Gateshead v Southend United: The Shrimpers Look to Extend Unbeaten Away Start

Southend United head back on the road on Saturday when Kieron Dyer’s side travel to Tyneside to face Gateshead at the Gateshead International Stadium.

It is another substantial away journey for The Shrimpers, but they make it with confidence continuing to grow after an excellent opening eight matches.

Tuesday night’s 3-1 victory over Tamworth lifted Southend to third in the National League with 17 points from a possible 24.

Five wins, two draws and only one defeat would have represented an excellent start in itself. The manner in which those results have arrived has been just as encouraging.

Southend have won comfortably, come from behind, rescued points when below their best and, against Tamworth, watched four half-time substitutions completely transform a match.

Gateshead enter Saturday in a very different position.

Lee Cattermole’s side have collected four points from their opening eight league fixtures and sit 23rd after six defeats.

Their latest setback came at Aggborough on Wednesday night, where Callum Dolan’s first-half goal gave Kidderminster Harriers a 1-0 victory.

Southend’s impressive opening eight

Southend’s only defeat came against Kidderminster at Roots Hall in August.

Since then, The Shrimpers have gone four matches unbeaten and collected eight points from 12.

The run began with a 1-1 draw at Woking before one of the most remarkable matches of the season so far saw Southend recover from 2-0 down to beat previously unbeaten Yeovil Town 3-2.

At Carlisle, Dyer’s team were second best for long periods and could have been well beaten, yet late goals from Leon Chambers-Parillon and Kyle McAdam almost produced an extraordinary victory before Georgie Kelly equalised in the 96th minute.

Then came Tamworth.

Four changes, three goals

Tuesday’s game provided another demonstration of the options available to Dyer.

Southend had been the better side during the opening half but could not find a breakthrough. Chambers-Parillon struck the post and Harry Cardwell converted the rebound, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.

Dyer responded with an unusually bold move at half-time.

Sam Austin, Lewys Twamley, Promise Omochere and Zavier Massiah-Edwards were all introduced at once.

The game changed almost immediately.

Chambers-Parillon eventually broke the deadlock before Omochere headed home McAdam’s cross. Nathan Tshikuna pulled one back for Tamworth, but Austin’s emphatic volley restored the two-goal advantage and sealed a 3-1 win.

It was not simply another victory. It demonstrated that Southend now have players on the bench capable of completely altering the shape and tempo of a match.

Gateshead’s difficult start

The opening weeks of the campaign have been far more challenging for Gateshead.

Their only victory came in the second league game of the season when Woking were beaten 2-0 at the International Stadium.

Since then, Gateshead have taken just one point from six league matches.

The biggest issue is immediately obvious.

Goals have been extremely difficult to find.

Gateshead have scored only five times in eight matches and have failed to score in four of them. They have now drawn a blank in three of their last four league fixtures.

At the opposite end, 14 goals have been conceded.

How they compare

Latest: Kidderminster 1-0 Gateshead

The latest Gateshead evidence comes from Wednesday night’s visit to Aggborough.

Cattermole set his side up in a 4-4-2 formation, but Gateshead were unable to find an equaliser after Dolan put Kidderminster ahead during the first half.

The defeat was Gateshead’s sixth in eight National League matches and followed their 4-0 loss at Forest Green.

For Southend, the value of that match is that it gives Dyer a very recent look at the shape and personnel Gateshead could use again on Saturday.

What Gateshead’s 4-4-2 means for Southend

The latest team sheet gives Southend a clearer idea of the challenge they are likely to face.

With two forwards and a conventional four-player midfield, Gateshead have the potential to apply pressure directly rather than allowing Southend to comfortably build from the back.

That could make the central midfield battle particularly important.

If Southend can play through Gateshead’s first line of pressure and establish possession between midfield and defence, Chambers-Parillon should find areas from which he can influence the match.

McAdam and Daley-Campbell could also become important in providing width if Gateshead’s midfield four becomes narrow.

The home side’s recent lack of goals does not mean Southend can simply commit players forward without caution. Two strikers provide an immediate counter-attacking outlet if The Shrimpers lose possession in dangerous areas.

Southend’s away record

One of the strongest features of Dyer’s early tenure has been Southend’s performances away from Roots Hall.

The Shrimpers remain unbeaten on the road.

That is eight points from 12, with nine Southend goals across four away matches.

The circumstances have varied considerably.

Southend were impressive winners at Altrincham and Solihull, had to settle for a point after Woking improved dramatically after half-time and somehow escaped Carlisle with a draw after being comprehensively outplayed for much of the match.

That ability to collect points even when the performance is imperfect can become extremely valuable over a 46-game National League season.

Chambers-Parillon’s remarkable run

Leon Chambers-Parillon is rapidly becoming one of the stories of Southend’s season.

His goal against Tamworth took him to five league goals and made it three consecutive matches in which he has found the net.

He helped spark the comeback against Yeovil, rescued Southend at Carlisle and then broke the deadlock against Tamworth.

What makes the return particularly valuable is that Chambers-Parillon is providing goals from behind the main striker.

If Gateshead’s midfield gives him space around the edge of the penalty area on Saturday, Southend have already seen how dangerous he can be.

Omochere pushing for a start

Promise Omochere has also made an immediate impression.

His Southend career began with the winning goal against Yeovil. He then created Chambers-Parillon’s equaliser at Carlisle before scoring with a diving header against Tamworth.

His introduction on Tuesday also changed the way Southend attacked.

Omochere provided a physical focal point, attacked crosses aggressively and occupied the Tamworth centre-backs in a way which created space for those around him.

After three successive influential appearances from the bench, Dyer must now decide whether the striker has earned his first start.

Competition for places

Omochere is not the only player putting pressure on the starting XI.

Austin came off the bench and scored against Tamworth. Twamley helped inject greater energy into the second half and Massiah-Edwards again looked dangerous with his direct running.

Ollie Coker, meanwhile, played only the closing stages on Tuesday and should be fresh for another demanding away fixture.

That competition gives Dyer options not only when selecting his starting side but when trying to change a match.

Tuesday demonstrated just how valuable that can be.

The Shrimpers-online predicted Southend XI

The major decision comes at the top end of the pitch.

Omochere’s impact over the last three matches makes a first start increasingly difficult to resist, while Austin and Twamley both strengthened their cases against Tamworth.

Coker could return after being given a lighter workload on Tuesday, while Dyer still has Cardwell, Popoola and Massiah-Edwards among his attacking alternatives.

The exact shape could change, but Southend now have enough depth to select a fresh side without losing the ability to alter the game from the bench.

The key battle

For Southend, this game may be as much about mentality as tactics.

The league table is emphatically in The Shrimpers’ favour.

Southend are third. Gateshead are 23rd.

Southend have 17 points. Gateshead have four.

Southend have scored 17 goals. Gateshead have scored five.

But those numbers do not put the ball in the net on Saturday afternoon.

Gateshead desperately need a result and will be playing at home. If Southend allow them an early goal or give the home side encouragement, the afternoon could become considerably more difficult than the table suggests.

The Shrimpers therefore need to impose themselves without becoming careless.

An early period of controlled possession could be particularly important after Gateshead’s midweek exertions at Kidderminster.

If Southend can make the home side chase the ball and then exploit the spaces which develop, their greater attacking form should begin to tell.

A chance for a clean sheet

For all the positives surrounding Southend’s start, there remains one obvious area for improvement.

The Shrimpers have conceded in six consecutive league matches since the 1-0 victory over Scunthorpe.

At times that has been relatively harmless. At others, particularly against Kidderminster, Yeovil and Carlisle, Southend have given opponents too many opportunities.

Gateshead’s scoring problems make Saturday an obvious opportunity to tighten things up.

A clean sheet on Tyneside would be particularly welcome before attention turns to the next stage of the campaign.

The Shrimpers-online prediction

Another long trip, another opportunity

Carlisle last weekend. Tamworth at Roots Hall on Tuesday. Gateshead on Saturday.

The schedule has been demanding, but Southend continue to accumulate points.

Eight matches have produced 17 of them and put The Shrimpers firmly among the early National League front-runners.

There is far too much football remaining for the table to carry great significance yet, but good starts become meaningful by continuing them.

Southend have already demonstrated resilience, attacking quality and an increasingly useful strength in depth.

Saturday gives them the chance to demonstrate another characteristic associated with successful teams: taking care of business when the form book says they should.