Southend United vs Dagenham & Redbridge: One Change to Shrimpers Lineup for Clash

Southend United manager Kevin Maher has been forced to make one change to his starting lineup for this afternoon's clash with Dagenham & Redbridge at Roots Hall. The alteration comes in attack where George Moncur has replaced the injured Danny Waldron for his first Shrimpers start.

The full Southend United lineup is as follows:

Andeng Ndi, Scott-Morriss, Taylor, Crowther, Ralph, Bridge, Miley, Coker, Husin, Moncur, Cardwell.

Subs: Hillson, Wind, Wood, Gubbins, Morton & Faulkner

Dagenham & Redbridge: A Look at the Opposition

Both Southend United and Dagenham & Redbridge have taken five points from their first four games of the season. The Daggers have had a mixed start to the season with a win, a defeat, and two draws.

Dagenham & Redbridge fan Joel Page shared his thoughts on the team's performance so far: "It’s been fairly average so far: a win, defeat and two draws. Friday’s against Halifax was hard to take after completely dominating the game, but that’s the risk with not killing it off. On the other hand, we were fortunate to leave Rochdale with a point last weekend having scored with our first shot on 52 minutes, while they had countless opportunities, so that near enough evens out and we’re probably where we deserve to be around mid-table from a small sample size to date."

The New Era at Dagenham & Redbridge

The Daggers have a new ownership and a new focus for the season. "Play-offs were the stated aim under new ownership," shared Joel. "That will be difficult unless our strikers get going and the defence start to keep clean sheets - one in 30 league games going back to last November - but we do have some really talented players."

Changes at Dagenham & Redbridge

There have been many changes at Dagenham & Redbridge since last season with a strong emphasis on youth and potential. "There have been many signings, primarily with an emphasis on youth and potential, but only a few have started as yet. Inih Effiong was a massive loss which we’ve attempted to mitigate by bringing in four senior strikers, including the return of former fans’ favourite Junior Morias on loan, but neither he nor the others have got off the mark. Another big void has been in midfield. We made a concerted attempt to secure Keenan Appiah-Forson permanently upon becoming a free agent but to no avail, turning to Christian N’Guessan, who seems decent in his own right. At centre half, Paul Kalambayi replaced Nikola Tavares, after he joined Barnet."

The Dangerman: Dion Pereira

Dion Pereira is a key player for the Daggers and one to watch. Joel describes him as "an exceptional footballer who, while there are obviously reasons he is, should be nowhere near this level. He proved that on occasion during last season’s loan but somehow we were able to get him back. He scored twice and got an assist in the opening two games before being subject to some very tailored defending since, though has still caused plenty of problems."

Team News for Dagenham & Redbridge

There are some injury concerns for the Daggers. "Ryan Hill then Jake Hessenthaler both went off injured on Friday, the latter hadn’t missed a minute of league action since signing last summer, so it’s likely they’ll be out. Assuming that, Shiloh Remy will come into the side, for what will be a deserved opportunity after being our liveliest performer throughout pre-season. The midfield situation would be more complex as there’s no direct replacement, meaning Frank Vincent, Josh Rees or even Harry Phipps would move there."

What to Expect from the Match

This match is sure to be a close encounter between two teams with similar ambitions. Southend will be looking to continue their strong start to the season, while Dagenham will be hoping to get back to winning ways. The Shrimpers will need to be wary of Dion Pereira, while the Daggers will need to find a way to contain the threat of George Moncur.

The match kicks off at 3pm at Roots Hall. It should be an exciting and competitive encounter.