Southend United breathed new life into their National League campaign with a decisive 2-0 victory over Tamworth at Roots Hall. Two goals in quick succession midway through the first half paved the way for a dominant display by the home side, leaving Tamworth struggling to make any significant impact.
The deadlock was broken in the 11th minute following a well-constructed Southend move. The attack culminated with James Morton finding Aribim Pepple, who displayed composure beyond his years to slot the ball past the Tamworth goalkeeper and give the Shrimpers the lead. The home side’s advantage was doubled just five minutes later, in the 16th minute. This time, Pepple turned provider, setting up Oliver Coker, whose clinical finish sparked jubilant celebrations amongst the Roots Hall faithful.
Tamworth struggled to establish a foothold in the match, their forays forward consistently thwarted by a resolute Southend defence. The second half witnessed a series of substitutions from both sides. Having played a pivotal role in Southend’s first-half dominance, Pepple was replaced by Josh Walker in the 63rd minute. Coker, fresh from his goal, later made way for Keenan Appiah-Forson. Tamworth also made changes in search of an attacking spark, but their efforts proved fruitless.
A flashpoint occurred in the 50th minute when a midfield tussle between Pepple and Tamworth’s Tom Tonks resulted in yellow cards for both players. The incident, however, failed to escalate, and the game continued without any further significant disciplinary action.
As the match progressed, the tempo became increasingly fragmented with further substitutions from both teams disrupting the flow. Despite Tamworth’s attempts to find a route back into the game, Southend maintained control, comfortably seeing out the 2-0 victory.
The win lifts Southend to 13th in the National League table, while Tamworth drop to 15th. While league meetings between the two sides have been absent for the past three seasons, this result will undoubtedly provide a welcome confidence boost for Southend as they aim to continue their climb up the standings.