FIXTURE DETAILS

 Southend United vs Oxford City

Vanarama National League

Roots Hall, Southend

Tuesday 3rd October, 19:45

Referee: Kirsty Dowle | Assistants: Thomas Whay & Richard Carter   Fourth Official: Elliot Maher

TEAM NEWS

Lewis Miccio missed Saturday's defeat against Altrincham with a minor injury and is a doubt for Tuesday's fixture.

Josh Ashby and Alfie Potter also missed the weekend's clash and face late fitness tests on their availability.

However, apart from those three names, Ross Jenkins has a full squad to pick from. Nya Kirby seems to have shaken off his recent injury and has slotted back into the team seamlessly. Elsewhere Renny Smith made his full-debut against Altrincham and will look to keep his place in the starting XI on Tuesday evening.

RECENT FORM

Oxford City - D D L L L

For the first time since the start of the season, the Hoops have lost three games on the bounce. However, take that stat at face value at your peril. These three defeats of course show that City are navigating through a sticky spell in the season, but these defeats come off the back of a seven-game unbeaten run.

A 4-0 defeat away at a rejuvenated Oldham Athletic was perhaps harsh on Jenkins' side. Although, a 4-0 defeat to Gateshead was not.

Fans definitely saw a reaction from the squad after those two results and City will feel hard done by to come out of the game with zero points.

Southend United - L W L D D

It's been a difficult season for the Shrimpers for many reasons. However, the results on the pitch is perhaps something the fans can be hopeful of. After a ten-point deduction, they find themselves in the relegation zone but without the subtracted points, they'd come into Tuesday's fixture in tenth position.

The last five games have only yielded one win, a 2-0 home victory over Maidenhead United. However, their previous two fixtures has seen Kevin Maher's men navigate through two tricky fixtures with two draws. A 1-1 draw away at Aldershot Town is a good result on the road, and a 2-2 draw against Rochdale at Spotland further exemplified that United are difficult to beat. 

The Shrimpers look a little short on numbers lately, though. Southend could only name three substitutes for their trip to Rochdale on Saturday.

ONE TO WATCH - Harry Cardwell

There's one player that stands out in the Southend squad and that man is Harry Cardwell.

The striker has started the season in red-hot form and has nine goals to his name already in the Vanarama National League. If it wasn't for Marcus Dinanga's super start for Gateshead (12 goals), Cardwell would be coming into this fixture on top of the goalscoring charts.

The 6ft 3in striker came through Reading's youth system before spending time away from the Royals with Woking, Braintree and Brighton & Hove Albion.

He moved to Grimsby Town in 2017 and played over 35 times for the Mariners before moving to Chorley (and subsequently Stockport County on loan).

Cardwell has also represented Scotland at U19 and U21 level and has found a home at Roots Hall, appearing over fifty times for the Essex outfit after joining last season.



HAVE WE MET BEFORE?

Once! Back in the 1909/10 season, a mere 123 years ago.

Back in 1909, City were in Germany on a pre-season tour, as were Southend United. The two sides played each other, and as the Shrimpers were then playing in a much stronger Southern League, ran out 10-1 winners.

For those of you whose records go that far back... F.W. Weston was the goalscorer for Oxford City on that occasion.

However, this will be the first competitive fixture between the two sides.

THE MANAGER - Kevin Maher

Kevin Maher returned to Southend United to take over as Head Coach in October 2021.

Maher twice skippered the Club to promotion as a player, making over 450 appearances for Blues.

A midfield technician in his playing days, he started his career in Tottenham Hotspur’s Academy before moving to south Essex in 1998.

After a difficult start to life at Roots Hall, Maher soon established himself as an ever-present in the side and a mainstay in the team.

Two visits to the Millennium Stadium for Football League Trophy finals signified the start of a successful time for the club with Steve Tilson at the helm, and Maher played a vital role that.

It was third time lucky in the Welsh capital for the League Two Play-Off final, which saw Kevin captain the club to glory, and the following season he and Blues went one better by winning the League One title at the expense of bitter rivals Colchester United to secure back-to-back promotions.

After that hugely successful period, Maher's playing time suffered and he was no longer an automatic first choice, he departed the club.

Elsewhere and Maher would go on to play for Gillingham, Oldham Athletic and Dagenham & Redbridge before seeing out his career at Bray Wanderers, Whitehawk and Chelmsford City.

His move into coaching saw him manage Chelmsford City and then the club’s U23 side. Kevin would move in search of a first team position which came with Bristol Rovers, working with four different managers in that time on the coaching side, before his homecoming when offered the Head Coach role at Blues in October 2021.



As of 30 September 2023, Maher has won 42 of his 100 games in charge of Blues.

PLAYED FOR BOTH

There's been no shortage of players recently who have represented both clubs.

Defenders Harry Kyprianou and Dan Matsuzaka both left City in 2021, and had represented Southend United around the 2015 mark.

Elliot Benyon spent a couple of seasons at Southend in 2011 and 2012, making 28 appearances, before later moving to City in 2019.

City’s cup cult hero from 2016 Matt Paterson was also a former Southend man, with a spell at the Essex club in 2010-2012, and of course would later move to City where he’d score a famous goal against big rivals Colchester United as the Hoops caused a major upset in the FA Cup!

HOW TO FOLLOW

FOLLOW THE ACTION:

Stay tuned to our official Twitter page for all the build-up, regular updates and post-match action.

NATIONAL LEAGUE TV:

As this is not a Saturday 3pm kick-off, the game will be available to stream internationally and in the UK via National League TV!

You can buy a streaming or monthly pass by clicking HERE.

Remember to select Oxford City as your favourite team!

AUDIO/RADIO COMMENTARY:

Can't make it to the match? BBC Radio Oxford will be providing full commentary of our opening match online and on the Radio!

Click HERE to head to the BBC's non-league commentary page where you'll be able to tune in at around 14:50. Or simply tune into BBC Radio Oxford on BBC Sounds.