Southend v Yeovil preview: can the Blues earn Dyer's trust?

Southend left Woking with a point and the nagging sense that two more had been allowed to slip away. Three days earlier, Kidderminster had survived the Blues’ best spell at Roots Hall and gone on to win 3-1.

Ten points from five matches looks respectable on paper. It also flatters Southend. On this week’s Talking Shrimpers podcast, I said the opening three wins had papered over cracks that showed all too clearly over the Bank Holiday weekend.

The finishing has not been reliable enough. Neither has a defence which still looks as though it is learning about the players within it. Yeovil arrive unbeaten and one point above Southend, ready to test both concerns.

The warning was there before the weekend

Southend have played some excellent football in short spells. The first-half movement against Kidderminster deserved more than one goal, while the width provided by Kyle McAdam and Ryan Colclough repeatedly opened the visitors up.

That does not make the opening run excellent as a whole. Against Scunthorpe, Southend created enough to win by more than the single goal but left themselves protecting a narrow lead. At Solihull, the podcast panel felt the 3-1 scoreline flattered the Blues after a poor start and a difficult second half.

The results kept the doubts in the background. Kidderminster and Woking brought them into the open.

Southend cannot win this league by October. They can certainly lose it. At the moment, the players are not performing well enough and the tactics are not delivering enough control or ruthlessness. Ten points should not be used to pretend otherwise.

Southend had the chances to put both matches away. Once the opposition raised the pressure, Dyer’s side became hurried on the ball and the defence was left dealing with problems created further up the pitch. Four goals were conceded across the weekend and only one point came back.

Dyer’s preference is for front-foot attacking football and he will demand a reaction. That does not mean charging forward without control. He will want the same attacking intent, but with a side capable of finishing the job and protecting itself when the ball is lost.

Twamley gives Dyer something to build on

Lewys Twamley was the bright spark at Woking. On his first Southend start, he cut inside from the right and made Will Jaaskelainen save from distance. Soon afterwards he robbed Anthony Georgiou near halfway, ran through and rounded the goalkeeper before Georgiou recovered to clear from the line.

The goal did not arrive, but the intent mattered. Twamley wanted the ball and attacked his defender. He gave Southend a route forward before the football became laboured.

That matters because Sahid Kamara is now an injury doubt. Kamara left the Woking game with an apparent hamstring problem after all five substitutions had been used. There has been no confirmed return date. If he misses out, Dyer loses one of the squad’s most direct wide runners.

Twamley has earned a stronger claim for another start. If Dyer gives him one, Yeovil’s full-back should not be allowed a comfortable afternoon.

What Promise Omochere can add

Wednesday brought another attacking option. Promise Omochere has joined on loan from Bristol Rovers for the 2026/27 campaign. Southend describe the 25-year-old as a central striker who can also play from either wing.

Omochere developed with St Joseph’s Boys before moving to UCD. His senior breakthrough came at Bohemians, where Opta records 10 goals in 48 league appearances.

Fleetwood Town brought him to English football in 2022. He scored 11 league goals in 62 games there, then moved to Bristol Rovers two years later. His league record for Rovers stands at six goals and three assists from 37 appearances.

The attraction is broader than his scoring record. Bristol Rovers have described a forward whose physical presence helps him hold up possession and involve teammates. He presses defenders and makes them compete for balls that might otherwise be cleared without resistance.

That could suit Oli Coker, whose late runs have already brought goals this season. If Omochere can occupy the centre-backs and make the first pass stick, Coker has somebody to run beyond rather than arriving beneath another clearance.

Ryan Colclough could benefit too. His best work against Kidderminster came when he received the ball in advanced wide areas and combined with McAdam. Omochere offers another target for those deliveries and a stronger chance of keeping the next phase alive.

This is what he can offer, not a promise that one signing fixes the recent finishing. It may not be on show this weekend either. The announcement did not confirm that Omochere would be registered or selected against Yeovil.

Yeovil’s men to watch

Luke McCormick is the obvious place to start. The Yeovil captain scored twice in the 3-0 win over Gateshead and converted the late equaliser at Barrow. He followed that with the opener against Tamworth, taking him to four goals during the Glovers’ winning run.

Brett McGavin supplies much of the ammunition. His free kick created Joe Gubbins’ late winner at Barrow. Against Tamworth, Yeovil’s statistical review credited McGavin with four key passes and two assists.

That delivery deserves particular attention from Southend. The Blues have had problems controlling second contacts in recent matches. Giving away cheap fouls within McGavin’s range would turn an existing concern into an invitation.

Mason Obeng offers a more direct threat. The 22-year-old joined from Walton & Hersham after a season in which Yeovil credited him with 22 goal contributions in 42 appearances. He has already scored twice for his new club, including a fine first-time finish at Scunthorpe.

At the other end, Jos Barker has protected Yeovil when opponents have broken through. He made seven saves during the comeback at Barrow and another five against Tamworth. Creating a chance may not be enough. Southend need the conviction to finish it.

Where Saturday could turn

Yeovil’s winning run offers a warning about what happens when the door stays open. Gateshead stayed within one goal until the 80th minute before McCormick struck twice. Barrow led until the 87th minute and still lost. Tamworth kept coming back at Yeovil but could not take a point.

Southend have spent two matches showing the other side of the same problem. When the second goal does not come, the opposition remains close enough to punish the next mistake.

Darren Oldaker and Anthony Hartigan are the two obvious midfield options for controlling what happens behind Southend’s attacks. Whether Dyer selects one or both, they must be close enough to compete for the loose ball. If Goodliffe and Oyebade continue together, they need that screen in front of them. Neither wants to be defending open grass when Yeovil counter.

There will be room to trouble Yeovil. Tamworth managed 17 attempts at Huish Park and forced Barker into important late work. Twamley’s willingness to run at a defender can stretch them on the right.

Colclough offers a different threat from the left. When he and McAdam combined against Kidderminster, Southend reached the area often enough to settle the match before half-time. The openings were there. The failure was in what followed.

The Talking Shrimpers predictions

Katie is backing Southend to win 2-1. Phil and Charlie both expect a 1-1 draw.

I was going for a 3-1 Yeovil win at first. That was the gut feeling after the weekend’s results. I have narrowed it back to a tighter contest, but I still think Yeovil win 2-1.

I hope I am wrong. Southend have enough skill to win this game, but the defence has looked disjointed and the lack of finishing in the last two matches has tempered my outlook. The mistakes still concern me against a Yeovil side which has kept finding a way to punish opponents.

Maybe the new man proves me wrong if he is fit and involved. I will happily wear that. For now, though, I have Yeovil finding the decisive goal.

Match details and tickets

Southend United face Yeovil Town at Roots Hall on Saturday 5 September, with kick-off at 12:30pm UK time.

Buy Southend v Yeovil tickets through the official portal.

After Woking, Dyer said: “I can’t trust some players at the minute.” The question hanging over Saturday is whether those players can start earning that trust back.