The midweek marks a swift return to the EBB stadium for the Shots after they secured their place in the Enterprise National League at the weekend. This time they take on play-off hopefuls Southend United under the floodlights, who will be wanting to secure their spot on Tuesday night.
Established in 1906, Southend have spent most of their history within the EFL, with over 100
seasons of football played at League Two level or higher. It wasn’t until 2021 that they were
finally knocked into the fifth tier, where they have remained ever since.
Throughout their time in the EFL, Southend have become renowned as the most successful
Essex-based football club and also have the largest stadium in the county, with a capacity of
around 12,500. During the first world war their stadium, Roots Hall, was repurposed as a
storage area and the club was forced out, with the decision being made to relocate after the war was
over. It wasn’t until the 50’s that a move back to a newly rebuilt Roots Hall occurred which is,
albeit a few renovations, the home of Southend to this day.
RECENT FORM
The Shrimpers have hit a good vein of wins in the last few weeks, hitting three wins on the spin before being halted by Solihull with a 0-0 draw in their last game. Currently sitting in 7th place, just one more win from four games will be enough to confirm their play-off spot, while the Shots will be keen to delay the celebrations for a little while longer. A 3-1 victory in the FA Trophy semi-final last month also mean that the Shrimpers could be looking at a potential double trip to Wembley this season, with one ticket already booked for their final against Wealdstone in May.
11th Apr – Southend 0 – 0 Solihull
6th Apr – Sutton 0 – 3 Southend
3rd Apr – Southend 3 – 2 Braintree
31st Mar – Southend 2 – 1 Yeovil
28th Mar – Southport 1 – 3 Southend (FA Trophy)
25th Mar – Southend 1 – 1 Woking
PREVIOUS MEETINGS AND REVERSE FIXTURE
There have been 15 meetings in total between ourselves and Tuesday night’s opponents. Of
these, The Shots have performed incredibly well, recording 7 wins and only 4 losses. However
with an aggregate score of 17 goals a piece, The Shots seem to win this fixture by clinching
close victories, with the hopes of a another one due in the upcoming matchup.
The Shots suffered a 3 – 0 defeat during the reverse fixture back in October, in a game that
unfortunately just slipped away from them the further it progressed. A win on Tuesday will be
vital in ensuring that The Shrimpers do not complete a double demolition job in the league this season.
IN THE DUGOUT
Occupying the opposition technical area on Tuesday night is long time servant Kevin Maher.
The Southend veteran made over 450 appearances for the club as a player, and he has since
returned to continue his long tenure from the dugout.
Maher began his management career at Bristol rovers, when he was appointed caretaker after
the departure of former boss Graham Coughlan. He was relieved of duties after just one game
in charge, ending his time in charge of Bristol Rovers with a 100% clean sheet
record after a 0 – 0 draw with Peterborough.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Gus Scott-Morriss (Wing-back)
The Southend man has been a consistent danger on the right hand side all season and with 12 goals and three assists so far he his the second top in goal contributions for his club this season, an impressive tally for a player operating in his position. The work-rate he offers and late runs into the back post will be something to watch out for on Tuesday.
Harry Boyes (Wing-back)
Completing the other half of the wing-back partnership is former Sheffield United left-back Harry Boyes, who has featured in every league game for the Shrimpers this season. Providing reliability and deadly balls into the box from the left flank, Boyes has mustered up 10 assists this season, by far the highest of any player in the squad. The Shots will want to prevent the ball from finding its way into the wide areas as much as possible and stop this man from getting any crosses in on Tuesday.
TICKET INFO
Tickets for Saturday’s game at the EBB Stadium can be bought online by clicking HERE. Please
note prices will increase at 10am on the day of the match, these are noted in brackets.
Ticket prices are as follows:
ADULT – £23 (£25)
MILITARY PERSONNEL – £21 (£23)
SENIOR (66 and over) – £21 (£23)
YOUNG PERSON (16-20) – £21 (£23)
DISABLED – £21 (£23)
JUNIOR – (15 and under) – £8
(£10) UNDER 11 – FREE
FAMILY (2 adults + 3 15 and under) – £48 (£52)
We strongly encourage buying tickets in advance or online to save queues in the Ticket Office
before the game.
The Club Shop/Ticket Office is open for all supporters with cash and card accepted.
IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT
Live updates will be available from our social media platforms X (@OfficialShots), Instagram
(@aldershottownfcofficial), and Facebook.
After the game, highlights will be available on our YouTube channel. The game can be streamed
for overseas viewers via DAZN’s National League TV coverage. Click HERE to purchase a
match pass.
There will be live commentary of the game provided by BBC Radio Surrey
