Back at Roots Hall - Southend United striker Charley Kendall
(Image: Daniel Hambury)
By Chris Phillips@cjphillips1982Chief sports reporter.
SOUTHEND United striker Charley Kendall cannot wait to again sample the atmosphere he signed for this week.
Kendall is in line to make his first Shrimpers start when Ebbsfleet United visit Roots Hall on Boxing Day.
And the hard-working forward is excited to be back out in front of Blues fans.
“First and foremost the fanbase and the stature of the club was a massive attraction for me to join,” said Kendall.
“I came on against Hartlepool at home and it was amazing.
“I loved every minute of playing at Roots Hall in front of all those fans.
“I can’t wait to do it again.”
Kendall, who joined Southend from Woking, also came off the bench during Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at table-topping York City.
And he was frustrated not to make more of the opportunities coming his way.
“Of course it’s disappointing not to score,” said Kendall.
“As a striker you want to score as much as you can and as soon as I get that first one I’m sure I will be flying.”
“Being a striker you’ve got to believe you’re going to get a chance and I believe I’ll always score goals.
“As long as I keep getting chances and keep putting myself in the right positions then I’ll get one soon.”
However, Kendall is also keen to forget most of what happened against York.
“We have to put Saturday to the back of our minds and go into Boxing Day as a fresh start,” said Kendall.
“ We’ll build on the positives from Saturday and eradicate the errors and negative points.
“Boxing Day is a massive day for football and it’s a massive day for us too where all the fans there at the stadium will help us push through the line.”
Blues go into the game against rock bottom Ebbsfleet sitting 16th in the standings.
And Kendall is keeping his focus firmly on the Shrimpers.
“We’re not really focused on them” said Kendall.
“We’re focused on us and how we’re going to get the job done, how we’re going to play and how we’re going to break them down.
“When you come up against teams who are fighting it’s never going to be an easy game but as long as we focus on what we do we should be able to get the job done.”
But Kendall does already have good memories against Ebbsfleet this season having scored against them in a 3-0 win for Woking back in September.
“It will be in the back of my mind and give me a bit of confidence going into the game,” said Kendall.
“I know I’ve played against them before and scored so I want to replicate that for this club now.”