The win over Hutton left me wanting to see Southend United Ladies against stronger opposition before judging how much had changed. Keeping a clean sheet at AFC Sudbury Reserves, who had scored 17 goals in their previous three home league games, is a convincing response to that question. Sophie Stack’s 34th-minute goal secured a 1-0 win on Sunday.
Sudbury had beaten Hutton 5-0, Colchester United 5-0 and AFC Welwyn 7-1 in those games. Southend went there and stopped that run. After the 2-0 Hutton win, they have taken six points from two matches without conceding while Daniel Mann and Lee Skelton oversee the side.
Stack follows up
Maizie Kelly won the penalty which brought Southend’s winner. Sudbury goalkeeper Owen Hoskin saved Stack’s initial effort, but Stack followed up to score from the rebound.
Robert Craven’s club report describes opportunities at both ends: Tilly Jones struck the bar before Southend scored, while Sudbury’s Phoebe Robbins hit the post in the second half. That second-half effort is a reminder of how little separated the sides.
The account also gives some substance to the defensive improvement. Craven credits the work in front of the defence, the closing of passing routes and the recovery runs behind them. The back three Katie Burbridge described as a half-time change against Histon was now the interim pair’s starting point. Jodie Murphy came into that defence, with Georgia Hyland and Jones as wing-backs. Hannah Stone’s introduction at half-time accompanied a change of formation, although the report does not specify the new shape. Burbridge returned after missing the Hutton match, replacing Amber Denton in the 64th minute. Captain Lauren Johnson was named opposition player of the match in the league record, an encouraging acknowledgement from the other side of the contest.
Twelve points, with perspective
The result leaves Southend third in Division One South with 12 points from seven games, one behind Hertford Town and Leyton Orient. Four league wins is a decent return, although the table needs reading carefully. Chelmsford City have nine points from four games; Enfield Town have seven from three. Southend’s position is welcome, but several clubs have substantial games in hand.
Monday’s Talking Shrimpers panel welcomed the back-to-back victories and discussed whether Mann could become the next manager. That remains a supporter discussion. The club appointed Mann and Skelton to oversee forthcoming fixtures after Nick Sheldrick stepped down, and applications for the permanent role close on Friday 16 October.
Hashtag Development await
The next trip is to Barleylands Farm (Site 2) on Sunday 18 October, with a 1.30pm kick-off in the first round of the BBC Essex Women’s Cup. The opponents are Hashtag United Women Development, a distinction that matters when assessing the game. This is a separate side from Hashtag’s women’s first team and their Reserves.
Development are second in Essex County Women’s Football League Division Two. They have won four of five league games, scoring 20 and conceding ten. Their opening 4-0 defeat at Emerson & Upminster was followed by wins over Chigwell, Beacon Hill Rovers, Broomfield and Hedinghams United. Their latest league result was a 6-4 home victory on 4 October.
That is productive league form, with all three home league matches won. The recorded scorers include Holly James and Ocean-Raine Ross on five goals apiece, with Charlotte Hooper and Henri McCarthy on four each. Southend should have enough recent evidence of their own to approach the tie positively, while giving those numbers due respect.
The winner is currently drawn at home to Chelmsford City Women Development or Rayleigh Ladies First in the second round on 15 November. Having kept Sudbury out, Southend have set themselves a standard worth taking into the cup.
Match details
Score: AFC Sudbury Reserves 0-1 Southend United Ladies. Half-time: 0-1.
Competition: Eastern Region Women’s Football League, Division One South. Date: Sunday 11 October 2026, 2pm. Venue: Brundon Lane, Sudbury (King’s Marsh Stadium in the club report; Elite Travel Stadium in the FA record).
Goal: Sophie Stack (34), rebound after her penalty was saved by Owen Hoskin.
Southend XI: Molly Lee, Georgia Hyland, Sophie Stack, Hannah Warner, Abbey Dell, Maizie Kelly, Amber Denton, Lauren Johnson (captain), Jodie Murphy, Isobel Boyd, Tilly Jones.
Substitutes: Hannah Stone, Katie Burbridge, Zoe Tryfonos, Morgan Fletcher.
Substitutions: Stone for Dell (46); Tryfonos for Kelly, Burbridge for Denton and Fletcher for Boyd (all 64); Dell returned for Jones (80).
Booked: Jodie Murphy (44). Opposition player of the match: Lauren Johnson.
Officials: Victoria Anderson, Ashley Moore, Vasile Boaru. Attendance: not published.
League and fixture records checked on 15 October 2026.