Southend United began the 2025–26 season with a polished performance at home against Tamworth, making it two wins from two.
Charley Kendall headed home a Nathan Ralph cross to score for the second consecutive game after Collin Andeng Ndi had stopped Tom Tonks’ early penalty.
It appeared like the Shrimpers would win by a slim margin, but ten minutes from the end, Gus Scott-Morriss scored a second goal after latching onto a fantastic pass from Harry Boyes.
Despite Cav Miley and Oli Coker being new bench additions after being left out of the team last weekend, the starting lineup remained the same from the opening day victory against Gateshead.
Kick-off
At Gateshead a week ago, it was Blues who came out on top but today the opposite happened with Tamworth earning an early opportunity to break the deadlock.
Inside ten minutes a deep Tonks corner made its way to Tyler Roberts at the back post and he knocked the ball past Kendall, but was brought down by the Southend striker, winning his side a penalty.
Tonks stepped up but his penalty was poor with Andeng Ndi getting down low to his right to save and keep the game goalless.
Kendall then made amends for his foul less than five minutes later by heading Southend in front.
Nathan Ralph dinked in a cross from which Kendall rose highest, glancing a header into the bottom corner of Jas Singh’s goal to continue his goalscoring start to the campaign.
The rest of the half was pretty quiet at Roots Hall with the Shrimpers comfortably holding onto their lead into half-time.
Half-Time: Southend United 1-0 Tamworth
The second half saw more of the same at Roots Hall, up until the Shrimpers struck their second.
Boyes whipped in a teasing cross from the left wing towards the back post, where it was latched onto by Scott-Morriss who thumped a first time shot past Singh.
The second season in a row in which the wing back has scored in the first home game of the season.
Tamworth had a chance to half the deficit just minutes later when, from a Joe Riley free-kick, Manny Duku poked an effort towards goal but there were too many navy shirts in the way for it to trouble Andeng Ndi.
Blues really should have added a third goal five minutes from time when two substitutes combined.
Andrew Dallas fizzed the ball across goal to Tom Hopper, but his shot from a couple of yards out was saved by the legs of a Singh.
Full-time score: Tamworth 2-0 Southend United
With an outstanding start to the season, Blues leads the table going into Wednesday night’s tough test against York City, the runners-up from the previous campaign. Next Saturday, they will travel to Cornwall to play Truro City.
