Southend United v Berkhamsted: a cup chance we need to take
One home tie from the first round proper. After the late joy at Boston, I want Southend to carry that belief into the cup and make this opportunity count.
I am still enjoying Kamara’s winner at Boston. Now I want us in that first-round draw.
A home tie against a side two levels below us is a draw I would have taken. We should be looking at Saturday as a chance to progress, and I would be disappointed if we did not. That expectation needs to come with a performance.
Take the Boston belief, leave the slow start
We had barely settled into the Boston game before Bostock put them ahead. Omochere’s equaliser and Kamara’s stoppage-time finish turned it round, leaving Southend third with 27 points from 13 league matches.
There is plenty to like about this attack. We have scored in every league game, and the players coming off the bench keep giving Dyer options. Kamara supplied the decisive moment last Saturday; Massiah-Edwards and Twamley had already helped create chances before it.
But I would happily swap some of that late drama for an afternoon when we take control earlier. One clean sheet in 13 league games explains why even a promising position rarely feels comfortable. The cup gives us a fresh task, but the need to defend properly has not gone away.
The Comrades have earned their visit
Berkhamsted play in the Southern League Premier Division South under Chris Devane. They have reached this stage by winning 3–2 at Bishop’s Stortford, beating Hendon 4–1 and then winning 2–0 at Redditch United.
Nine goals across three ties, with two wins away from home. That is enough to make me pay attention. They have not needed familiar surroundings to keep their cup run going.
Their latest league result adds to that confidence: a 3–0 win at Yate last Saturday, with all three goals after the break. Consecutive away wins and clean sheets are a good way to arrive at a bigger ground.
I do not want us spending the afternoon admiring the gap between the divisions. We have to make our passing, movement and work without the ball show why that gap exists.
Berkhamsted player to watch: Jeffrey Sekyere
There is one Berkhamsted player I would be keeping a particular eye on: Jeffrey Sekyere. The 22-year-old forward is on loan from Wealdstone, and he opened his league account for the Comrades in that 3–0 win at Yate last Saturday. He was named their man of the match, working from the left and getting into the right place to finish a cross.
Ricardo German and Billie Busari also scored in that win, so this is not a side depending on one man. Sekyere has given us a timely reminder that their forwards will take an opportunity if we offer it. We ought to have enough quality to progress, but that only counts if we play as though the tie matters from the first whistle.
Give our attacking players a platform
Omochere went off during the first half at Boston and Cardwell did not return for the second. Those departures leave questions around the forward options. I would wait for confirmed availability before building a team around either.
What I do want is support close to whoever leads the line. We have looked dangerous when the wide players get forward and the midfield runners arrive around the box. Leaving a striker isolated would make a home cup tie unnecessarily difficult.
Kamara has given Dyer something to think about after that winner. Twamley and Massiah-Edwards also contributed at Boston, while Oli Coker offers another option. If changes are made, I want them to carry the same ambition as the players they replace.
This is an opportunity for anyone selected to make the next team decision harder. It still needs a connected side, with the full-backs supported and enough discipline behind the attacks.
Make Roots Hall part of the occasion
I like having this one at home. The first round proper is close enough to give the afternoon an extra edge, and Berkhamsted will bring the excitement of a cup run of their own.
For us, the useful response is to get behind the team and keep asking them to play forward. A quiet opening would suit visitors trying to settle. I want Southend to make them defend from the start, then keep doing it if the first chance does not go in.
Our Ticket Centre has the match information. You can also revisit the Boston report for how we earned the win that takes us into this tie.
Southend United 3–1 Berkhamsted
I expect us to win this. We have home advantage, attacking quality and the chance to turn a good league start into some FA Cup progress.
Berkhamsted have done enough to deserve our attention, especially away from home. Give them encouragement and the afternoon gets harder. Start with purpose, keep players around the ball and take the chances we create, and we give ourselves a much better route through.
I cannot quite talk myself into predicting a clean sheet yet. I can see us scoring enough to be in the draw, though—and that is what I want to be talking about on Saturday evening. Up the Shrimpers.
