for an assault on the Coca-Cola League One title next season to mirror City's ambitions in the Blue Square South.

Furlong was the first to threaten either goal in the 16th minute as a quick turn of pace saw his shot career on target.

This was partially smothered by former Shrimpers' goalkeeper Danny Gay but it squirmed away from him and onto the foot of the post, needing to be cleared away by Andy Duncan.

Though United did break the deadlock two minutes before the half-hour mark from the spot. James Walker's speedy run down the left flank and into the box was ended prematurely by an Aidan Collins block which left Furlong with the task to casually find the bottom corner of the net with a bullet strike.

Both teams traded further efforts as the half wore on, Kevin James screaming an angled drive across the face of goal on 30 minutes while Southend's Nicky Bailey produced a similar effort from outside the box at the other end only to see the ball fly inches over.

Gay was the hero for City a minute before the break with a save which will have been pleasing on a personal level. He got down to make a block from good friend and ex-Braintree Town colleague Alex Revell around 12 yards out to restrict the Blues to a one-goal interval lead.

Stuart Ainsley curled a free-kick narrowly too high for City just after the break, who were even more unlucky not to level in the 54th minute when a corner was delivered into the goalmouth and Jason Hallett jumped to head agonisingly over the bar from a couple of yards out.

For the rest of the second period the majority of play was in the middle third of the pitch as the substitutions began to flow and break-up the game, although Southend's Franck Moussa was guilty of squandering a golden chance nine minutes from time when the ball was presented to him in space in the penalty box to no avail.

9:34am Tuesday 29th July 2008

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