SEASON TICKETS               CLUB SHOP               COMMUNITY TRUST Concluding our 46-game campaign having secured fourth place We take the journey to Braintree Town who are wanting to confirm their stay in the Vanarama National League on the final day Tickets for the game can be purchased via our opponents’ website HERE Dale supporters will be situated in the Quag End via gates 7-8 There is an Away Fan Zone which will be open from 1pm with a selection of lagers and ales on sale from the Quag End Arms behind the goal Sindy’s Hot Food outlet will also be open next to the bar Monday’s game will be screened live in the Ratcliffe Bar at our stadium We will open at 2pm and a Happy Hour will run up until kick-off Pints of San Miguel and Manchester Craft are priced at £4 Somersby Cider and JW Lees Original/Smooth/Cask MPA/Stout are £3 You can follow the game by tuning in to our live commentary on Dale Player. Our commentators go on air at 2.50pm on Monday. Click HERE for full details Both UK & Overseas supporters can watch the game live on DAZN, with information on how to sign up HERE The Irons have all but preserved their National League status despite a 1-0 defeat at FC Halifax Town last time out Results elsewhere mean Braintree hold a three-point advantage over 21st-placed Wealdstone who were beaten 3-0 at play-off chasers Southend United Dale and Wealdstone victories together with a 12-goal swing would be the only way to send the Essex outfit down The side in orange began the season back in the fifth tier with just one win from their opening ten and despite home wins over Halifax a defeat to Maidenhead saw the end of Angelo Harrop’s two-year tenure at the club took over in early December with the side in 20th and has since guided the team to nine further wins with home maximums over all of the top three They are winless in four and only named three substitutes away at The Shay with 11 fully fit players available which Pitt explained Their top league goalscorer is Kyrell Lisbie who has notched 11 goals and John Akinde has four goals in six games They were dealt a blow last month with nine-goal Jermaine Francis recalled by his parent club Barnet Directions to the ground can be found HERE Rochdale and Braintree Town met for the first time back in September when Kairo Mitchell’s ninth goal in seven games gave us a seventh win of the season Referee | Robert Massey-EllisAssistants | Ross Murphy & Peter LoweFourth Official | Jack Bloxham Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Accessibility | Company Details Two goals either side of the break from Kyrell Lisbie secure the Iron’s safety in the National League who have now beaten all of the top four on their home patch Having already secured fourth spot in the table Jimmy McNulty made seven changes to the team that started in Tuesday’s 1-0 win at Solihull Moors making a welcome return to action after injury whilst Liam Hogan was amongst the substitutes as he also returned from the treatment room Dale created a couple of good chances early on with Jay Bird heading onto the top of the crossbar and Ethan Ebanks-Landell glancing a header from a corner just inches wide Alan Judge hit one well wide for the visitors before Devante Rodney did well to block Libsie’s effort at the far post the Braintree man opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time when he turned home from close range after a goalmouth scramble in which Ebanks-Landell appeared to be fouled Ebanks-Landell looked to have been shoved to ground when attempting to meet an East free-kick in the Braintree area but the referee wasn’t interested in the penalty claims The hosts doubled their lead 11 minutes after the break when Libsie kept his cool on the counter attack to add to his tally Chances for either side were few and far between in the remaining action of the game with McNulty making four of his five changes just after the hour mark as he prepared his side for the impending playoff campaign Southend United’s draw at Gateshead means we will now face them in the Playoff Eliminator at the Crown Oil Arena on Thursday 15th May Rochdale AFC, The Crown Oil Arena, Sandy Lane, Rochdale, Lancashire, OL11 5DR The Essex club were 19th heading into the match and needed a point to guarantee safety but ended up with all three against fourth-placed Dale who will now turn their attention to the play-offs The home side scrambled ahead through Kyrell Lisbie in first-half stoppage time and he doubled Braintree's lead 11 minutes into the second half Rochdale will host Southend on 15 May in a play-off eliminator while the win left Braintree 17th in the final standings To load Comments you need to enable JavaScript in your browser The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made Allarakhia at 63 minutesSubstitutesNumber 7 Weston Match OfficialsReferee: Robert Massey-EllisAssistant Referee 1: Ross MurphyAssistant Referee 2: Peter LoweFourth Official: Jack BloxhamMatch StatsKey Braintree v RochdaleBraintreeKeyRochdaleShotsBraintree Town 2Rochdale 020Shots on targetBraintree Town 2Rochdale 020Goalkeeper savesBraintree Town 0Rochdale 000FoulsBraintree Town 0Rochdale 000CornersBraintree Town 0Rochdale 000Advanced match statsAttackAttackShotsBraintree Town 2Rochdale 020Shots on targetBraintree Town 2Rochdale 020DistributionDistributionTouchesBraintree Town 2Rochdale 020Touches in the boxBraintree Town 2Rochdale 020Head to HeadSeason so farNational League Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Watch below via our official YouTube channel Harry Phipps came closest to giving Dagenham the win they craved five minutes into the second half when his header from a corner was saved by Braintree goalkeeper Henry Gray The hosts thought they had broken the deadlock in the 58th minute through Kyrell Lisbie but the effort was ruled out for offside Dagenham remain two points from safety with two games of the season remaining and are five points behind their 18th-placed opponents with just two matches of the campaign remaining Dagenham & RedbridgeManager: Lewis Young Wyllie Match OfficialsReferee: Alan DaleAssistant Referee 1: Paul ListerAssistant Referee 2: Andrew HickmanFourth Official: Tolu SangowawaMatch StatsKey Braintree v Dag & RedBraintreeKeyDag & RedShotsBraintree Town 0Dagenham & Redbridge 000Shots on targetBraintree Town 0Dagenham & Redbridge 000Goalkeeper savesBraintree Town 0Dagenham & Redbridge 000FoulsBraintree Town 0Dagenham & Redbridge 000CornersBraintree Town 0Dagenham & Redbridge 000Head to HeadSeason so farNational League Privacy PolicyTerms Of UseAccessibilityCompany DetailsContact Us Copyright Southend United FC 2024 Southend United were held to a goalless draw at Roots Hall by Braintree Town this afternoon. Despite having more attacking play than the visitors, the Shrimpers failed to break down a dogged Iron side. Leon Parillon was the closest Blues came when his deflected strike hit the post, whilst at the other end both Nick Hayes and Nathan Ralph had to be on hand to keep Braintree out in quick succession. There were two changes to the lineup from last weekend’s game against Solihull Moors. Josh Walker and Oli Coker replaced Tom Hopper and Keenan Appiah-Forson. Inside the opening minute, Ben Goodliffe was booked for a follow-through on Tom Blackwell, and the resulting Alan Judge free kick produced a diving save from Hayes. The Shrimpers responded minutes later when, following a good run forward from Leon Parillon, Josh Walker teed up Macauley Bonne whose shot was saved smartly by Henry Gray. Ten minutes later, Parillon turned away from Marley Marshall-Miranda and struck an effort which Gray kept out at his near post. Blues’ final effort of the half came through the returning Walker, who was denied by Gray after a strong run down the left wing. Half-Time: Southend United 0-0 Braintree Town It was a lively start to the second period. Three minutes after the restart a Noor Husin cross was only cleared as far as Gus Scott-Morriss who managed to dig out a shot that Gray had to tip over. A minute later Parillon cut into the box and saw his attempt hit the foot of the post via a deflection. Ten minutes into the second half both Hayes and Ralph were called upon to stop Braintree from breaking the deadlock. Kyrell Lisbie raced onto John Akinde’s flick-on and had a shot from a tight angle saved by the legs of the Southend ‘keeper and Ralph was well positioned to the block the rebound from Tom Blackwell. Eight minutes of injury time were added on and within seconds of this being announced Charley Kendall had a drilled effort turned behind by Gray. This was the closest the Shrimpers came to finding a winner and the game ended in a frustrating draw. Full-Time: Southend United 0-0 Braintree Town The point moves us up one place in the table to eighth. Next up for the Shrimpers is a short trip to already relegated Ebbsfleet United, who lost at Dagenham & Redbridge this afternoon. GoalsSouthend United: n/aBraintree Town: n/a Yellow CardsSouthend United: Goodliffe 1’, Coker 25’, Husin 75’Braintree Town: Annesley 26’, Gray 35’, Marshall-Miranda 64’, Akinde 84’ https://www.limerickleader.ie/section/1195/advertise-with-us Bringing you live local breaking news, sport, politics, weather & more in Limerick and County Limerick All the latest breaking local news from Limerick and County Limerick Keep up to date with the latest sports news Read all the latest Irish news and updates from around Ireland Find whats happening in and around Limerick and County Limerick Enjoy our award winning photos and picture galleries taken in Limerick and County Limerick Catch up on all the latest business news in Limerick and County Limerick Read about the latest properties available in Limerick and County Limerick Enjoy our latest and up to date motoring review and news in Limerick and County Limerick Limerick and County Limerick Met Eireann Weather Forecast Recent death notices and obituaries from Limerick and County Limerick Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles! Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day. Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism! Braintree made sure of their National League status thanks to a 2-0 home win over Rochdale on the last day of the season. The Essex club were 19th heading into the match and needed a point to guarantee safety but ended up with all three against fourth-placed Dale, who will now turn their attention to the play-offs. The home side scrambled ahead through Kyrell Lisbie in first-half stoppage time and he doubled Braintree’s lead 11 minutes into the second half. Rochdale will host Southend on May 15 in a play-off eliminator while the win left Braintree 17th in the final standings. " + $(".testo_articolo").html().replace(//g, ' To continue reading this article, please subscribe and support local journalism! Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles. To continue reading this article for FREE,please kindly register and/or log in. Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites. You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news! Michael Sweeney, managing director at Select Forest Ltd Join Slimming World Ireland and donate your clothes to charity when you lose the weight! Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles. Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm. This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie. Visiting keeper Henry Gray made sharp saves from Macaulay Bonne and Leon Parillon who then almost combined for an opener in the 28th minute with Bonne just unable to reach a cross Braintree's best opportunity of the first half came when John Akinde's header was cleared off the line while Tom Blackwell was unable to turn Kyrell Lisbie's mishit shot into the net Southend started the second period on the front foot with Gus Scott-Morriss denied by Gray before Parillon hit a post Nathan Ralph cleared off the line as Blackwell and Lisbie went close in a goalmouth scramble Scott-Morriss fired over from a good position in front of goal before Southend had a penalty appeal turned down deep in stoppage time Pinnington Match OfficialsReferee: Jason RichardsonAssistant Referee 1: Andrew BennettAssistant Referee 2: Marc WilsonFourth Official: Joseph Dann-PyeMatch StatsKey Southend v BraintreeSouthendKeyBraintreeShotsSouthend United 0Braintree Town 000Shots on targetSouthend United 0Braintree Town 000Goalkeeper savesSouthend United 0Braintree Town 000FoulsSouthend United 0Braintree Town 000CornersSouthend United 0Braintree Town 000Advanced match statsDefensiveDefensiveTotal yellow cardsSouthend United 3Braintree Town 434Head to HeadSeason so farNational League Tickets for Bank Holiday Monday’s trip to Braintree Town are now on sale They are available through our opponents’ ticketing website HERE Visiting supporters will be situated in the Quag End via gates 7-8 Sindy’s Hot Food outlet will also be open next to the bar plus the online ticket provider’s fee: Please note that the Dale Supporters Trust’s coach has now sold out we are also showing the game live in The Ratcliffe Bar at the Crown Oil Arena Braintree went ahead after seven minutes when Ryan Clampin's left-wing cross was headed home by Jermaine Francis But the Lambs were level 10 minutes later when Jordan Ponticelli's ball over the top was volleyed home by Beck-Ray Enoru and they were ahead when Ponticelli cut the ball back for Enoru to add a second after 20 minutes John Akinde levelled from the spot in the 25th minute after Kyrell Lisbie was brought down Tom McGlinchey then volleyed Tamworth ahead again in stoppage time as an entertaining first half came to an end The start of the second half was delayed by a medical emergency and Daniel Creaney made sure of the points in stoppage time for Tamworth when he converted Kai Williams' cross Yellow Card at 63 minutesSubstituteshome team Yellow Card at 63 minutesSubstitutesNumber 33 Judge Match OfficialsReferee: Melissa BurginAssistant Referee 1: Kevin MorrisAssistant Referee 2: Stuart ButlerFourth Official: Harry WarnerMatch StatsKey The Rayne club have captured two of the knockout cups in the Braintree Table Tennis League while a Netts team took home the handicap cup for the fourth year running Rayne A called on Mark Mulley for the first time this season and he Paul Lucas and Maria Boulton made short work of Sudbury Nomads dropping only one game in winning the final 5-0 The hard work had been done in the semi-final when they knocked out new league champions Netts A Buxton was able to play in this one and his wins over Andy Holmes and James Hicks were crucial The doubles set involving those four players also went Rayne’s way Paul Davison was unbeaten for Netts but his two singles and doubles with Holmes were not enough In the other semi-final Nomads beat Rayne B 5-1 making it the fourth win in seven years for a Rayne team in that competition who was in the E team that won the cup in 2023 joined his father Richard and Steve Buer in overcoming Netts C 5-2 in the final In the semi-final Rayne F had beaten Black Notley F by the same score with Buer again unbeaten while Netts C had eliminated their own D team Calisin was in the Netts C team that won the handicap cup last season Notley B found the double-figure handicaps (up to 21) too much to deal with and succumbed 5-1 Calisin and James Howard were unbeaten while Alesha Ellis-Austin was responsible for Notley’s one win It was Netts’ third win in a row with a predominantly junior team following Jack Dearsley and James Rissen last season and Dearsley and Charles Calisin the previous year In the semi-final Netts F denied division three champions Finchingfield A the chance of a league and cup double with another 5-1 win while Notley B knocked out their own H team – but only after a tussle The win was secured by Luke Burridge’s win over Nigel Parmenter at 23-21 in the final game of the final set with the score standing at 4-4 Burridge won his other two singles as well UCLan North of England Cadet & Junior 2 Star Gold for Karabardak in Montenegro Cates and Rainford dominate Island Finals Night Website by Jask Creative Halifax forward Daniel Nkrumah raced through on goal but his shot was saved by Braintree keeper Henry Gray Kyrell Lisbie broke into the Halifax box and squared towards Tom Blackwell but Halifax goalkeeper Toby Savin got a touch to take the ball away Halifax eventually made the breakthrough with just six minutes left when defender Adam Senior slotted in after his initial effort had been saved while Braintree's survival hopes roll on to the last day Alimi-Adetoro at 87 minutesSubstituteshome team Alimi-Adetoro at 87 minutesSubstitutesNumber 27 Yellow Card at 82 minutesMatch OfficialsReferee: Scott SimpsonAssistant Referee 1: Matthew ArchibaldAssistant Referee 2: Matthew MossFourth Official: Mark BellMatch StatsKey Sutton are all set for the National League Cup Semi-Final, heading to Braintree Town on Tuesday night. Read below for everything you’ll need to know ahead of the visit to the Rare Breed Meat Co. Stadium Referee – Stephen Parkinson. The third National League Cup tie involving Sutton he has refereed this season, following on from the home games against Tottenham and Manchester United. He has also refereed two of our National League games, and the FA Trophy tie against Tamworth. In his second season on the National League list he has also refereed several Football League games. We will also be streaming the game live in the Rowlen’s Bar, which will open from 7pm on the day. Supporters will also be able to listen to all the action, with a Mixlr audio commentary being available and will be posted on social media accounts before kick-off. You can also follow the game through our social media channels below, with full text coverage during the fixture. Following payment, supporters will then be sent a QR code that provides entry at the appropriate online entry turnstile. Segregation will be in force for this game and visiting supporters are advised to purchase an e-ticket online as above and enter the stadium via gates 7&8 to the right of the main stand. Spectators are advised to arrive in sufficient time to avoid delay in entering the ground. While it is recommended to purchase tickets in advance, tickets will also be available on the gate. Please note that our hosts take both cash and card. There will be one designated turnstile only for card and cash payments operating for those who do not have the ability to purchase a ticket online. Visiting supporters are also advised that the Away Fan zone will be open from 6pm with a bar selling lagers and ales, together with Sindy’s Hot Food Outlet which will also be open next to the entrance to the Away Bar. The Supporters’ Coach leaves at 3.00pm. The cost is £30 return. Independent travellers by car should head for the Galleys Corner roundabout on the A120, either via the M11 (leave at junction 8) or the A12 (leave at junction 21 and take the B1018 from Witham). Cressing Road is the first exit on the roundabout if on the A120 and second if on the B1018. Clockhouse Way is then about three quarters of a mile along on the left. Braintree station is about a 10-15 minute walk from the ground and is served by direct trains from Liverpool Street at 16.35, 17.20 or 18.10, taking just over an hour. Turn right along Station Approach, continue in to Railway Street then right in to Trinovantian Way which then becomes Lakes Road. Go left in to Chapel Hill, and Clockhouse Way is on the right. Return trains are at 21.59 and 22.49, but require a change at Witham in both cases. We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience, serve personalized ads or content, and analyze our traffic. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to our use of cookies. 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April 18 we open the Easter Weekend by welcoming Braintree Town to Roots Hall for our penultimate home fixture of the 2024/25 Vanarama National League season The Blues currently sit in ninth place and remain in the hunt for a play-off place The visitors meanwhile look set for safety after the first year back in the fifth tier currently occupying 18th spot in the division We\'re expecting our biggest crowd of the season so far with nearly 9,000 tickets already sold and there\'s still time to join the #SeaOfBlue on Good Friday Braintree Tickets Playing in the fifth tier for the first time in six seasons an impressive 2025 has pulled Braintree Town away from the bottom-four The self-proclaimed ‘Pub Team From Essex’ have only been beaten six times in the league in 2025 and more recently have won three of their last five to lift themselves from the precipice of the relegation zone up to 18th and seven points clear of the drop After a few years of struggling in the bottom half of the Vanarama National League South the appointment of Angelo Harrop in the summer of 2022 changed things in North Essex Harrop helped Braintree climb 10 places from the previous campaign to finish seventh before they were edged out of the play-offs by Worthing finishing fifth before dramatic post-season wins against Bath City and Chelmsford City set up a final with Worthing Reggie Lambe’s extra-time winner saw the Iron win a seven-goal thriller 4-3 to return to the National League after a five-year absence The 2024/25 season got off to a slow start for Braintree winning just one of their opening ten matches The dismal period led to Harrop being sacked following a 3-1 loss at home to Maidenhead United in late November and his former assistant Steve Pitt was handed the reins instead The 64-year-old won just one of his first five games in charge but has since guided the Iron away from the bottom four and has picked up notable victories against the likes of Forest Green Rovers They beat the latter earlier this month with a well-taken Kyrell Lisbie finish and a last-minute penalty from John Akinde helping the Iron to a 2-1 comeback win over the league leaders This is the first time we have hosted Braintree Town at Roots Hall in a competitive fixture Our only previous competitive meeting with Braintree came at the very beginning of 2025 when Bim Pepple scored his final goal for the club in a 1-0 win on New Years Day Speaking in his pre-match press conference Blues head coach Kevin Maher said: "You look at the results Braintree had recently and Steve [Pitt] has done ever so well since he’s gone in there They carry a threat with the likes of Kyrell Lisbie and one or two others who have gone back to parent clubs "We’ve got to put in a good performance but most importantly we need to win games of football We’ve trained really well in the week so I’m pleased and looking forward to the game." Wherever you are in the world, the match is available to stream here The best way to get access is by purchasing a Weekly Pass for £14.99 which gives seven-day access to all National League games in one week If you’re based in the UK & Ireland BBC Essex radio commentary is available online via the BBC Sport website Jason Richardson has been appointed as referee for our Good Friday fixture. Richardson will be taking charge of his seventh National League fixture of the 2024/25 campaign and is yet to officiate a match involving either Southend or Braintree this season. In 2022, Richardson officiated the National League South Play-Off Final, overseeing Dorking Wanderers' 3-2 extra-time victory over Ebbsfleet United. Assisting Richardson will be Andy Bennett and Marc Wilson, while Joseph Dann-Pye is the designated fourth official. Recent stumbles from league leaders Barnet mean the champagne will be on ice for the time being while they host Eastleigh in the day's evening kick-off. The six-point advantage the Bees hold over York City at the top of the table isn't enough to secure the title just yet, but should the Minstermen drop points against Gateshead on Friday, the North London outfit could have their hands on the trophy by Easter Monday. Altrincham and Rochdale face off in an all-Greater Manchester encounter, with both teams in thick of the play-off race in eighth and sixth respectively. Meanwhile, seventh-placed FC Halifax Town head north to the Lancashire coast to play AFC Fylde. The Shaymen are winless in more than a month, with tentatively hanging onto the final play-off place, while defeat for the Coasters would see them fall into the sixth tier. AFC Fylde v FC Halifax TownAldershot Town v Sutton UnitedAltrincham v RochdaleBarnet v Eastleigh (17:30)Boston United v WealdstoneDagenham & Redbridge v Ebbsfleet UnitedGateshead v York City (12:30)Maidenhead United v WokingOldham Athletic v HartlepoolTamworth v Solihull MoorsYeovil Town v Forest Green Rovers Our Good Friday fixture against Braintree Town is set to surpass last weekend\'s match against Solihull Moors as our biggest league crowd at Roots Hall in the 2024/25 season A total of 8,668 supporters were in attendance last Saturday and we look set to beat that tally for the visit of our Essex counterparts With four games remaining in the 2024/25 season we need your support to roar us on during every moment on the pitch is we look to achieve our goals NextGen pricing remains in place for the match with tickets for under-16s available for just £1 while we\'re continuing to encourage Shrimpers fans to wear blue as part of our #SeaOfBlue initiative City went into the weekend 11 points behind Barnet and knowing they could not afford any more slip-ups But they fell behind in the 25th minute as veteran John Akinde fired in from outside the box Josh Stones levelled from a corner in the 35th minute but Jermaine Francis came off the bench to win the match with virtually his first touch 24 minutes from time Watson Match OfficialsReferee: Callum WalchesterAssistant Referee 1: Ryan HeadAssistant Referee 2: Ciaran FidlerFourth Official: Daniel EnglandMatch StatsKey Kevin Maher has been encouraged by what he’s seen in training as the team look to winnings ways against Braintree Town on Good Friday A disappointing defeat last weekend against Solihull Moors means the Shrimpers trail the play-off places by four points but with two games coming up in the space of four days the opportunity is there for the team to respond positively Another big crowd is expected at Roots Hall with more than 8,900 tickets already sold for the visit of our Essex counterparts Maher wants to see his team put in a strong performance at the beginning of a potentially decisive weekend “It’s going to be a pivotal weekend for everyone at both ends of the table,” Maher told the local media “We’re at home first off on Friday and that’s the most important game at the moment Our focus is on Braintree and getting over the disappointment of last week “We’ve got to put in a good performance so I’m pleased and looking forward to the game.” Maher reiterated his desire to see his players demonstrate considered decision-making in the final third to create and put away clear-cut chances “We’ve got to get the key moments right and we’ve got to score goals The stats will tell you that we were the attacking team with the most chances but that means nothing if you don’t put it in the net I’d rather we went against the stats and got the win and it’s all good working on them things but at the end of the day it’s about winning football matches.” Ahead of our previous meeting with the Iron the Blues sat 15th in the Vanarama National League but now are up to ninth and challenging for post-season football Maher explains the difference between the squad’s strength in depth back on New Year’s Day compared to now is an important reason behind the improved league position and obviously Bim [Pepple] scored the winner at their place.  Even if you look right back to the start of the season when we lost Harry Cardwell I think our squad as a whole has got stronger and there’s more competition for places.” Maher gave his assessment of the challenge that the self-proclaimed ‘Pub Team From Essex’ pose “You look at the results they’ve had recently and Steve’s done ever so well since he’s gone in there “There’s a similarity to last year with us by not being able to have many players on the bench and how that can galvanise the players because they know they’re playing every week but we’re at home and we’ve got to attack.” You can watch Maher’s full pre-match press conference below.