Southend United maintained their strong start to the National League season with a convincing 2-0 victory over Tamworth at Roots Hall. The Shrimpers, eager to capitalise on their opening day win, faced a Tamworth side looking to recover from their own initial setback. Referee Neil Hair oversaw a match in which Southend dominated for significant periods, although Tamworth threatened sporadically on the counter-attack.
The home side took the lead in the 11th minute, Charley Kendall finding the net, assisted by Nathan Ralph. Southend continued to apply pressure, but Tamworth defended resolutely, while occasionally pushing forward themselves. Harry Taylor received a yellow card in the 17th minute for a foul, indicative of Southend’s physical approach. Tyler Roberts joined him in the referee’s notebook with a yellow card of his own for Tamworth in the 32nd minute.
The second half prompted tactical adjustments from both sides. Southend made a double substitution at half-time, introducing Leon Chambers-Parillon in place of Nathan Ralph and Tom Hopper for Josh Walker, seeking to inject fresh impetus into their attack. Tamworth, however, remained compact, aiming to frustrate the home side. Noor Husin was shown a yellow card for Southend in the 57th minute.
Southend made a further substitution in the 66th minute, replacing Charley Kendall with Andy Dallas. Tamworth responded with a change of their own, introducing Manny Duku for Oliver Lynch in the 71st minute, hoping to add a spark in the final third. A flurry of substitutions followed in the latter stages, with Tamworth bringing on Joe Riley for Tom Tonks and Stefan Mols for Jordan Ponticelli in the 77th and 78th minutes respectively. Southend also introduced Cavanagh Miley for Keenan Appiah-Forson in the 78th minute.
The match was settled in the 80th minute when Gus Scott-Morriss scored, assisted by Harry Boyes. Late substitutions saw Joe Gubbins replace Sam Austin for Southend, and Tamworth made a double switch, bringing on Thomas McGlinchey for Beck-Ray Enoru and Harvey Sayer for Tyler Roberts in the 86th minute.
The final whistle confirmed a comfortable 2-0 win for Southend. This victory elevates Southend to the top of the National League table, with a perfect record of two wins from two matches. Tamworth, meanwhile, find themselves lower in the standings, still searching for their first points of the campaign.