JOSH Walker scored the only goal of the game to secure Southend United a 1-0 win at Rochdale on Saturday.

And, in many ways, it was a fitting way for Shrimpers boss Kevin Maher to celebrate two big landmarks.

The hard-fought victory was Maher’s 150th game in charge of the National League club and came on the same weekend he brought up his third anniversary of taking on one of the hardest jobs in football.

So much has happened since Maher’s appointment that there has often been little time to take a step back, evaluate and analyse exactly what has happened.

But sometimes you need to do that to realise just how far things have come.

Back in 2021, Maher inherited a toxic club which was struggling to survive both on and off the pitch.

And, while he was able to soon bring pride, passion and a real sense of togetherness back into the team, issues off the field continued to undermine and overshadow the work being done.

Now, I am pretty certain everyone reading this does not need reminding just how bad things got and exactly how much went wrong.

But, having been there 24/7 every step of the way, I honestly believe Southend United would not still exist without Maher’s guidance.

Yes, others deserve a big mention including chief executive Tom Lawrence and the supporters who backed the side in big numbers.

However, Maher’s part in the club escaping a seemingly never ending crisis should not be forgotten and it should never be understated either.

Maher was the glue which stuck the dressing room together.

Even when with no strikers, no goalkeeper or one substitute the Shrimpers never gave up and it was very much Maher’s ability to galvanise those around him which helped that to happen.

Had Maher walked away, I am certain several of the players would have done too.

With the embargo in place, those departures would have hit the club hard and made relegation a real possibility.

That, in turn, would arguably have made Blues a less attractive option for prospective buyers and it is very unlikely there would have been a happy ending.

As it was, Maher gave hope to everyone connected with the Shrimpers and has probably gone through more in three years than most managers have to ever endure.

Even at the start of this season Maher was thrown a series of unexpected curve balls which led to him having to rebuild what had previously been a settled and successful side.

Painful defeats have been endured during an uncertain and inconsistent period but there are now glimpses Blues have come out the other side.

And there was something very Southend about Saturday’s success.

Backed on by brilliant travelling support against a side starting the day fifth in the standings, Blues fought hard all over the pitch to come out on top against the odds.

All over the pitch, players produced committed performances but there was an intelligence to their play too as the Shrimpers had clearly planned just where and when to put pressure on a Rochdale side eager to play out from the back at all times.

Blues stood up to the task well with Harry Taylor again outstanding on the right hand side of the back three and George Wind also producing an impressive display in his first start since signing for Billericay Town in the summer.

Further forward, Bim Pepple posed problems with his pace and power and ,alongside him, Walker was in the right place at the right time to fire home what proved to be the only goal of the game.

As a result, Blues have now won back to back matches for the first time this season and appear to again have a far more settled and structured way about them both with and without the ball.

Things again appear to be heading in the right direction once more but just as defeats should not bring total despair, victories should not result in outlandish expectations either.

Put simply, the Shrimpers are making progress after years of misery and that, more than anything else, succinctly sums up the job Maher has done.