Southend United 1–3 Kidderminster Harriers: a lead we let get away
Leon Chambers-Parillon’s early goal gave Southend the start they wanted, but Kidderminster’s second-half recovery ended the perfect opening to the season.
At half-time, the frustration was that Southend had only scored once. By full-time, we had a rather bigger complaint.
Chambers-Parillon put The Shrimpers ahead after ten minutes, but an Oldaker own goal and finishes from Lewis Walker and Callum Stewart turned a promising Friday night into the first defeat of Dyer’s league campaign.
A start worth building on
Ryan Colclough threatened early, chasing a through ball that Jack Wint reached first. Soon afterwards, the winger helped create the opener. Kyle McAdam and Colclough combined down the left, the cross arrived and Chambers-Parillon slid it home.
It was the sort of opening we wanted after three straight wins: an early goal and attacking players involved in the game. Cardwell nearly added another when he got on the end of a Kamara effort, but could not adjust quickly enough to finish.
Kidderminster were not without a threat. Cameron Hargreaves met a volley that Duncan held, but Southend continued to create openings. Colclough and Kamara tested Wint, while defenders blocked further attempts from Colclough and Cardwell.
The chances were there. The second goal was not, and the visitors reached the interval still within one moment of getting back into the match.
The visitors find their way back
Oldaker sent an excellent cross-field pass to Colclough after the restart. The winger beat his defender with his first touch but could not beat Wint. It was another opportunity to increase the lead before the evening changed.
Paul Wotton introduced Max Brogan at the interval, then Ben Crompton and Stewart early in the second half. On the hour, Crompton’s effort from outside the box took a decisive deflection off Oldaker and found the net.
There was misfortune in the equaliser, but Southend could no longer rely on the advantage earned in the opening ten minutes. Duncan then had to make a close-range save after a defensive mix-up as Kidderminster began to cause more problems.
Walker changes the question
Southend introduced Lewys Twamley and Josh Popoola as they tried to regain their attacking momentum. Both had efforts dealt with by the visiting defence, before Walker put Kidderminster ahead in the 73rd minute.
Now the task was to rescue a point from a game Southend had led for most of the evening. The visitors had survived the opening half and found enough in the second to turn it around.
The Shrimpers kept searching, but the equaliser did not arrive. Stewart supplied the final blow in the second minute of added time, confirming a 3–1 away win and bringing Southend’s three-match winning start to an abrupt end.
The own goal does not explain the whole defeat
This defeat will sting because Southend gave themselves such a good platform. Chambers-Parillon’s opener and the chances that followed offered the opportunity to make Kidderminster chase a much bigger deficit.
We cannot pin the whole result on an unfortunate own goal. That brought the visitors level; Southend still had time to respond. Instead, Kidderminster found the next two goals. They deserve credit for changing a match that had initially been going against them.
The contrast with Scunthorpe is clear. On that occasion, one goal was enough because Southend restricted the opposition after the break. This time, the lead disappeared and the side never recovered it.
One defeat does not wipe out the opening three wins. It does give Dyer a different challenge: restore confidence without brushing aside the way this game changed. Woking away on Bank Holiday Monday is the first chance to answer it.
There was good football here, particularly before the interval. The next step is making it count for more than a half-time lead. Up the Shrimpers.
Match Details
Southend United 1-3 Kidderminster Harriers
Half-time: Southend United 1-0 Kidderminster Harriers
Southend United goal:
Leon Chambers-Parillon 10′
Kidderminster Harriers goals:
Darren Oldaker OG 60′
Lewis Walker 73′
Callum Stewart 90+2′
Attendance: 9,155
Southend United: Duncan, Kamara (Twamley 61′), Taylor, Oyebade, McAdam, Oldaker (Hartigan 84′), Austin, Coker, Chambers-Parillon (Kendall 68′), Cardwell, Colclough (Popoola 61′).
Subs: Daley-Campbell, Hartigan, Goodliffe, Twamley, Sims, Popoola, Kendall.
Kidderminster Harriers: Wint, Hall (Crompton 52′), MacDonald, Faakye, Evans, Devine, Hargreaves (Brogan 46′), Davis, Dolan, Walker, Amantchi (Stewart 52′).
Subs: Harries, Brogan, Crompton, Bishop, Moore, Willis, Stewart.
Yellow cards: Twamley 66 (Southend); Faakye 25, Crompton 65 (Kidderminster).
