MATCH REPORTS

The third decade of Sir Alex Ferguson's reign at Old Trafford started in most unmemorable circumstances last night when Manchester United were dumped out of the Carling Cup's fourth round.

This defeat of the Premiership leaders will resonate among the club's soothsayers along with those dished out by Bournemouth and York, even though the Bournemouth defeat in 1984 was not on Ferguson's watch.

The star of this Southend team was a goalkeeper who was told he was too short when he was at Southampton and then released by Southend a few years ago before returning to the club. Darryl Flahavan made two astonishing saves from Cristiano Ronaldo to deny United at the end of the first half and then again in the second.

But the man in whom the bigger clubs will be taking more interest after this result was the forward Freddy Eastwood, who scored the only goal with a sumptuous free-kick in the 27th minute.

It was Southend's first goal against a Premiership club. There was always the chance of a hangover the day after Ferguson celebrated 20 years in charge at Old Trafford with former managers and players not renowned for being teetotal.

The Times:

Sir Alex Ferguson has seen some rum places in his time and Roots Hall all singing and all dancing is as rum as it gets.

The Manchester United manager offered some predictable thoughts on the Carling Cup holders' humiliation by Southend United but one can safely assume, to the background of frenzied celebration of his side's 1-0 defeat by the bottom club in the Coca-Cola Championship, that he was letting his internationals know exactly where they stood.

They had billed this as the Match of the Centenary in Southend and what a way to celebrate such an historic moment. All the talk was of “our bread and butter is the league” but the truth is that Southend did not give an inch to the Barclays Premiership leaders and thoroughly merited a first quarter-final place.

A brilliant strike from Freddy Eastwood, Southend's much sought-after striker, in the 26th minute was the tie's decisive moment and Darryl Flahavan, the goalkeeper, made a handful of wonderful saves, most often from Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portugal international.

That said, Manchester United did not offer the kind of sustained threat that a side of their pedigree promised.

It had been thought that Ferguson would leave the likes of Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney in reserve, just in case Southend began to play above themselves. Instead, with Rooney in a permanent state of frustrated indifference and Ronaldo thwarted time and again, he had only novices in reserve to try to spruce things up.

Telegraph:

To quote the most memorable phrase Sir Alex Ferguson has uttered in his two decades at Old Trafford, blurted out in the aftermath of Manchester United's snatching of the European Cup: "Football, bloody hell."

Here was the reason the United manager was uncomfortable about all the hosannas that surrounded his anniversary, understanding only too well the fickle nature of football.

According to Gary Neville, Ferguson loses his temper completely around three times a season but, having expressed his dissatisfaction with United's performance in the third round of the Carling Cup at Crewe, he was rather more philosophical in the bleak corridors of Roots Hall last night.

Ferguson has always been a man who knows how to lose but he has very rarely suffered against the minnows. He has never lost to lower-division opposition in the FA Cup and, in the League Cup, only the 3-0 defeat by York at Old Trafford in 1995 could stand comparison with this reverse.

The surprise would have been all the greater because Southend have never been much good at the business of slaying the moderately tall, let alone giants.

In 40 previous attempts they had only twice beaten top-flight opposition and in one of those instances, a narrow victory over Tottenham in 1989, they ended up losers over two legs on the away-goals rule.

For the Southend manager, Steve Tilson, who was working as a bricklayer when Ferguson first entered the manager's office at Old Trafford, this was a scarcely believable occasion.

When the Carling Cup holders announced a teamsheet headed by Rooney and Ronaldo, somebody enquired about Southend's record defeat — 9-1 at Brighton, in fact. In the home dressing room, Tilson was none too confident himself.

Independent:

This was the biggest night in Southend since the pier burnt down more than 30 years ago, and it was another venerable institution that suffered. Sir Alex Ferguson's third decade began as did the previous two, with defeat at a humble ground.

In 1986 it was Oxford United's Manor Ground; in 1996 Southampton's Dell. Last night a full house at Roots Hall, which is destined to follow those arenas into oblivion, enjoyed its most famous occasion as the Carling Cup holders were dethroned.

From the off Southend played as if determined to prove they were not overawed, to themselves as much as anyone else. Slowly Manchester United's greater class began to tell, the reds moving the ball sweetly across the midfield, but with Southend working hard to deny space chances proved elusive.

Then Jones fouled Jamal Campbell-Ryce 25 yards out. Eastwood stepped up to leave Tomasz Kuszczak flapping at cold air and send Roots Hall into ecstasy.

Manchester United's response was swift, Alan Smith laying a Gabriel Heinze cross back to Jones who struck the far post. But as Southend settled and concentrated anew only Ronaldo penetrated the dark blue wall, bringing the first of many saves from Flahavan after 38 minutes.

Their individual contest continued in the second period as Manchester United laid siege to the Southend goal. Tellingly each effort was from distance.

Flahavan also took a boot in the shoulder from Rooney as the forward lunged after the ball. Rooney joined Jones and Steve Hammall in the referee Uriah Rennie's book. The officious Rennie then booked Flahavan, for having his studs changed by Southend's kit man on the pitch

With Eastwood and Efe Sodje missing chances to make the tie safe in the closing stages, Kieran Richardson could have levelled the score in injury time. He failed and, seconds later, Roots Hall exploded with joy. Then came the bizarre sight of the team bottom of the Championship, with one point in 24, doing a lap of honour. But they had deserved it.

Southend United (4-4-2): Flahavan; Hunt (Francis, 13), Sodje, Prior, Hammell; Campbell-Rice, Clarke, Maher, Gower; Eastwood, Hooper (Lawson, 68). Substitutes not used: Wilson, Cole, Moussa.

Manchester United (4-4-2): Kuszczak; O'Shea (Lee, 75), Brown, Silvestre, Heinze; Ronaldo, Jones (Shawcross, 89), Fletcher, Richardson; Smith (Evra, 60), Rooney. Substitutes not used: Heaton (gk), Rose.

Referee: U Rennie (South Yorkshire)