Southend hope 'slow burner' season leads to play-offs

Goalscorer Charley Kendall joined Southend from Woking

Southend United boss Kevin Maher hopes a "slow burner of a season" will be capped by a place in the National League play-offs.

The Shrimpers moved up to seventh in the National League with Saturday's 3-0 win over Wealdstone, played in front of a crowd of 9,677 at Roots Hall.

It is their first season since being taken over by Custodians Of Southend United (COSU), a consortium headed by Australian Justin Rees.

And Maher believes it took time to build a team capable of challenging for a top-seven finish.

"We recruited during the season - which we've done well - so we knew it was a slow burner of a season because of that," he told BBC Essex Sport.

"It was important we continued to do things right and not panic in terms of what we see on the pitch and what we know we need."

On Monday, Southend travel to Gateshead, the team immediately below them in the table, knowing that a draw or better will extend their season - and give them a chance of reclaiming the English Football League status they lost in 2021.

"We deserve the opportunity to take it to the last game. New ownership has come in and I don't know if we believed we'd be in this position this year because there's a lot going on behind the scenes, so much good work and it doesn't happen overnight," said Maher.

"You can see the momentum that can happen with football clubs when they get it right. I'm delighted to have a chance to go there and get in the play-offs but I'm not underestimating what we've got to do."

Ben Goodliffe, Charley Kendall and Macaulay Bonne scored the Southend goals against Wealdstone.

And Maher said it was tremendous for the team to have the chance to play in front of such a large and noisy crowd.

"With the number of years we've had that have been really difficult for the players, the fans, the staff, I'm really pleased for them to experience what it can be like here," he added.

Kendall was one of their mid-season recruits - from Woking - and his strike was his second goal in successive games.

He said: "I'd like to carry the form on for the next however many weeks we've got left of the season.

"I've been involved in play-off charges before but it just feels a little bit different this time, a bit more special, coming from where we were when I first joined.

"There were almost 10,000 people here which is the most I've played in front of in my career and I'm sure a lot of the (other) boys as well and we are grateful for all the support and going into the play-offs we need every single one of them."