Southend win ugly at Solihull and go top

If you only saw the score, you would think Southend had enjoyed a comfortable afternoon at Solihull. Those of us following the game know it was nothing of the sort.

The 3-1 win made it three victories from three, put the Blues top of the National League on goal difference and sent another excellent away following home happy. I am delighted with all of that, but we were fortunate and there is no point dressing the performance up as anything more convincing.

Southend gave the ball away far too cheaply and, at times, the defence looked all over the place. Solihull had enough chances to take something from the game, only to waste them or find Joe Duncan in the way. A side with better finishing could have made it a very different afternoon.

There was quality among the mistakes. When Southend stopped forcing the play and moved the ball quickly, they produced the best attacking moments of the match. That contrast between the untidy defending and the clean movement around the goals tells the story better than the scoreline does.

Duncan keeps Southend in it

The match could have taken a different direction almost immediately. Haji Mnoga Oyebade fouled Joe Sbarra and Solihull had an early penalty. Jake Wakeling took it, Duncan saved it and Wakeling then missed the rebound.

It was a huge escape, but Southend did not settle. Solihull continued to find space and went ahead in the 14th minute when Matty Carson’s pass deflected off Darren Oldaker and ran into Wakeling’s path.

By then Duncan had already prevented one goal, while the players in front of him looked anything but secure. Passes were being forced and possession surrendered in areas where Solihull could come straight back at us. The home side did not have to produce anything elaborate to create uncertainty because too many of the problems were self-inflicted.

Duncan deserves credit for ensuring those errors did not become decisive. He would later make one particularly alarming mistake of his own, but over the whole afternoon his saves were central to the result.

Southend make eleven good minutes count

The equaliser arrived in the 28th minute. Harry Cardwell’s low shot was not held by Max Metcalfe and Oli Coker followed in to finish the loose ball. It was not a sweeping move, but Cardwell made the goalkeeper work and Coker reacted before anybody in a Solihull shirt.

Eleven minutes later came the best football Southend produced all afternoon. Leon Chambers-Parillon delivered from the left, Coker stretched to turn the ball back across goal and Josh Popoola finished from close range.

That move had everything the rest of the performance often lacked. The ball travelled quickly, each touch had a purpose and Solihull were given no time to reset. It was simple, sharp football, and a reminder of what this side can look like when the passing is clean.

Southend had turned 1-0 down into a 2-1 half-time lead without ever taking control of the whole game. The response deserves real credit because away matches can easily run away from you after an early penalty and an opening goal. Southend stayed in the contest and then punished Solihull during the spell when their attacking play clicked.

That was the difference between the teams. Solihull had more opportunities; Southend made the decisive ones count.

A second half Southend got away with

After the break, Solihull had more of the ball and created the clearer chances. Jack High hit the crossbar after Duncan punched a corner away, and there was little sense that Southend had found the calm needed to see out the lead.

The most alarming moment came when Duncan misplaced a pass and Callum McFarlane tried to beat him from close to halfway. Duncan recovered quickly enough to scramble back and tip the effort away, rescuing a situation he had created himself.

It summed up the afternoon. Southend made life difficult, Solihull failed to take advantage and Duncan repaired much of the damage.

He also denied Magnus Wodskou with his legs and pushed a low Wakeling effort wide as the home side kept pressing. Taken together with the missed penalty and the ball against the crossbar, those chances are why I cannot call this a convincing victory. Southend were not just dealing with the ordinary tension of defending a one-goal lead away from home. They kept handing Solihull fresh encouragement.

The ball was lost too often, decisions in defensive areas were rushed and the distances across the back line did not look right. Solihull’s poor finishing allowed Southend to survive it; the points should not hide how often the defence was exposed.

The club’s post-match summary said Kieron Dyer was unhappy with the performance despite the win, which seems a fair assessment. He can appreciate the resilience and the goals while still being frustrated by how little control Southend showed after getting themselves ahead.

Kendall makes it look comfortable

Charley Kendall’s goal came in the second minute of stoppage time, with Metcalfe forward for a final Solihull corner. Southend broke into the space and Kendall rolled the ball into the empty net.

It was another good piece of quick, purposeful attacking play. Kendall had only been on the pitch since the 74th minute, but he stayed alert, joined the counter and took the chance. With goal difference putting Southend top at the end of the day, the third goal had value beyond making the score look better.

It did, though, flatter the performance. Until that final counter, one accurate Solihull finish would have changed the result. A 3-1 scoreline usually suggests the winning side had breathing room. Southend did not have much until the ball left Kendall’s foot.

Nine points, with no need to pretend

It is possible to be critical of the performance and delighted with the start. Southend have nine points from nine and sit top of the league. Nobody needs to apologise for enjoying that, particularly after an away win backed by such impressive travelling support.

Three games do not prove a promotion challenge, and an August table should come with the usual warning about tiny samples. What these matches have shown is that the rebuilt side can find different ways to collect points.

At Altrincham, Southend recovered from falling behind and won 3-1. Against Scunthorpe, they controlled much of the game and protected a 1-0 lead. At Solihull, they played poorly for long periods, made their few spells of quality count and survived the pressure that followed.

That ability to win without playing well is useful, provided nobody mistakes the outcome for evidence that the performance was good enough. The loose passing and disorganised defending need work, even after a win. On the other hand, the movement for Popoola’s goal and the speed of Kendall’s counter showed the attacking quality available when the ball is used properly.

I will take the points, enjoy seeing Southend at the top and remember an away end that once again gave the team superb backing. I will also remember the penalty, the crossbar and the saves Duncan had to make. Three wins from three is an excellent start; the honest reading of Solihull is that Southend kept it going on an afternoon when the performance could easily have cost them.