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Official Match Thread Altrincham v Southend United

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The Big Dady

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The Official Match Thread brought to you by ShrimperZone.com

So here we all are, our ninth away game in the Vanarama National League of the 2021/22 season. This is the Dream Team’s 3rd away game since they were appointed at the Mighty Shrimpers.

Our 9th away match is against Altrincham.


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Altrincham.pngVS.pngSUFC.jpg

It is now time for ALL of us to get behind Kevin, Darren, Mark and the team whether you are at the J. Davidson Stadium (Moss Lane), listening on the radio, or listening on Blues TV.

The Dream Team’s Southend United Vanarama National League Away Team against Altrincham.


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The J. Davidson Stadium (Moss Lane) is ready for action at 15.00 hrs Saturday 27th November 2021. It looks like we will have sunny intervals with a fresh to strong breeze for this afternoon’s game, it will feel really cold.

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The weather forecast for this afternoon at the J. Davidson Stadium (Moss Lane).
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Current National League away record after 8 away games

Won 1
Drawn 1
Lost 6
Goals scored 2
Goals conceded 11

League Positions Last Season

23rd (2020/21) EFL League Two Southend United (Relegated)
17th (2020/21) Vanarama National League Altrincham

League Positions Current Season

11th (2021/22) Vanarama National League Altrincham
21st (2021/22) Vanarama National League Southend United

Recent League Positions Change

Altrincham v SUFC Positions.jpg
Previous Meetings

We have never played Altrincham before

Head to Head record

Southend United Wins: 0
Draws: 0
Altrincham Wins: 0

Current Form

Altrincham
L L D W D
Southend United L L W L L

Come On You Yellows!
 
Managers Pre-match Views

Altrincham

Ed Painter (
Social Media Manager) previews Alty's showdown with the Shrimpers


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Altrincham Manager Phil Parkinson

Altrincham will be aiming to extend their unbeaten run in the league to four games on Saturday as they welcome struggling Southend United to The J. Davidson Stadium.

After a difficult run of form, Phil Parkinson’s side have been impressive in recent weeks, holding promotion-chasing Boreham Wood to a 1-1 draw before thumping 10-man Weymouth 4-1 at the Bob Lucas Stadium.

Most recently, against Chesterfield on Tuesday evening, the Robins knew it was going to be a tough ask to get anything out of a game against a side with title aspirations.

However, this Altrincham side do not know when they are beaten, and, despite being two goals down with six minutes left to play, goals from Matty Kosylo and A-Jay Leitch-Smith earned them a share of the spoils.

The hosts opened the scoring in the 10th minute through Liam Mandeville, with the ball falling to the 24-year-old in the area before his deflected strike looped over Tony Thompson.

The Spireites doubled their advantage just before half-time through Kabongo Tshimanga, as he finished off a Jamie Grimes header following a corner.

Alty set the game up for a grandstand finish in the 84th minute when Kosylo drilled a low shot in off the left post from 20 yards.

And deep into stoppage time, Leitch-Smith found space to fire an effort at goal, with a slight deflection taking the ball beyond the reach of Scott Loach and into the net.

Following that result, the Robins remain 11th in the Vanarama National League table, five points behind Solihull Moors in the final play-off place, having played one less game than the Moors.

Last Meeting

Saturday’s match promises to create history as it will be the first time Altrincham and Southend United have faced one another.

The Opponents

After back-to-back relegations, which saw the club drop out of the Football League after a 101-year stay, Southend United were expected to be up there competing for a play-off place at the very least. However, after a nightmare start to the season, they soon found themselves right in the thick of a relegation battle.

Founded in 1906 and based at Roots Hall, with a brand-new stadium currently in the works, Saturday’s visitors were once members of the Championship, competing alongside the likes of Stoke City, Leeds United and Ipswich Town. However, years of struggle on and off the pitch finally cost them their place in the Football League, finishing 23rd out of 24 at the end of the 2020/21 League Two season.

There have been a few glimpses of what they can do this season, beating the likes of Eastleigh, Dover Athletic and King’s Lynn Town while securing impressive draws against Wrexham and Wealdstone. However, having scored only 11 goals so far this season, it is easy to see why they are languishing near the bottom of the league.

The Shrimpers have played 15 games, winning three, drawing two and losing 10, scoring 11 (the lowest total in the National League) and conceding 24 for a goal difference of -13.

Despite their struggles, they do have a side packed full of players who know how to play at this level. Experienced striker Rhys Murphy (formerly of Yeovil Town) currently leads the line, and with Sam Dalby (formerly of Woking) alongside him, they have two attackers who have shown they can find the back of the net.

They also have the likes of Jack Bridge, Simeon Akinola, Abu Ogogo, Josh Coulson, Nathan Ferguson and Steve Arnold to call upon. However, time will tell as to whether their experience can help the club improve upon their current position.

Last Match

In their last game, against Grimsby Town, the other side to be relegated from the Football League last season, Ryan Taylor's early goal proved enough for the Mariners to secure a narrow 1-0 win at Blundell Park.

Taylor's precise third-minute finish from Erico Sousa's lay-off gave the hosts the perfect start, as Southend struggled to settle into the game.

Paul Hurst's side could have added to Taylor's early strike with the impressive Sousa having a shot blocked before Harry Clifton also came close.

The visitors had chances of their own to get something from this game, with Sheffield United loanee Zak Brunt missing a glorious chance when he fired over the bar with the goal at his mercy.

But it wasn’t to be for the Shrimpers, who suffered their third straight loss in all competitions.

The Manager

The Shrimpers are led by club legend and former team captain Kevin Maher, who took charge at Roots Hall a month ago on October 20. The English-born coach, who represented the Republic of Ireland as a youth international, replaced former manager Phil Brown.

Having made almost 400 appearances for the Shrimpers during the decade he spent as a player at Roots Hall, the former midfielder has been set the daunting task of turning the ship around at a club desperate to avoid the unwanted record of three successive relegations.

Maher got his first taste of coaching with National League South side Chelmsford City, having been appointed head coach in June, 2014. Just over a year later, he departed the Clarets to take a coaching role with Southend United’s Under-21 side, eventually becoming the U-21 manager before returning to Chelmsford as a caretaker following the sacking of Rod Stringer.

After four seasons with Southend's U-23s, the 45-year-old joined Bristol Rovers in July, 2019 as a first team coach, working under multiple first team managers, including Graham Coughlan, Joe Dunne, Ben Garner and Joey Barton. It was in his time at the Memorial Ground that the current Blues boss developed a reputation as a talented young coach, impressing many in what was a topsy-turvy period for the Pirates.

However, when Phil Brown left Southend after a dismal start to the current National League season, Maher made the decision to return to his former club, and, alongside his coaching team of Darren Currie, Mark Bentley and John Still, he will hope that he can play a part in bringing the glory days back to Roots Hall.

As a player, Maher began his career as a trainee with Tottenham Hotspur, but, without making a single first team appearance, he was released. He subsequently joined up with Southend United in 1998, and 10 successful seasons with the Shrimpers were to follow, including winning promotion to the Championship as well as captaining the Blues to a famous win against Manchester United in the League Cup.

In 2008, he left Roots Hall to join Oldham Athletic, before signing with Gillingham after only one season at Boundary Park. Relatively short spells with Dagenham & Redbridge, Bray Wanderers, Whitehawk and Chelmsford City were to follow before he called an end to his playing career.

A win for Altrincham this weekend could lift them to ninth in the table, above Dagenham & Redbridge and Stockport County. However, a win for Southend could see them climb as high as 19th, above Aldershot Town and Maidenhead United.

Link to interview

Link

Southend United

Kevin Maher speaks to Blues TV ahead of this sfternoon’s game against Altrincham


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Kevin Maher during his interview on Blues TV

Link to interview
Link

Kevin Maher speaks on Youtube ahead of this sfternoon’s game against Altrincham



The Big Preview

Altrincham v Southend United

Big Preview.jpg

Overview

Southend United slipped into the relegation zone during the week but could again work their way above the dotted line if victorious away at Altrincham on Saturday.

Kevin Maher’s side were due to face Maidenhead United on Tuesday evening, but a COVID-19 case in the Magpies’ squad meant Blues had to watch on as Aldershot Town leapfrogged them in the standings with victory against Torquay United.

And now Southend will be doing all they can to escape the bottom three, but Altrincham will prove stern opposition after enjoying an impressive start to the 21/22 campaign.

Phil Parkinson’s side will be buoyed by their fantastic midweek comeback against table-topping Chesterfield, as they scored twice in the space of 12 minutes, including a 96th minute equaliser to hold the Spireites to a 2-2 draw.

Saturday’s meeting will be a first for both sides, having never met in their history.

The Opposition:

The Robins, who were founded in 1891, are regulars within the National League and National League North.

And one of their most noteworthy talking points during their stay in the top two divisions of the non-league scene was their astonishing survival in the then named Conference National between 2005-2008.

In three consecutive seasons the club finished in the relegation zone but were reprieved each time due to Canvey Island pulling out of the league, as well as Scarborough and Boston United’s demotions during the three campaigns.

The Greater Manchester side were competing in the Premier Division of the Northern Premier League as recently as just four seasons ago, but, after achieving two promotions in three years, the Robins are back in the fifth tier and are battling well in the division.

Current manager Parkinson oversaw the club’s recent success, a constant in Altrincham’s meteoric rise.

Form:

Both sides have struggled to win games of late, however, Saturday’s hosts are no strangers to taking a share of the spoils.

Both sides have won just one of their last six matches in all competitions, but while Blues have lost all five of their other outings, the Robins have been defeated in just two.

Altrincham have picked up just five points from their last five matches; Maher’s side have picked up three points in that time, courtesy of their 4-1 victory over Dover Athletic.

Perhaps the largest factor separating the sides is their stark contrast in goals scored.

Parkinson’s men are amongst the highest scorers in the division with 30 goals in 16 matches so far this season, Blues have managed just 11 and have failed to score in five of their last six league outings.

From The Boss:

"The reaction of the players after the game at Grimsby, they were disappointed," said Maher.

"Despite losing, to come away from a side that are up there and be disappointed not to get something from it, hopefully shows we’re moving in the right direction.

"There’s something building, I believe there is and we’re not going to step off that in terms of the standards we demand in training.

"As with every opponent, we’ve looked at their strengths and weaknesses and we’ll have watched them, so it’ll be a good game, I think.

"We shouldn’t be afraid of anyone, but we’ll respect our opponents, but hopefully we can put a performance on, and this time come away with some points.

"Form is what it is, but you have to turn up on Saturday at three o’clock."

Blues’ Team News:

Maher hoped to have Nathan Ralph training on Thursday after recovering from a rolled ankle, he could appear for Blues this weekend.

But Abu Ogogo is still a likely absentee for Southend, the midfielder suffering with a dead leg.

Maher will monitor midfielder James Dunne after he sustained a head injury against Grimsby on Friday night.

Josh Coulson, Tom Clifford, Simeon Akinola and Jack Bridge remain out.

Ref Watch:

Adam Herczeg will be the man in the middle on Saturday.

He has refereed seven National League matches so far this season issuing 28 yellow cards in the process.

Herczeg has yet to officiate a Blues match this season, however, he has taken charge of two ties involving Altrincham already.

Danny Guest and Steven Lawson will be assisting, Mark Ryder is fourth official.

Elsewhere in the National League:

Eastleigh v Solihull Moors

Grimsby Town v Boreham Wood

King’s Lynn Town v Aldershot Town

Torquay United v FC Halifax

Wealdstone v Stockport County

Woking v Barnet

Wrexham v Bromley

Yeovil Town v Dover Athletic

Notts County v Dagenham and Redbridge

Ticket Information

Following confirmation from Altrincham, Southend United (who have sold 250 tickets) can regrettably confirm that no further ticket sales are available for both sets of supporters.

More information here.

How to Follow:

Blues fans unable to attend Moss Lane will still be able to follow all the live action by subscribing to Blues TV where you’ll get live match commentary from the BBC Essex team from all first-team matches this season.

Blues TV costs £4.49 per month or a one-off cost of £45 for the season, with your subscription not only giving you match commentary, but also exclusive access to extended match highlights, full pre-match press conferences, interviews, features and more.

You can also follow live minute-by-minute updates on social media via the Club’s official Twitter account by following @SUFCRootsHall on Twitter, which will ensure you get all the latest news and more throughout the 2021/22 season.

Full text can be found here:-

Link


Listen Live to the BBC Essex Commentary here
BBC Essex

And finally just to wet your appetite for today's game, here is the Menu from the Altrincham FC "Snack Bar" that our travelling 250 Shrimpers can look forward to selecting from and eating.


Altrincham Snack Bar Menu.jpg

Altrincham Snack Bar Menu 2.jpg


Come On You Yellows!
 
Happy with that line up, I have a good feeling about today after seeing that.
 
Fit-again left-back Nathan Ralph returns to the team in place of John White while Sam Dalby has come back into side as James Dunne misses out.

Jason Demetriou will skipper the side.
 
Pretty sure we were close to or interested in signing Ryan Colclough at one point.
 
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