IT WAS a peaceful scene at Priestfield, where Gillingham were competing with Exeter at the bottom of the Third Division. Cherry belied his veteran status by showing exactly how not to close down an oncoming forward as Sturridge went straight past the stumbling keeper and pushed the ball into an empty net.Devon White's fine headed goal in the closing seconds was not the kind of consolation County needed.. It took the arrival of the fresh legs of the substitute Simon Sturridge 13 minutes from the end to do that.With his first touch, Sturridge went round a couple of weary defenders only to see Phil Turner clear the shot off the line. Two minutes later, however, Shaun Murphy did not have enough puff left to chase Sturridge as he bore down on the County goal. Paul Devlin was occasionally clever but rarely purposeful in midfield, while the old Liverpool hero Steve Nicol must have been wondering how he had come so down in the world.It was still football's equivalent of toe-to-toe slugging, with Kevin Scott squandering a couple of chances to land the killer punch for Stoke. Nigel Gleghorn, who scored Stoke's last home League goal on New Year's Eve, got his foot to Todd Orlygsson's corner and the ball flew past Steve Cherry into the net.Rarely in the second half did County show themselves capable of staging anything resembling a comeback. So they had some happy memories, and had Ronnie Sinclair not blocked Devon White's shot in the fifth minute, they might have been even happier But by the 13th minute gloom had descended.

The goals that eased Stoke's worries and compounded the bottom club Notts County's were also the first home League goals they scored this year. Nobody was bothered that neither of them will live long in anybody's memory. County's last visit, in the semifinals of the Anglo-Italian Cup which they won last week, had gone to a penalty shoot-out. This one lived down to its expectations although the Victoria Ground fans have suffered so much in 1995 that the manner in which their first home League win of 1995 was achieved was of no import. RELEGATION scuffles at the wrong end of the First Division can come too close for comfort to giving the lie to Pele's immortal definition "the beautiful game". For City's assistant manager, John Gorman, once of Swindon, a second relegation looms.. The Bristol crowd drifted away in resigned mood, knowing their team face the play-off contenders Derby County, Tranmere Rovers and Reading in their last seven games.

Bristol's own pre-deadline acquisition from Arsenal, Mark Flatts, produced one good run and cross, but looked unlikely to make the same impact Andy Cole made when travelling the same route.By the end even Whelan was hitting the underside of the stand roof with his shooting. Tony Battersby, Southend's on-loan signing from Sheffield United, created a couple of useful openings, but each time the pitch defeated his final efforts. Tinnion's drive was palmed away by the United keeper Simon Royce, but Rob Edwards volleyed over from less than six yards.As the pitch continued to break up, as if on the last day of a Test match, control became even more of a lottery. The nearest they came was when the City defender Matt Bryant beat his own goalkeeper Keith Welch with an over-hit back- pass which shaved the post.City's midfielders Brian Tinnion and Gary Owers worked manfully to get them back into the game, but Bent, as he does all too frequently, played like a man in a blindfold.The second half improved in terms of chances, if not execution. True, Southend, masterfully prompted by an ageless Ronnie Whelan, looked more composed and cultured in the first half, but could not turn their possession into a worthwhile chance. For even when they managed to get the ball in the net - Ian Baird turning home Junior Bent's overhead kick early in the second half - the strike was ruled offside.But then a win would not have been merited by either side.

Even the news of Swindon's defeat could not prevent a sour chorus of "Sack the Board" from a section of the fans.Jordan will no doubt point to injuries and suspensions - the banned leading scorer Wayne Allison was missing yesterday - and he will certainly feel that luck has deserted his team just when they need it most. Southend, at least, will take consolation from a draw that extends their unbeaten run to five games, and the point that lifted them further away from the relegation vortex. For Bristol City there was no such comfort. They began the day in 22nd position, the exact spot they "enjoyed" last November before they sacked Russell Osman and brought back Joe Jordan for a second term. But as the congestion cleared it became apparent that the cars were headed for Asda Superstore. Those who preferred shopping to spectating got the best result, as Bristol City and Southend United, aided by a dead, crumbling pitch, combined to produce a dire mixture of hit-and-hope passing and desperate clearances. THE TRAFFIC jams a mile from Ashton Gate suggested that Bristolians were gathering to lend support to City in their quest to avoid relegation.

Chris Malkin promptly pulled one back from the edge of the six-yard box with his 17th goal of the season but his first away from home, and he might have equalised in the closing moments had not Ben Thatcher, Millwall's outstanding left-back, moved swiftly to dispossess him.Tranmere, though, had left themselves too much to do and having failed at the last for two seasons running now look as if they could well make it a hat-trick - especially with matches against Bolton, Wolves and Middlesbrough still to come.. But when Jason Van Blerk struck a 73rd-minute corner to the near post, Dixon's striking instincts needed no honing, his header catching the Tranmere defence completely off-guard.Tranmere hardly had time to stage a recovery before Andy Roberts, in the 78th minute, appeared to wrap it up by shooting past an unsighted Eric Nixon from Dave Savage's cross. From an even better opening that followed almost immediately Malkin shot too close to Kasey Keller in the Millwall goal and when the ball ran free, Irons was unlucky to see his effort strike the junction of post and bar.Dixon, meanwhile, was seeing quite a lot of the ball, regularly outjumping his markers if not doing a great deal of damage with his flicks and nudges. But when, midway through the second half, the game began to drift, it was Millwall who realised it first and swung into action.The tentativeness in front of goal that was to cost Tranmere dear was demonstrated after only four minutes when Jon Kenworthy, brought in on the right wing to replace the injured John Morrissey, was well placed to shoot but took an unnecessary first touch.After that, not much was created at either end until the 38th minute, when Malkin broke free at the near post but headed Kenworthy's cross wide.