SOUTHEND United completed their pre-season preparations with a 1-0 win at Chelmsford City this afternoon.

Shrimpers striker Josh Walker headed Kevin Maher’s side in front after just four minutes.

And his well-taken effort proved to be the only goal of the game as Blues ended their warm up matches with a narrow victory.

The Shrimpers selected arguably their strongest starting line-up for the match at Melbourne Stadium and took an early lead when a right wing cross from Oli Coker dropped to Ollie Kensdale at the far post.

The defender immediately delivered a fine ball in from the left hand side of the penalty area which Walker did well to head home from close range, The Shrimpers soon wasted an excellent opportunity to make it 2-0 when Clarets goalkeeper Ted Collins was left stranded outside his penalty area but Harry Cardwell could only send his attempted lob wide of the right post.

Collins then blocked an effort from Walker just inside his penalty area before the visitors almost equalised in bizarre fashion as a mis-directed back-pass from Cav Miley went wide of the right post.

After the break, the Shrimpers were back on top with Coker seeing his low, 12 yard shot smartly saved by the legs of Collins before the hosts replied with Kalvin Kamara sending a long range effort straight at Blues goalkeeper Collin Andeng Ndi.

The visitors immediately hit back with Kensdale volleying wide of the left post from close range but the Clarets soon threatened themselves with Kalala sending a 12 yard header against the top of the crossbar.

The hosts pushed for an equaliser again just moments later with substitute Freddie Hockey seeing a low left footed shot smartly blocked by the outstretched leg of Andeng Ndi.

After surviving the scares, Shrimpers striker Cardwell was pulled down by Jack Turner when clean through on goal and would surely have been sent off had the match been played in the league.

However the defender was allowed to continue before Blues introduced another centre-back of their own as Joe Gubbins came on for James Morton with 66 minutes on the clock.

Fifteen minutes from time, Shrimpers boss Kevin Maher made a second change with Danny Waldron replacing Walker in attack before Jack Wood took the place of Nathan Ralph shortly after.

With the substitutions continuing, new signing George Wind came on for Gus Scott-Morriss down the right hand side.

But it was City who almost netted late on with Bradley Williams having a low shot superbly saved down to his left hand side by Andeng Ndi before Archie Tamplin fired the rebound against the right post.

Southend United: Andeng Ndi, Scott-Morriss (Wind 82), Taylor, Kensdale, Ralph (Wood 79), Bridge, Miley (MacDonald 85), Coker, Morton (Gubbins 66), Cardwell, Walker (Waldron 75)