SOUTHEND United warmed up for next week’s FA Youth Cup tie against Harpenden Town with their first National League U19 Alliance Academy South Division triumph of the campaign.
Obi Okafor scored the only goal of the game against Boreham Wood just three minutes into the encounter on the 3G pitch at Meadow Park, converting an inswinging Joshua Jackson corner at the far post after just three minutes had been played.
Blues would go on to control the fixture from that point, although they couldn’t add to their single goal, earning a 1-0 win and extending their unbeaten run to three games in the process after the hosts were reduced to ten men with ten minutes of the match remaining.
Youth team coach Danny Heath was particularly pleased to see his side emerge victorious after seeing an opponent dismissed late on, having witnessed the squad draw 1-1 at Dorking Wanderers in similar circumstances earlier in the month.
“The boys are really happy with the result, and as staff we’re happy as well,” said Heath.
“We were the better team from start to finish. We had 28 attempts to score, and 14 on target, so we should’ve scored more, but their goalkeeper made some good saves.”
“It’s a small pitch and, although Boreham Wood have some good technical players, they are a strong and physical side. Their front three can be handful, but I thought we competed very well with them.”
“They had a player sent off with ten minutes to go and, when that happened against Dorking, they scored with the last kick of the game.
The lads showed they had learnt from that experience; they played as though it was 11v11, they set up behind the ball and maintained possession in the opposing half to get the win.
As pleasing as the eventual success was, Heath was equally delighted with a first clean sheet of the season, having come so close in that fixture at Meadowbank.
He revealed the squad were well aware of how their defensive record in 2024/25 - with just two goals now conceded in the past three games - compared to last season.
“It comes down to character,” he declared.
“This is quite a verbal group, and we have more communicators. They deserve the credit because they are demanding more from each other, and you see that in the way that players from all over the pitch are tracking back to defend.”
“After five games last season, our goal difference was -18; this season it’s -2. The lads also pointed out that we would be top of the table if we hadn’t conceded late on at Dorking, so there is still room for improvement.”
“Nonetheless, it is a massive improvement. If we can be hard to score against, it gives us a foundation to build from. That was the case today, although Charlie Brown made an excellent save midway through the first half.
"Apart from that, the boys defended the box really well and the challenge now is to build on that.”
Heath will hope the squad do exactly that in next week’s fixture at Roots Hall, but for now he was pleased to look back on an impressive display against Wood, who ran out 5-2 winners in the corresponding clash in 2023/24.
“We review every game with a traffic light system linked to performance, from red where the opposition have the better performers, through amber where it’s even, to green when we are the better team and have the better players," said Heath.
“The boys thought the performance was green, because we had the best player on the pitch in Mitchell Ward and we played to our principles, and as staff, we would agree with that assessment.
Southend United U19s: Charlie Brown, Julius Nwike, Mitchell Ward, Joshua Jackson (Rio Thomas, 77), Thato Molefi, Olu Shobowale, George Pulham (Joe Gurie, 83), Nathan Woodley, Zevieyan Makangu, Joe Poxon, Obi Okafor.
Subs not used: Joshua Barrett, Freddie Miller & Zion Okai-Mensah.
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