Soccer
Kevin Maher knows how much promotion would mean to Southend ahead of final clash
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Southend could take their final step on returning to the Football League when they walk out at Wembley to face Oldham Athletic this weekend - a game you can see live on DAZN.
The Essex side have endured a difficult few years, both on and off the pitch, as the club went from League One to the National League and then faced points deductions during a period of financial turmoil.
Thankfully, thanks to the new takeover, the Shrimpers have bounced back and boss Kevin Maher, who's overseen a lot of what has gone on at the club since taking the reins in 2021, knows what it would mean for Southend to win promotion.
"Yeah, everything," Maher exclusively told DAZN News."Listen, the story at Southend has been well documented over the last two or three years of what's happened in terms of coming down through League 1, League 2 and now the National League and the struggles that the club has had.
"You can see what a mood it brings around the city. The fans and the numbers they turn up in.
"It would mean everything to the city. And we're at the start of the journey, obviously, with a takeover. So, whatever happens this year, that journey is going to continue.
"But of course, we want to take it as far as we can to get out of this league."
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Southend made a late surge for the play-offs, only confirming their place in the top seven on the last day, when a point secured their place and at the expense of opponents Gateshead. They then came through an eliminator against Rochdale and a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Forest Green Rovers to book their place in the season finale.
Maher, who spent a decade with the club as a player when Southend were a Championship side, believes his side grew stronger as the season went on, after a testing start to the campaign.
"Obviously, looking at the second half of the season, it was a lot stronger," he added.
"And looking back at the start of pre-season, where the embargo, the takeover affected that at the start and where we were. I think we had a week where we lost a couple of players in terms that they'd left and then we had about six injuries in one week. That took its toll, and it took us a while to get going.
"So it took a while for us really to get to the point where we wanted it. I think if you look from November or the turn of the year, December, the turn of the year, we've been one of the form teams and it's taken a little bit of time, but we've grown stronger as the season's gone on. Yeah, and obviously that form has earned you a chance."
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