HIGHLIGHTS: Lokko's headers help Maidenhead to first National League win at Southend

Maidenhead players shake hands with Southend’s players before kick-off. Photo credit: Maidenhead United

--

Southend United 0, Maidenhead United 2

Kevin Lokko scored a brace of headers as Maidenhead United climbed further clear of the National League relegation places with a first victory in the league at Southend United.

The Magpies had managed just one point on their ‘previous trips to Roots Hall since their promotion and Southend's demotion to the top level of non-league football.

However, Alan Devonshire had said in mid-week there's a first time for everything, and his United side rewarded him with a third straight victory on the bounce in the league. It's now four victories in a row for Devonshire's side in all competitions if you include their midweek victory over Fulham u21s in the new National League Cup.

After a challenging and at times frustrating start to the season, the team appear to have well and truly turned the corner, and it seems to have coincided with Shawn McCouslky being brought into the side to partner Tristan Abrahams in attack. It's also coincided with a few players returning from injury, although Maidenhead are not quite out of the woods on that front yet.

On this occasion at Southend, they didn't need their strikers to grab them a goal as Lokko chipped in with a couple of fantastic headers. He also helped the visitors keep only their second clean sheet of the league season.

It took the Magpies only 14 minutes to go in front at Roots Hall when Nathan Ferguson's free kick was met by Lokko who emphatically headed home.

The Magpies needed their keeper Craig Ross to be in fantastic form to keep them on level terms as he saved brilliantly from Jack Bridge in the 23rd minute.

The Shrimpers felt they should have had a penalty when Adam Crowther went down in the box clutching his head, however, the referee ignored the home side's call for a high boot.

The Magpies fans thought they'd seen their side double their advantage on the stroke of half-time, after good work from McCoulsky, but the linesman disagreed, prompting calls of 'V-A-R' from the United faithful in the away end.

The hosts came close to levelling in the 47th minute when a shot from the Shrimpers looked destined for the back of the net only for Owen Cochrane to stick out a boot to divert it off target.

Walker fired wastefully over the bar for Southend in the 59th minute as the ball fell his way from a corner, and it was a miss that the Magpies punished with 20 minutes to play.

The goal came from Lokko and again it came from a Ferguson set piece. After a period being under the cosh, the visitors were able to give themselves some respite by winning a corner and Lokko rose highest in the area to send a downward header passed Colin Andeng Ndi on the goal line.

Southend had their chances as the game wore on, with Ross making a flying save to deny Morton in the 72nd minute and Husin scooping an effort from 12 yards over the bar with five minutes to play.

Maidenhead's fans then chorused their side through six minutes of added time to one of their best wins of the season.

The win lifts them to 14 points for the season and up to 18th in the table. They are also now level on points with Southend and Aldershot. They are still only two points above the drop zone, however, they're also only seven points off the play-offs - an incredible recovery given their disappointing start to the campaign.