In a National League fixture on 20th April 2024, Southend United clashed with Rochdale in what proved to be an intense affair, ultimately tilting in favor of the away team 2-1.

Scrutinizing the performance of both teams, one may note the crucial role of finishes towards the goal. Southend United managed to get the first goal of the match in the 7th minute of the first half. However, despite maintaining their lead for a significant portion of the match, they were unable to add further to their tally. On the other hand, Rochdale showed tenacity by not only equalizing close to the end of the first half but also securing a second goal during the 30th minute of the second half.

Interestingly, Southend United had domination over corner situations, with a count of 7 against Rochdale's 3. But their inability to convert these set pieces into goals impacted the match's outcome. It indicates that despite gaining advantage on corners, the home team lacked efficiency in shots from set pieces.

Another discernible aspect was discipline or the lack thereof. Rochdale accrued more yellow cards with two against Southend United's single card. One might argue that the away team's aggressive tactics, although culminating in more bookings, were successful in countering Southend's initial home ground momentum. Southend United, on the other hand, seemed to have been forced on the defensive and only received their lone yellow card late in the second half.

Meanwhile, offsides don't seem to have factored significantly in the match's outcome, with Southend United being caught offside once and Rochdale successfully avoiding infringing this rule. Neither team saw any red cards, implying that despite couple of cautions for Rochdale, the match wasn't marred by any severe disciplinary actions.

To sum up, the most significant factors that influenced the match's outcome were indeed the teams' efficiency in converting shots to goals, their strategies in dealing with set pieces, and their adherence to discipline on the field. Despite Southend United's early lead and corner advantage, Rochdale's timely comeback, goal conversion ability and hard-pressing play secured them the victory.

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