ALTHOUGH lightning did not quite strike twice, some would say a minor miracle occurred at Roots Hall on Saturday.

Karl Broadhurst's goals are just like the buses; you don't see one for ages and then two come along one after another.

Broadhurst's first-half header put Cherries on course to record their second 1-0 triumph against the Shrimpers in the space of 15 days.

But Mark Rawle, missing when the two sides met in the league, hooked home an equaliser to set up a third instalment of this saga at Dean Court a week tomorrow, with Crewe eagerly awaiting the winners.

Broadhurst, the 40-1 outsider to claim the first goal, made a mockery of his long odds when he arrived at the far post to head home Garreth O'Connor's excellent free-kick after 41 minutes.

It capped an eventual first half for Broadhurst who was also harshly booked following a splendid tackle on Tes Bramble and then elbowed in the mouth by Graeme Jones.

Broadhurst said: "The delivery from Garreth O'Connor was superb. Gaz and Danny Thomas work very hard on our set-pieces and every time we get one, we look like we are going to score."

Broadhurst's goal brought to a close an opening period when scoring opportunities had been few and far between.

Jay Smith blazed high over the crossbar early on, O'Connor sent a long-range effort fizzing past the post, Rawle's weak shot also drifted wide and Steve Purches cleared a Jones header off the line.

A Cherries break, which saw five attackers take on just three defenders, ended when Smith poked Purches's cross from the right into the arms of his own goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan.

But after Danny Thomas had been felled by Bramble, Broadhurst made no mistake to give the visitors an interval lead.

Carl Fletcher set the tone for an opportunity-laden second half when his 48th minute snapshot was turned around the post by Flahavan for one of three corners forced by Cherries in as many minutes.

Neil Moss then pulled off a point-blank save from the much-maligned Jones before the ball rolled to Rawle who blasted his shot over the crossbar, an easier chance than the one he was to later equalise with.

Before and after Rawle had levelled, Jones took a tumble under challenges from both Carl Fletcher and Broadhurst, although his theatrical antics failed to impress referee Tony Bates.

Articulate as ever, Southend boss Rob Newman defended Jones's Greg Louganis impressions when he said: "I spoke to Jonesy in there (the dressing room) and he said "Gaffer, I'm in a situation in the middle of the goal. I'm not going to fall over there with just the goalkeeper to beat. I'm not going to fall over and at least not have a go"."

Broadhurst saw both penalty claims slightly differently and a lot more eloquently: "They were clutching at straws. They knew they were struggling and were looking to get anything they could."

Southend equalised in the 53rd minute when Rawle was on hand to fire home the loose ball from close range after Moss had either been fouled as he attempted to catch Kevin Maher's corner or failed to gather the ball.

Cherries boss Sean O'Driscoll said: "From where I was (in the dugout area), I think he could have caught it and whether or not he got a bump, you don't know.

"If you touch any goalkeeper they think it's a foul. If it had been the other way and we had scored, I think I would have been disappointed if the referee had given a foul. You can't have it one way and not the other.

"He (Moss) went up with both hands. He's a strong fella so maybe he should have caught it, but there you go."

From the moment the ball had been re-spotted in the centre circle, Cherries laid siege to the Southend goal, but found Flahavan in irrepressible form.

He saved...

bravely at the feet of James Hayter in the 60th minute after O'Connor had set him free.

a stinging shot from Thomas 10 minutes later after O'Connor and Purches had combined to create another chance.

acrobatically by pushing O'Connor's rasping 74th-minute drive around the post.

with his legs from Hayter 10 minutes from time, Cherries' best chance of the second half again orchestrated by the outstanding O'Connor - who almost certainly had his best game in a Cherries shirt - and also involving Wade Elliott.

However, Flahavan was not called into action when...

Leon Cort blocked a goalbound drive from Steve Fletcher, who was hailed by the Southend press as "the best targetman" they had seen for quite some time.

Elliott fired a right-foot shot inches wide following good work by Fletcher.

Carl Fletcher almost broke the scoreboard when he ballooned a left-foot volley high over the crossbar.

O'Connor was again denied two minutes from time by David McSweeney's flying block.

substitute Jason Tindall headed over the bar from Elliott's cross on the stroke of full-time.

After scrutinising the miss-list, which must have taken quite some time, O'Driscoll said: "James's chance when he was through with just the keeper to beat was the one he's got to look at.

"He's got to finish those, but he worked extremely hard and if he keeps getting in those positions then hopefully he'll score the next one."

Newman, who admitted his goalkeeper had been outstanding, summed up the proceedings perfectly when he said: "It was an entertaining game."