MATCH PREVIEW | WEALDSTONE VS SOUTHEND UNITED
- Wealdstone FC
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
Tuesday night will see Wealdstone host Southend United, who currently sit third in the league, at Grosvenor Vale.
The Basics
Date: Tuesday, September 2
Venue: Grosvenor Vale, Ruislip, HA4 6JQ
Competition: The Enterprise National League
Kick Off Time: 7:45 pm
Broadcast Information: The game will be available to watch live via DAZN
News From The Vale
Sam Cox spoke candidly following the Stones’ three-one defeat at the hands of Rochdale.
The 34-year-old said that the goals conceded, which came at either end of each half, were “frustrating”, though he believes that the players are “really giving it a go” and trying to fight for three points. The full post-match interview is available here.
Whilst the weekend may not have ended in success for the Wealdstone men’s team, it certainly proved fruitful for the women’s side.
Just one week before their opening game of the season, Saj Vigneswaran’s team picked up a resounding seven-nil win against Guildford Saints, their first victory since their official formation!
Our man in form - Alfie Massey: One of the biggest positives of the Stones’ three-game winless run is the emergence of on-loan midfielder Alfie Massey.
The 19-year-old, who is set to be at the Vale until January, has started each of the last four games for Sam Cox’s side. He impressed at the base of the midfield against Carlisle United, showing good composure on the ball and good tenacity off it.
Against Rochdale, he scored the Stones’ only goal of the game after picking up a loose ball in midfield, driving past two defenders, and slotting the ball into the bottom corner from the outside of the box.
The Millwall loanee has won the Man of the Match award in each of the last two home games. Keep it up, Alfie!
The Opposition
Recent form: WDWDW
The fixtures do not get any easier for the Stones as they face last season’s beaten playoff finalists, Southend United. The Shrimpers are just one point off the top of the league.
This season marks the start of Southend’s fifth consecutive campaign in the fifth tier. After battling ownership-related problems for much of their early period in the National League, the Essex-based side are looking to push for the league title this campaign.
The manager - Kevin Maher: The 48-year-old has achieved nothing short of legendary status at Roots Hall.
He played 383 games for the club between 1998 and 2008 and has gone on to manage just shy of 200 games for the Shrimpers. Maher has guided them through their toughest period as a club and dealt with severe footballing-related sanctions that would have seen many other teams relegated to the sixth tier.
This summer, he has taken a ‘quality over quantity’ approach to recruitment. Ben Goodliffe, who thrived on loan to Roots Hall last season, has returned on a permanent basis, whilst Andy Dallas and Sam Austin, who have previously been successful at this level, have also arrived in Southend.
The danger man - Andy Dallas: The aforementioned Dallas is the Shrimpers’ danger man heading into Tuesday night.
The Glasgow-born attacker has scored a very respectable 52 goals in 134 games after arriving in the National League with Weymouth in January 2021.
12 goals in 25 games for the Terras earned him a move to Solihull Moors, where he netted 19 times in the 2021/22 season. After maintaining this goalscoring record across spells for the Moors and Chesterfield in the following campaign, he earned himself an EFL move.
This season, he has dropped back into the fifth tier and looks to have found fitness and form as he netted his opening goals of the campaign last time out.
Buy Your Tickets Now!
With Premier League football being suspended due to the international break, where better to get your football fix than Grosvenor Vale!
Remember that tickets purchased online in advance are always cheaper than on the gate, buy them via the link below: