Official Match Thread Southend United v Woking

[The Big Dady]

The Official Match Thread brought to you by ShrimperZone.com

So here we are, our seventh home game in the Vanarama National League of the 2022/23 season. This is the Dream Team’s 24th home game in charge since Kevin Maher and his management team were appointed at the Mighty Shrimpers.

Our 6th home is against Woking



It is now time for ALL of us to get behind him and the team whether you are at Roots Hall, listening on the radio, listening on Blues TV, you can all still make that famous "Roots Hall Roar”.

Our 7th Southend United Vanarama National League Home Team of the 2022/23 season



The Roots Hall pitch looks fantastic and is ready for action at 19.45 pm Tuesday 4th October 2022 against Woking. It looks like we will have light cloud this evening with a moderate breeze at Roots Hall. The temperature will be around 16°C but feel like 17°C



Here is the weather forecast for this evening’s game at Roots Hall



Current League home record after 5 home games

Won 3
Dawn 1
Lost 2
Goals scored 5
Goals conceded 3

League Positions Last Season

13th (2021/22 Season) Vanarama National League Southend United
15th (2021/22 Season) Vanarama National League Woking

League Positions Current Season

7th (2022/23 Season) Vanarama National League Woking
11th (2022/23 Season) Vanarama National League Southend United

Recent League Position Change

Previous Meetings

Woking 2-3 Southend United (Vanarama National League 12/02/22 Att. 3,819)
Southend United 0-2 Woking (Vanarama National League 13/11/21 Att. 5,821)
Woking 0-2 Southend United (FA Cup 15/11/97 Att. 3,967)

Head to Head record

Southend United Wins: 2
Draws: 0
Woking Wins 1

Current Form

Southend United W L L D W W
Woking W D W L W W

Current Form Table (Last 6 Games)



Come On You Blues!​

 

[The Big Dady]

Managers Pre-match Views​

Woking

Woking manager Darren Sarll pre-match interview with their OS before travelling over to Roots Hall for this evening’s game

Woking manager Darren Sarll ​

Woking will be aiming for a third successive win and a fourth in the last five National League games on Tuesday evening when they travel to Southend United.

The Cards shook off their away day hoodoo to claim only a second win on the road this season on Saturday. FC Halifax Town were thrashed 4-0, thanks to a brace from Reece Grego-Cox, a fifth goal of the season for top scorer James Daly, plus an own goal, which came courtesy of more good work from Daly, giving Woking their biggest win of the season so far. The result kept the Cards in the play-off places, with an impressive 19 points from their first 11 games, whilst also recording a fifth clean sheet.

Manager Darren Sarll’s only concern will be injuries, with Jim Kellermann and Scott Cuthbert both forcibly withdrawn, although Jermaine Anderson and Joe McNerney proved more than capable understudies at the Shay. Their potential absence, combined with an ongoing bout of illness in the squad which sidelined Jack Roles and up to two others on Saturday, will be a worry with such a short turnaround time before the next game.

Link to story
Link

Keven Maher spoke to the Southend United BluesTV before this evening’s game with Woking

Southend United’s Manager Kevin Maher during his interview​

Link to story
Link

Keven Maher spoke to the Southend United OS before this evening’s game with Woking

Kevin Maher Southend United’s Manager​

Blues boss Kevin Maher was full of praise for September Player of the Month Shaun Hobson ahead of tonight’s meeting with Woking at Roots Hall.

Hobson has played every minute in the league this season and is a big part of why Maher’s men have the joint-best defensive record in the division.

Maher said: “He’s been brilliant. He’s understated, he goes about his work and he’s low maintenance, but he’s there on a Saturday all the time. That’s full credit to him and how he trains as a professional.

“Every day he works properly and demands of others as well, so he deserves the praise he’s getting. There’s a lot of youth in our backline, so a lot of improvement still to go.

“Shaun’s the senior one even though he’s only 24; he’s got good leadership qualities and he’s starting to show that more and more.”

Looking back on Saturday’s 1-0 win over Yeovil, which was a third consecutive clean sheet, Maher emphasised the importance of getting the result against a stubborn Glovers side even though his team perhaps didn’t play as well as they can.

“It was pleasing to put more points on the board and move up the table slightly,” said Maher. “I was pleased with how everyone went about their work. We would’ve liked to put it to bed earlier, but it’s never easy against ten men.

“The main thing was that we got the win. There’s a long way to go and a lot still to do. We’ve got one or two bodies that are still on their way back.

“We’re pleased that we’ve put points on the board in the last couple of games but we put that behind us now and look forward to another tough one against Woking.”

Jake Hyde scored the winning goal at the weekend to continue his resurgence after suffering an injury on the opening day.

On Hyde’s situation, Maher said: “Jake’s in a mini pre-season at the moment where the more games he plays the sharper he feels, and that sharpness in and around the box for a centre-forward is massively important.”

Having been drawn against the Cards in the FA Cup, Blues will be very familiar with tonight’s opponents in a couple of weeks’ time, and Maher knows that the seventh-placed outfit will be a tough nut to crack.

“They had a great win on Saturday and they’ve started well. They recruited ever so well in the summer and Darren [Sarll]’s teams will always be competitive as he knows the level ever so well. I’m not surprised they’re up there.”

He also highlighted the performance of Jack Bridge against Yeovil. “We thought we could get Bridgey high up the pitch in 1-v-1 situations.

“Them going down to ten men helped us with that, but it was an option that we could use. He’s certainly a threat going forward and his quality when he’s facing up against players is a big asset to us.”

Link to story
Link

Big Preview

Southend United v Woking

​

Overview

Blues look to build on back-to-back wins and consolidate their position in the top half of the table against Woking this evening.

Kevin Maher’s men have kept three consecutive clean sheets, drawing 0-0 with league leaders Wrexham before beating both Wealdstone and Yeovil 1-0.

It’s the first of two games in quick succession against the Cards, with the two sides also set to meet in the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup next week.

After being so miserly defensively in the last three games, Blues now have the joint-best defensive record in the league and have only conceded three times in their six home games so far.

The opposition

Darren Sarll’s Woking are inside the play-offs on goal difference after seeing off FC Halifax Town 4-0 at the weekend.

After losing three of the first five, the Cards have won four of their last six matches, including a 3-0 win over relegated Oldham Athletic.

Their only draw so far came on BT Sport, a 1-1 stalemate away to Wealdstone.

It’s a squad with plenty of EFL experience, most notably Padraig Amond and Scott Cuthbert, while James Daly is top scorer with five goals.

Previous meetings

With Woking having spent the entirety of their history in non-league, meetings between Blues and the Cards have been few and far between.

Last season, the Surrey club earned a 2-0 win at Roots Hall, before goals from Jason Demetriou, Callum Powell and Harry Cardwell were enough for a 3-2 Shrimpers victory on the road.

That game was live on BT Sport and was Southend’s seventh win in eight league games.

From the boss

“Woking had a great win on Saturday and they’ve started well,” said Maher.

“They recruited well in the summer and Darren [Sarll]’s teams will always be competitive as he knows the level ever so well. I’m not surprised they’re up there.

“We’re pleased that we’ve put points on the board in the last couple of games but we put that behind us now and look forward to another tough one against Woking.

“There’s a long way to go and a lot still to do.”

Blues team news

Nathan Ralph is touch and go with a foot injury, while Steve Arnold’s scan showed something on his hip that needs further inspection.

Harry Taylor joined in with the warm-up against Yeovil and is working towards a full return, while Rhys Murphy is continuing to train.

Gus Scott-Morriss returns from his one-game suspension.

Ref watch

The man in the middle is Jason Richardson, who has refereed two National League matches so far this season.

He has shown eight yellow cards in total, taking charge of Dorking’s 3-1 win over Notts County, and Eastleigh’s 1-1 draw with Dagenham.

This is his first season at this level. Last season, he took charge of 16 games in the sixth tier, including the National League South play-off final between Dorking and Ebbsfleet.

Richardson’s assistants will be Christopher Myatt and James Hurst, with the fourth official Joseph Dann-Pye.

Tickets

Tickets can be purchased online here, in person at the ticket office or by calling 0344 477 0077.

Tickets cost £20 for adults, £15 for concessions (60+), £10 for juniors (9-16) and £5 for a child (8 and under).

Elsewhere in the National League

The lead could change hands for the second time this week as new leaders Wrexham travel to Notts County. Notts will go top with a win.

Elsewhere, Solihull Moors play Wealdstone in 6th against 8th and the two relegated clubs go head-to-head as Oldham welcome Scunthorpe to Boundary Park. The Iron will leapfrog their opponents with three points.

Aldershot Town v Eastleigh
Barnet v Maidstone United
Boreham Wood v Bromley
Chesterfield v Dagenham & Redbridge
Dorking Wanderers v Yeovil Town
FC Halifax Town v York City
Gateshead v Altrincham
Notts County v Wrexham
Oldham Athletic v Scunthorpe United
Solihull Moors v Wealdstone
Torquay United v Maidenhead United

How to follow

Blues fans unable to attend Roots Hall 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, which will ensure you get all the latest news and more throughout the 2022/23 season.

Matchday programme

The matchday programme will be available to buy from programme sellers outside the stadium at the programme hut, main gate off Victoria Avenue and the West Stand entrance.

Nathan Ralph features in this edition, along with all the usual content on the opposition, Academy, Community and more!

Link to story
Link



BBC Essex Radio Link
BBC Essex Link

Come On You Blues!​

 

[The Big Dady]

Woking Team

 

[The Big Dady]

One change for the Shrimpers

Gus Scott-Morriss returns from a one match suspension to take the place of Jason Demetriou at right wing-back.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

No Demi on the bench. I know he struggles to play back-to-back game but little surprised he’s not on the bench. He’s one of our most versatile players.

Who’s our reserve keeper now?

 

[Cricko]

No Demi on the bench. I know he struggles to play back-to-back game but little surprised he’s not on the bench. He’s one of our most versatile players.

Who’s our reserve keeper now?

 

[Holy Joe]

No Demi on the bench. I know he struggles to play back-to-back game but little surprised he’s not on the bench. He’s one of our most versatile players.

Who’s our reserve keeper now?

Blondie isn't it?

 

[Harry Bullocks]

Managers Pre-match Views​

Woking

Woking manager Darren Sarll pre-match interview with their OS before travelling over to Roots Hall for this evening’s game
View attachment 22387

Woking manager Darren Sarll ​

Woking will be aiming for a third successive win and a fourth in the last five National League games on Tuesday evening when they travel to Southend United.

The Cards shook off their away day hoodoo to claim only a second win on the road this season on Saturday. FC Halifax Town were thrashed 4-0, thanks to a brace from Reece Grego-Cox, a fifth goal of the season for top scorer James Daly, plus an own goal, which came courtesy of more good work from Daly, giving Woking their biggest win of the season so far. The result kept the Cards in the play-off places, with an impressive 19 points from their first 11 games, whilst also recording a fifth clean sheet.

Manager Darren Sarll’s only concern will be injuries, with Jim Kellermann and Scott Cuthbert both forcibly withdrawn, although Jermaine Anderson and Joe McNerney proved more than capable understudies at the Shay. Their potential absence, combined with an ongoing bout of illness in the squad which sidelined Jack Roles and up to two others on Saturday, will be a worry with such a short turnaround time before the next game.

Link to story
Link

Keven Maher spoke to the Southend United BluesTV before this evening’s game with Woking

View attachment 22388

View attachment 22389
Southend United’s Manager Kevin Maher during his interview​

Link to story
Link

Keven Maher spoke to the Southend United OS before this evening’s game with Woking

View attachment 22390
Kevin Maher Southend United’s Manager​

Blues boss Kevin Maher was full of praise for September Player of the Month Shaun Hobson ahead of tonight’s meeting with Woking at Roots Hall.

Hobson has played every minute in the league this season and is a big part of why Maher’s men have the joint-best defensive record in the division.

Maher said: “He’s been brilliant. He’s understated, he goes about his work and he’s low maintenance, but he’s there on a Saturday all the time. That’s full credit to him and how he trains as a professional.

“Every day he works properly and demands of others as well, so he deserves the praise he’s getting. There’s a lot of youth in our backline, so a lot of improvement still to go.

“Shaun’s the senior one even though he’s only 24; he’s got good leadership qualities and he’s starting to show that more and more.”

Looking back on Saturday’s 1-0 win over Yeovil, which was a third consecutive clean sheet, Maher emphasised the importance of getting the result against a stubborn Glovers side even though his team perhaps didn’t play as well as they can.

“It was pleasing to put more points on the board and move up the table slightly,” said Maher. “I was pleased with how everyone went about their work. We would’ve liked to put it to bed earlier, but it’s never easy against ten men.

“The main thing was that we got the win. There’s a long way to go and a lot still to do. We’ve got one or two bodies that are still on their way back.

“We’re pleased that we’ve put points on the board in the last couple of games but we put that behind us now and look forward to another tough one against Woking.”

Jake Hyde scored the winning goal at the weekend to continue his resurgence after suffering an injury on the opening day.

On Hyde’s situation, Maher said: “Jake’s in a mini pre-season at the moment where the more games he plays the sharper he feels, and that sharpness in and around the box for a centre-forward is massively important.”

Having been drawn against the Cards in the FA Cup, Blues will be very familiar with tonight’s opponents in a couple of weeks’ time, and Maher knows that the seventh-placed outfit will be a tough nut to crack.

“They had a great win on Saturday and they’ve started well. They recruited ever so well in the summer and Darren [Sarll]’s teams will always be competitive as he knows the level ever so well. I’m not surprised they’re up there.”

He also highlighted the performance of Jack Bridge against Yeovil. “We thought we could get Bridgey high up the pitch in 1-v-1 situations.

“Them going down to ten men helped us with that, but it was an option that we could use. He’s certainly a threat going forward and his quality when he’s facing up against players is a big asset to us.”

Link to story
Link

Big Preview

Southend United v Woking

View attachment 22391​

Overview

Blues look to build on back-to-back wins and consolidate their position in the top half of the table against Woking this evening.

Kevin Maher’s men have kept three consecutive clean sheets, drawing 0-0 with league leaders Wrexham before beating both Wealdstone and Yeovil 1-0.

It’s the first of two games in quick succession against the Cards, with the two sides also set to meet in the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup next week.

After being so miserly defensively in the last three games, Blues now have the joint-best defensive record in the league and have only conceded three times in their six home games so far.

The opposition

Darren Sarll’s Woking are inside the play-offs on goal difference after seeing off FC Halifax Town 4-0 at the weekend.

After losing three of the first five, the Cards have won four of their last six matches, including a 3-0 win over relegated Oldham Athletic.

Their only draw so far came on BT Sport, a 1-1 stalemate away to Wealdstone.

It’s a squad with plenty of EFL experience, most notably Padraig Amond and Scott Cuthbert, while James Daly is top scorer with five goals.

Previous meetings

With Woking having spent the entirety of their history in non-league, meetings between Blues and the Cards have been few and far between.

Last season, the Surrey club earned a 2-0 win at Roots Hall, before goals from Jason Demetriou, Callum Powell and Harry Cardwell were enough for a 3-2 Shrimpers victory on the road.

That game was live on BT Sport and was Southend’s seventh win in eight league games.

From the boss

“Woking had a great win on Saturday and they’ve started well,” said Maher.

“They recruited well in the summer and Darren [Sarll]’s teams will always be competitive as he knows the level ever so well. I’m not surprised they’re up there.

“We’re pleased that we’ve put points on the board in the last couple of games but we put that behind us now and look forward to another tough one against Woking.

“There’s a long way to go and a lot still to do.”

Blues team news

Nathan Ralph is touch and go with a foot injury, while Steve Arnold’s scan showed something on his hip that needs further inspection.

Harry Taylor joined in with the warm-up against Yeovil and is working towards a full return, while Rhys Murphy is continuing to train.

Gus Scott-Morriss returns from his one-game suspension.

Ref watch

The man in the middle is Jason Richardson, who has refereed two National League matches so far this season.

He has shown eight yellow cards in total, taking charge of Dorking’s 3-1 win over Notts County, and Eastleigh’s 1-1 draw with Dagenham.

This is his first season at this level. Last season, he took charge of 16 games in the sixth tier, including the National League South play-off final between Dorking and Ebbsfleet.

Richardson’s assistants will be Christopher Myatt and James Hurst, with the fourth official Joseph Dann-Pye.

Tickets

Tickets can be purchased online here, in person at the ticket office or by calling 0344 477 0077.

Tickets cost £20 for adults, £15 for concessions (60+), £10 for juniors (9-16) and £5 for a child (8 and under).

Elsewhere in the National League

The lead could change hands for the second time this week as new leaders Wrexham travel to Notts County. Notts will go top with a win.

Elsewhere, Solihull Moors play Wealdstone in 6th against 8th and the two relegated clubs go head-to-head as Oldham welcome Scunthorpe to Boundary Park. The Iron will leapfrog their opponents with three points.

Aldershot Town v Eastleigh
Barnet v Maidstone United
Boreham Wood v Bromley
Chesterfield v Dagenham & Redbridge
Dorking Wanderers v Yeovil Town
FC Halifax Town v York City
Gateshead v Altrincham
Notts County v Wrexham
Oldham Athletic v Scunthorpe United
Solihull Moors v Wealdstone
Torquay United v Maidenhead United

How to follow

Blues fans unable to attend Roots Hall 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, which will ensure you get all the latest news and more throughout the 2022/23 season.

Matchday programme

The matchday programme will be available to buy from programme sellers outside the stadium at the programme hut, main gate off Victoria Avenue and the West Stand entrance.

Nathan Ralph features in this edition, along with all the usual content on the opposition, Academy, Community and more!

Link to story
Link

View attachment 22392

BBC Essex Radio Link
BBC Essex Link

Come On You Blues!​

Most excellent Big Dady (as usual)

 

[Holy Joe]

Didn't realise they were flying quite so high in the league - tough game on paper

 

[Harry Bullocks]

Is Big Kev's theory of no keeper on the bench, to maximise outfield player options

 

[flangejackrabbit]

Predicting a 9-5 win.

 

[Callum]

Come on you blues 3 points with maybe 4-0 victory

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

View attachment 22396

Blondie isn't it?

Not in the match day squad.

 

[meerkat54]

If we have any aspirations of play off’s? . We have too turn over teams like this, especially at home

 

[The Dirty One]

View attachment 22396

Denise???

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

If we have any aspirations of play off’s? . We have too turn over teams like this, especially at home

They are 7th.

 

[thenobster]

Why isn’t keeper on the bench?

 

[Bromley Blue]

Why isn’t keeper on the bench?

Could ask that question for the last 5 games surely? I do think it’s weird that we’ve loaned a keeper and he’s not in the squad though. That doesn’t make sense.

 

[Harry Bullocks]

In KM we trust

 

[Tony Allen]

This Padraig Armond playing for Woking - name seems familiar. Can someone enlighten me