Southend United returned to winning ways with an impressive 3-1 victory over high-flying AFC Fylde.
Darren Oldaker and Ryan Colclough both scored their second goals for the Club either side of an unfortunate own goal from Ben Goodliffe.
However, the centre-half more than atoned for the mishap when he added the Shrimpers’ third goal of the afternoon.
Kieron Dyer made three changes to the XI that were held to a 1-1 draw by Eastleigh in midweek. Dan Cox returned from international duty with Wales Under-21s to sit at left-sided centre-half, while Josh Popoola and Harry Cardwell were restored to the forward line.
Kick-Off
Southend made a bright start to proceedings, with Chambers-Parillon quick to test the nerve of the Fylde defence, taking on three defenders before playing a one-two and bending a shot wide of the top corner.
The breakthrough came from the following goal-kick, as Chambers-Parillon cut out Fylde’s attempts to build out from the back, playing another one-two with Cardwell nudging it into Oldaker’s path. The midfielder’s cultured right foot guided the ball beyond Zac Jones and into the bottom corner of the net.
The Shrimpers could have gone further ahead when Josh Popoola steamed into the penalty area and blasted a shot towards goal, but it veered just wide of the near post.
Hearts were in mouths when Dan Cox’s back-pass was intercepted by Luca Thomas, and the in-form forward backheeled it to his teammate Greg Olley. The former Gateshead and York City talisman had an empty goal to aim at, but could only clip the ball wide.
There was no such luck when Goodliffe didn’t check Jack Sims’ positioning, and the centre-back’s pass trickled into the unguarded net to square the game.
The setback didn’t last, as an unbelievable cross-field pass from Anthony Hartigan gave Vontae Daley-Campbell space to maraud into. He reached the byline and cut the ball back, and Colclough was on hand to drill the ball off the post and into the net at the back post.
The chances kept coming, and Kyle McAdam’s outside-of-the-boot effort drew a save from Jones, before Dan Cox had a looping header bounce off the underside of the crossbar.
On the half-hour mark, Popoola had another right-footed effort after racing down the wing and into the penalty area, but this time he lifted his strike over the bar.
As the game edged into added time, substitute Oli Coker reached Popoola’s flick-on and looked to be through on goal, but a last-ditch challenge from Chris Merrie halted his progress as he teed up a shot.
Half-Time: Southend United 2-1 AFC Fylde
Jack Sims was called into action three minutes into the second half when Will Lancaster squared the ball for Olley to strike on the turn, but the Southend shotstopper got down quickly to his left the to keep the effort out.
The Shrimpers responded by doubling the advantage. Daley-Campbell’s early cross was floated towards the back post, where Goodliffe headed back at goal. Jones did remarkably well to claw the ball off the line, but could nothing to prevent the defender stabbing ball into the roof of the net on the follow-up.
The Shrimpers should have added a fourth goal two minutes later, when another back post cross from Daley-Campbell picked out Chambers-Parillon in acres of space, but the midfielder’s header drifted wide.
Daley-Campbell’s excellent outing continued to be to Fylde’s detriment. He caught Lancaster napping and anticipated Jones’ clearance, sprinting onto the ball and into the penalty area before sliding a pass into Coker’s feet, but the midfielder’s shot was dragged straight at the keeper.
Fylde were then gifted a great opportunity to halve the deficit when Cox and Goodliffe didn’t commit to cutting out a through-ball, allowing Thomas to sprint onto the ball. Sims came off his line to meet the forward, who scuttled around the Shrimpers keeper but placed his effort over the crossbar.
The visitors then hit the woodwork when Jack Morris had a six-yard header bounce off the base of the post before Southend cleared their lines.
The final 20 minutes saw Southend slow the pace of the game down, with Fylde struggling to create clear opportunities despite having the majority of the ball. The next clear-cut chance came the way of Zavier Massiah-Edwards, whose left-footed shot ricochet narrowly wide of the near post.
Full-Time: Southend United 3-1 AFC Fylde
The three points keep the Shrimpers in third place, one point away from second-placed Harrogate Town.
Southend return to action next weekend with a trip to Boston United (Saturday, October 10 – 3pm KO).
Southend: Sims, Daley-Campbell, Goodliffe (Taylor 72'), Cox, McAdam, Oldaker, Hartigan, Popoola, Chambers-Parillon (Massiah-Edwards 71'), Colclough (Coker 42'), Cardwell (Omochere 61')
Subs: Austin, Omochere, Taylor, Massiah-Edwards, Keogh, Coker, Woodham
Fylde: Jones, Drewe, Lancaster, Whelan, Broad (Taylor 35'), Merrie (Main 57'), Olley (Matthews-Lewis 66'), Whelan, Butterfield (Upton 57'), Mayor (Morris 66'), Thomas
Subs: Taylor, Upton, Main, Morris, Boyes, Matthews-Lewis
Goals
Southend: Oldaker 2’, Colclough 18’, Goodliffe 51’
AFC Fylde: Goodliffe (OG) 12’
Yellow cards
Southend: Oldaker 41’
AFC Fylde: Whelan 53’
Attendance: 8,371 (46 away)
Referee: Mr Hicks
