Southend United striker aiming to make amends for injury lay-off at Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United will face Southend United in the final home game of Nicky Featherstone’s managerial reign on Tuesday night.
Southend United striker Harry Cardwell has reflected on a number of injury setbacks as he looks to impress against Hartlepool United when the two sides meet at the Prestige Group Stadium on Tuesday night.
The striker picked up a calf injury after scoring in a 1-1 draw with National League title contenders York City in January and was expected to be on the sidelines for a number of weeks. There was brief hope with a start against Rochdale just a fortnight later but his spell out of the action extended to three months after he suffered a number of setbacks throughout his recovery period and he did not return to a matchday squad until appearing as a substitute in a goalless draw with Solihull Moors just under two weeks ago.
Cardwell made a second substitute appearance in a 2-0 win at Aldershot Town in midweek before returning to the starting line-up for the first time since late January in Saturday’s 6-2 win at FC Halifax Town and he marked the occasion by grabbing his side’s third goal of an impressive win at The Shay. The 29-year-old, who is on loan from Forest Green Rovers, will now hope to have done enough to earn another start against Pools on Tuesday night as his side push for a fifth place finish in the National League.
Speaking after Saturday’s win at Halifax, the on-loan striker told the club’s official YouTube channel: “It’s a bit of a cliche but there’s no feeling like it. Once you see the ball hit the back of the net again, it’s such a good feeling for a centre forward. The past 12 weeks have been tough, a few setbacks in there. When we first got the initial diagnosis we didn’t expect it to be this long but with the lads I have got in the physio room with me at the same time, we helped each other out and helped each other through it during the dark times. When you get injured, it is tough, but to get back out there, it’s all worth it. Being out on the pitch, scoring a goal, it’s all worth it.”
He continued: “It’s tough, you need minutes together to build those relationships. With the injury it’s been tough, I’ve not played as many minutes as I would have liked to. I think any centre forward partnership, and it’s showed in the last eight games where we have gone on this run, anyone that plays does well and scores goals as well.”
Big decisions
Cardwell’s return will mean Shrimpers manager Kevin Maher has some big decisions to make ahead of the visit to the Prestige Group Stadium. The on-loan frontman and Andrew Dallas led the line at The Shay but Charley Kendall and Tom Hopper will hope to stake their claim for a place in their upcoming play-off ties after being left out of the starting eleven for the weekend win. Jack Bridge will also hope to have done enough to earn only his third league start of the campaign and Maher must choose between Keenan Appiah-Forson and Sam Austin in midfield after the latter started the win in Yorkshire.
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