Southend United v Kidderminster Harriers: nine points banked, now earn the next three

Three wins, three different lessons

Altrincham gave us a poor start to recover from. We went a goal behind early and had to find a way back, with Leon Chambers-Parillon, Oli Coker and Harry Cardwell eventually providing the goals.

Scunthorpe at Roots Hall was the opposite sort of challenge. We made enough chances to put the game beyond doubt, but Josh Popoola’s 23rd-minute finish was the only one that counted. I spent far too much of that afternoon worrying about a late equaliser when we should have been home and dry.

Then Solihull showed that the defence still has plenty to sort out. I’m not expecting everything to click in August, especially with a new manager and a changed squad, but good opponents won’t keep letting us off the hook. We have to give Duncan a quieter evening.

That is the task for Friday. Not just win again, as welcome as that would be, but show that the team is learning from its mistakes. There are signs of real attacking quality here. Let’s give those players a platform instead of making every match an exercise in damage limitation.

Kidderminster are not coming here to admire the table

Paul Wotton’s Harriers have four points from their opening three league matches. Their campaign began badly with a 3–0 defeat at Hornchurch, but they answered it by beating Eastleigh 1–0 at Aggborough and then drawing 1–1 with Aldershot Town.

That Eastleigh victory tells us something about the opposition. Kidderminster kept working for their opening, pushed the visitors back and were rewarded when substitute Levi Amantchi finished a move involving Callum Stewart in the 78th minute. They have players who can make an impact even if the starting eleven isn’t finding a way through.

The Aldershot result was more frustrating for them. Lewis Walker put Harriers ahead, goalkeeper Jack Wint saved a penalty and Aldershot were reduced first to ten and then to nine men. Yet Kidderminster still conceded a late equaliser. They will be looking for a more convincing finish to a match on Friday.

I’d be very surprised if Wotton’s message this week had been simply to keep things tight and hope for a point. A side that has already responded to one disappointment will fancy making life awkward for an unbeaten opponent. Southend cannot afford to assume the home crowd and a good league position will do the job for us.

Opposition player to watch: Lewis Walker

If I’m picking one Kidderminster player to keep an eye on, it’s Lewis Walker. He arrived from Braintree Town in the summer, having scored ten National League goals in the previous campaign, and he has already opened his account for Harriers against Aldershot.

Walker is a centre-forward who can occupy defenders, bring others into play and make a nuisance of himself when the ball arrives in the box. It’s precisely the sort of opponent you don’t want to offer free space or cheap set pieces.

The service matters as much as the striker. Callum Dolan offers another attacking route, while Amantchi showed against Eastleigh that Wotton has something to turn to from the bench. Even if our defenders keep Walker quiet for an hour, that doesn’t mean the danger has gone.

Southend need to be first to the second ball, decisive around our own area and careful when trying to play out. We saw at Solihull how quickly a loose pass can become a chance for the opposition. I don’t want to watch us create our own problems for a fourth week running.

Selection decisions for Dyer

The encouraging thing about this squad is the range of attacking options. Cardwell has been a handful from the start, doing excellent work even when he isn’t the scorer. Coker has become central to the big moments, while Popoola has followed his Scunthorpe goal with another at Solihull.

Chambers-Parillon gives us something from wide areas, and Sahid Kamara and Ryan Colclough have each shown how a game can change when a direct runner gets the ball. Kendall’s late finish at Solihull will have done him no harm either. A manager wants competition for places, and those names are certainly giving Dyer things to think about.

My biggest wish is that we use the ball better when we’re ahead. A second goal is often worth more to the nerves than any amount of tidy passing in our own half. We created the opportunities against Scunthorpe but couldn’t finish them. At Solihull we scored three, yet spent long periods inviting pressure. The next step is putting the two halves of the performance together.

We don’t know exactly which eleven Dyer will select, and I wouldn’t pretend otherwise. But whoever starts needs to work for the shirt, keep the tempo high and make Roots Hall an uncomfortable place for the visitors.

The Friday-night atmosphere can help

There’s something about a proper evening match at Roots Hall. The day is done, the floodlights are on and people are ready to get behind their team. The first home win against Scunthorpe brought a crowd of more than 8,600. If we can start with intent, that backing becomes another advantage.

The danger is expecting the points to arrive because the atmosphere is good. Harriers have their own plan, their own supporters making the journey and plenty to prove. We’ve seen enough football over the years to know that the table in August offers no guarantees whatsoever.