SOUTHEND United's under 18 side maintained their 100 per cent start to the 2024/25 season with a 7-2 triumph away to Aveley in National League U19 Alliance Division A.
The goals were shared around amongst the Blues squad, with Nikolay Zlatev and Sisanda Maguranyanga both contributing braces and Brandon Dadson, Innocent Duru and Muhammed Limbada also finding the target at Parkside Stadium.
However, coach Tom Bailey is encouraging the squad not to get carried away.
“It’s nice to keep winning, but we have to keep switched on,” he declared.
“Every time we win a game, it becomes a little bit bigger for the next team we play, so we have to make sure there is no complacency, and I could sense there was a bit in the warm-up and during the first half-an-hour of this match.”
“Making sure we keep doing the work to win games is important.
"It is nice to keep winning, but our next two games are tough, against Barking and King’s Lynn, who are both up there.
"It’s exciting, and between now and Christmas we have a chance to set up an exciting second half of the season if we can keep finding results.”
Bailey made just one change to the starting line-up with Ibrahim Lima replacing Alfie Humphrey, who stepped up to the U19s, and Blues went behind for the first time since the opening day of the season when Aveley took the lead through a well-taken finish by leading goalscorer, Elijah Grant, who found the target for the 12th time this term after a quarter-of-an-hour.
After spurning a number of early chances, Southend levelled on 27 minutes when Maguranyanga played in Dadson, who was pushed over in the penalty area, and Zlavev placed his spot-kick into the bottom left-hand corner.
That was the catalyst for an improved display from the teenage Shrimpers, who crucially moved ahead seconds before half-time after employing a high press to win possession.
Yobor Sorae played the ball across to Maguranyanga, who added to his growing catalogue of superb goals by beating a couple of players and finishing into the bottom corner from 25 yards out.
“It was good because we were a goal behind for a lengthy period and we were concerned that it wasn’t going to be our day,” Bailey explained.
“We were missing chances; we hit the crossbar and the goalkeeper made some good saves, so you wondered if it would be one of those days.”
“It’s a big pitch at Aveley, and we were struggling to get pressure on the ball at times, but eventually we had that little bit of quality, and Sisanda’s goal just before half-time was a big turning point.
"It was a great finish and going in 2-1 up changed the game.”
Southend built on their hard-fought advantage by adding a third goal three minutes into the second half through Dadson, who found the top corner of the net from 25 yards out, but they were swiftly pegged back to 3-2 six minutes later.
Despite that minor set-back, the visitors quickly re-established their two-goal cushion when Dadson did well down the left and crossed, with the ball taking a ricochet before Zlatev tapped in from five yards out.
Maguranyanga matched Grant’s tally for the 2024/25 season on 69 minutes when he was played through, and the former Rangers youngster took the ball around the goalkeeper before scoring with a left-footed finish.
Following a raft of substitutions, Duru placed a 70th minute finish into the net from the edge of the box to score his first of the season, with Limbada passing into the bottom corner in the final minute to complete the scoring in just his second appearance of the campaign.
Southend United U18s: Joshua Barrett, Ronnie Durussel, Oscar Miller (Dylan Pattison 69), Ibrahim Lima (Muhammed Limbada 61), Prince Chinedum, James Datey, Yobor Sorae (Joseph Buck 69), Kye Munro (Riley Sykes 61), Nikolay Zlatev (Innocent Duru 69), Brandon Dadson, Sisanda Maguranyanga.
