The atmosphere was electric around Roots Hall as many fans including myself were boarding our coaches ready to set off for Wales the weather was great and there was a real sense that promotion would be achieved today and how right we were.

Southend had reached the final by drawing with Northampton Town in the first leg at Sixfields Stadium and then beating them 1-0 at home thanks to a Freddy Eastwood penalty.

Lincoln on the other hand had a far harder journey to Cardiff after having to battle for a 2-2 draw at Sincil Bank to Macclesfield Town the Imps then had to battle once again for a 1-1 draw at Moss Rose.

The actual coach trip to Cardiff was an eventful one to say the least with our coach driver becoming lost some 20 miles away from Cardiff and having to deal with no dvd entertainment at all on the coaches we had to make our own but thankfully i had brought my cd player with me so submerged myself into my Iron Maiden cd's for a few hours.

When we arrived at Cardiff and left our coaches behind the atmosphere was electric with a real sense of expectation in the air and this was no different when we headed inside our designated pub the Prince of Wales the atmosphere was even more electric then outside with a few thousand Southend fans enjoying a few songs including the usual one's about the Colchester scum up the road.

Around 1:20 and after a few pints of Carling we headed over the road to wait outside a bitterly cold turnstile with the Sky Sports camera's making there way around the cold weather was soon forgotten after a few stupid poses for the Sky camera's but unfortunatly these never made it onto the actual broadcast itself.

Around 1:30 the gates open and we all pilled in to make out way to the burger bars and a comfort stop after that most of the fans started to take there seats for the pre-match enetertainment which was provided by the real fans group singing there apptly named song real fans which accompanys the Coca Cola football league adverts which were televised on most channels during the 2004/2005 season.

And now it's time for what most of you are reading this article for yes it's my report on the match which would seal promotion for either Southend or Lincoln City.

The match itself was no classic by any stretch of the imagination with both teams going close on a few occasions and at the end of the 90 minutes both teams were still level and extra time was needed and i needed a heart monitor as well as a few other thousand Southend fans did around me.

Extra time started and both teams created chances but neither side could put the ball into the back of the net until Southend's star striker Freddy Eastwood latched onto a goal mouth scramble and put the ball into the back of the net putting Southend 1-0 up and sending one half of the Millenium Stadium completely crazy.

With the Southend fans celebrating Freddy Eastwood broke free with Duncan Jupp alongside him who put the ball into the back of the net from a crisp Eastwood pass and the dream had finally come true Southend United were promoted to the Coca Cola League 2.

With the realisation of what had just happened hitting the entire Southend contingent every single Southend fan in the ground enjoyed singing a rendition of Is This The Way To Amarillo by Tony Christie and the traditional Rocking All Over The World by Status Quo.

And so there you have it my memory of what will be a day i or any Southend fan wont forget ever.

Next Up: Southend v Swansea 04/05 and the debut of Freddy Eastwood.

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