Lethal Left Feet

Boston United 1-2 Southend United (National League)

I tried attending this very match in January 2025 (you can read my short blog about it here). It lasted all of seven minutes until the Referee on the night, abandoned proceedings due to thick fog. Prior to that, the last time I watched Southend United in action, Ricky Otto was in the side. It’s been a while.

I’ve read on Twitter via Boston’s stats guru Christian James (who you can follow here) that the Pilgrims and the Shrimpers have six wins a piece between them since first meeting in 1938. Last season they added two draws to their fourteen league duals including a 3-3 thriller at the Jakemans in January, I’m hoping today we’ll see some of that style entertainment.

Southend are third in the table, going well under Kieron Dyer in his first year in charge. Boston are just a couple of points above the drop zone where Lincolnshire rivals Scunthorpe lay beneath. The two will meet each other in the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup next weekend.

Southern League South side Berkhamsted awaits a glamorous trip to Roots Hall for their cup clash a week today, but first matters are drawn to bread and butter, Southend in their sixth season at National League level, some would say it’s perhaps the best chance they have of getting back up, into the football league where they had previously been for 101 years.

In contrast, Boston spent only five years in the 92 between 2002 & 07. They’ll be focussed on staying in the fifth tier this season after a stuttering start which has seen three wins, three draws and more worryingly six defeats for Paul Hurst’s boys so far. The most recent of which, a 6-0 thumping at Yeovil.

It’s been a cold wet start to the morning, so I layer up with the woolly hat and wet wear, no sooner do I get in the car though does the sun come out, shining on the flat fields besides the A52 to and from Grantham, it’s probably my favourite drive in football, eighty minutes of peace with the radio on, light traffic, single file at 60mph with nothing but blissful English countryside to see.

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The Venue

I’ve pulled up in my usual spot just off Wallace Way, I’ve got my rain jacket in the car but won’t be needing that, it’s fresh with a breeze but gorgeous blue skies as I walk for five minutes, crossing the A16 towards the Jakemans Stadium which is about 92% complete but for the internals of the offices and gym facilities being built behind the new South Stand which was recently finished for the start of this season.

Ticket in hand, I’m through the turnstiles and up the steps towards my usual seat in press. The Southend media team and Radio Essex in house, Radio Lincs behind me with Dale Storey and ex-Pilgrim Mark Clifford on commentary.

I have a chat with Mark before a scout I know appears with his two kids, he says hello, the players warming up as news breaks out Boston have made six changes from their six-goal defeat. One for every error at Yeovil perhaps?

The ground is pretty full today, apparently kids for a quid the South Stand packed with Southend who are in good spirits ahead of the game, and why not, as Manager Kieron Dyer comes out and greets them, tight grey chinos and white sneakers, fitted grey hoody, he gives it the ‘I’m not worthy’ gesture of gratitude towards the superb away following.

The Game

Boston need a response after their battering at Huish Park and it takes just 42 seconds as Ollie Bostock takes aim left footed from outside the box. He bends one into the top corner to get the fans already up off their feet nice and early. The West Brom loanee belting home a beauty for his first goal in Boston colours.

I’m intrigued to see how this effects Southend who are calm and collected in response, they keep possession but play with risks. Almost 2-4-4 when on the ball their centre halves left isolated, the two midfielders picking the ball up deep and their full backs pressing forward like wingers, behind a frontline of four flowing forwards who interchange neatly.

The Shrimpers in navy blue have a lot of the ball, but their frustration leads to a number of unsuccessful pass attempts as they look to go long, switching from left to right, the sphere swirling in the wind sometimes heading straight out of play from the boot of Oldaker or Hartigan, to the ironic cheers of the home support.

Southend are frustrated because Boston have been good, organised, typically after a heavy defeat, they have gone back to basics, 4-4-1-1 they have two banks of four and rely in playing on the break, especially as there’s space out wide vacated by Southend’s forward thinking full backs, issue is, like Southend, Boston’s passing isn’t always on point, too many mis-placed on the little occasions they have the ball, leads to Southend quickly gaining possession back as they take control.

One error unforced is by the usually reliable Jake Rooney, he’s misjudged a bouncing ball and Josh Popoola is allowed to race into the box, he pulls back across the face of goal and Promise Omochore is on hand to bundle home under pressure. Now the real test is how Boston come back from adversity.

The Score

At half time it’s level and there’s plenty around me happy with the performance from the home side who bar the goal hardly let any chances slip, although they hardly threaten much themselves, it’s been tightly contested by two teams very much up for it.

Southend have already made one change in the first half as goalscorer Omochere hobbles off to be replaced by exciting teen winger Zavier Massiah-Edwards who signed in the summer from Watford. Manager Kieran Dyer not overly happy with his team, takes off Harry Cardwell at the break, another new signing Lewys Twamley in his place, he’s a neat number ten type who I previously liked the look of at Merthyr Town last season.

It’s an even half that starts to get a bit tasty, a couple of yellows for Southend who create their best opportunity when Canavan slips under no pressure, Massiah-Edwards races down the right and pulls back for Twamley who takes a touch to sit down the goalkeeper before shooting towards goal, blocked brilliantly by Teale, but the Welshman should have scored.

At the other end Boston forage into the opposition box on occasion, not near enough, Bostock has been brilliant down the right but they have little other attacking outlet, Lenell John-Lewis is brought on to bolster the frontline but it’s the visitors who do most of the attacking late on. As the board goes up for five added minutes you start to think both coaches will settle for a point, then a player subbed on who’s not impressed, suddenly picks the ball up, previously young Sahid Kamara had given away too much for me, running into closed avenues and being quickly dispossessed, this time he’s picked the ball up off Kyle McAdam on the edge of the area, Kamara takes a touch, and lets fly, left footed, an absolute rocket to send the Southend fans wild.

It’s a brilliant goal, a late winner, the difference in the two teams is that Southend have a number of players who can create and score from nothing, they probably don’t deserve to win today, but they have done, you can’t help feeling sorry for the Boston lads who have gave it their all.

The Stars

Man for man Boston are very good and Paul Hurst certainly got an improved reaction from last weeks defeat, their keeper Chadwick when called upon did his job, he could do nothing about either goal, I thought defensively they were solid and well drilled, Jake Rooney is a good young centre half, Connor Teale is a good young centre half playing right back, Lewis Shipley at left back who I was told was a bit of an Achilles heel had a really solid game, up against not one but two tricky wingers (and a decent Southend full back too).

Whilst in the forward areas Boston didn’t offer much, the subtle touches of Tom Cursons would be helped with more bodies around him, whilst the key threat was their nineteen year old winger Bostock, happy to cut in or go on the outside, obviously buoyed by his brilliant goal.

For the Shrimpers though, I was largely impressed, if anything more by the attacking confident structure set up by their young Manager, who was patient, used his subs well, and eventually got the reward even when his team were not at its best.

The left to right ball spraying starts with their sweeper-style keeper Joe Duncan who’s on loan from Bristol City, Goodliffe and Cox expanding from centre half allowing the brilliant midfield duo of Anthony Hartigan and Darren Oldaker to get on the ball and spray from deep. I think this is where teams win titles, and in two midfielders who have won this division, I think Southend have hit gold with their stellar signings this summer.

Former Forest left back Kyle McAdam was solid on one side, attack-minded, right back Vontae Daley-Campbell also ever-pushing forward on the other, then the front four, swooping, often-changing, it didn’t work for Harry Cardwell, but it did for Sahid Kamara, Lewys Twamley improved things with deft neat touches in the second half, Josh Popoola and Promise Omochere provided plenty of pace in the first half, all nitted together by the Jude Bellingham like Leon Chambers-Parillon who’s a lovely footballer on the eye.

Special mention for Zavier Massiah-Edwards who looked a raw talent on loan at Braintree last season, he looks to have a really promising career ahead, a handful when the ball is at his feet, he loves running at full backs with his short demeanour and stocky sprints forward which are tricky to stop.

The Verdict

I gave a sad frown to Mark Clifford on leaving before patting Boston Secretary Craig Singleton on the shoulder with the old ‘hard luck’ words of encouragement. But both were upbeat about performance over result, and keep playing like that, amongst many lesser opponents to come this season, and Boston will be ok.

I really like Southend United and enjoyed the positive way in which they play, hats off to Kieron Dyer who I hope does well in management, it looks so far so good for his side who are a point off second in the table after this win.

Will they catch Boreham Wood? I doubt anyone will catch Luke Garrard’s table topping team this season, the best I have seen by a distance, but in the mix with the others for contention, I certainly feel the Shrimpers have as good a chance as the lot.

The Teams

Boston United: Louis Chadwick, Connor Teale, Jake Rooney, Niall Canavan, Lewis Shipley, Ollie Bostock, Levi Sutton, Nicholas Pozo (Gavan Holohan 78), Georgie Gent (Lennon Wheeldon 78), Connor McBride (Lenell John-Lewis 78), Tom Cursons.

Southend United: Joe Duncan, Vontae Daley-Campbell, Ben Goodliffe (Harry Taylor 70), Dan Cox, Kyle McAdam, Josh Popoola (Sahid Kamara 63), Anthony Hartigan, Darren Oldaker (Sam Austin 70), Leon Chambers-Parillon, Harry Cardwell (Lewys Twamley 46), Promise Omochore (Zavier Messiah-Edwards 37).

3:00pm Kick Off. Saturday 10th October 2026, Jakemans Stadium, Boston (att 2,195).