Whatever Gods this side prays to there not the right ones!
Of course, as supporters you can walk away, but like the players and management we have to roll our sleeves up, wake up determined to make events go our way, even with an hour less sleep, and look forward to the next game to Yeovil at Roots Hall and a glorious victory.
There are 8 matches left, somehow we have to win half of them, and if the spirit the side showed at the Memorial Stadium, and Walsall last Tuesday, can be summoned again, it's still possible to get out of this mess.
As for this game, Captain Adam Barrett took his rightful place back as centre back, Sankofa returning to the bench.
While Jean-Francois Christophe finally completed his suspension to go into central midfield with Macca as Grant moved further right to fill the gap made by the absense for the rest of the season of injured winger Damien Scannell.
Playing in Yellow, the Shrimpers skipper started well by calling correctly as the coin fell to the ground that fell to the ground before kick-off, and changed ends so his side would attack with a very strong wind behind the.
And for the first 25 minutes this looked a very good toss to win as Southend quite literally blew their higher placed opponents off the park with a mixture of tough tackling, fast and precise passing, and good movement off the ball.
Young Johnny Herd was causing panic in the Bristol defence with those throws in these conditions.
It was as if the Walsall game hadn't finished, a throwback to Tilly sides of old that were fighting for a play-off place, not against relegation, two goals in credit and more promised. This was fun.
Then a disatorous error, first in midfield but continued as Rovers broke forward and the game turned.
Without it I'm certain the Shrimpers would have gone into half-time a couple of goals to the good. Sadly, they were level and ultimatly the points would be lost. The game of football can be very cruel at times.
Only 5 minutes were on the clock when Pirates keeper Mikkel Anderson decided to bring down Scott Vernon, who was chasing down a long ball hit over the top of a static Rovers defence.
No cards of either colour for Anderson from referee Rushton, discuss?
Vernon stood up, after a long wait for the Bristol shot stopper to get over a facial injury, and sent Anderson the wrong way from the spot.
On 12 minutes Blues doubled the lead when another long ball, made longer by the wind, was kept in by the hard working, as ever, Scott Spencer, and from an angle that none of us could see how he could find the back of the net, he did!
It was Tuesday evening again as Southend swamped all over their opponents and should have got more on the scoreboard to even double their advantage. This was the best I've seen the team play away from Roots Hall all season.
Unlike Tuesday though we were playing a side that had something to fight for, even so it still took one of those defensive errors that have been seen all season to get Rovers back in the game in the 34th minute.
Not sure what happened in midfield, a mix-up of some kind, an unheard call maybe, saw the ball lost and swept forward by the Gasmen.
Former Rovers loanee Pat Baldwin was just in front of the always dangerous Jo Kuffour but only hit his attempted clearance a few feet forward instead of row Z, Kuffour was on it in a flash, and lobbed the adavancing Mildenhall.
Rovers could sense a let off and four minutes later they were level.
One attack had already seen several blocks and desperate tackles in the penalty area when the referee again intervened, this time seeing Simon Francis fouling Chris Lines to give Jeff Hughes an invatation to equalise from the spot kick, which he accepted.
The tide really had turned, and on 52 minutes the other club in Bristol completed the transformation when Hughes strode past a shell shocked Francis and shot home.
To their credit there was no self pity from Southend and they really should have equalised straight after when Macca hit the post with a low strike and the rebound fell to the Moose who found a Gasman on the line and not the back of the net.
Then Spencer received a great flick on by Vernon, having his best game for the club, but allowed his header to be brillaintly saved by Anderson, but maybe shouldn't have given him the chance.
It might not have been in the team yet the odd Shrimper in the crowd may have started to feel sorry for themselves when on 57 minutes it was United who pulled themselves level this time around.
Francis sent over another great cross, Vernon got his head to the ball first surrounded by home defenders, and the ball's in the back of the net!
Silence at first as the ref seemed to be looking for a reason not to give it, he finally pointed to the centre circle, mass hugging breaking out in the open terrace and on the pitch.
Still playing with great freedom it felt as three points could be back on when the Moose had a rush of blood that only Macca could probably sympathise with.
On 65 minutes the Belgian born youngster kicked, more a tap on the ankle really but a kick all the same, at Byron Anthony who was just pushing at him, and received a straight red. No arguments, and very, very stupid.
A friend did say that Moose had his nipples twisted by a Rovers player in the first half which would annoy any guy, but as no one around us saw it I'm more concerned with my mate.
And though the referee was right in his calling of the Moussa incident his decision making became more inconsistant as the match wore on, his smug smiling as players of both sides showed their frustration with him, Pirates having less to moan about than Shrimpers, was annoying in the extreme.
Tilly kept the two men up front and Anderson was the keeper forced into a save with Spencer again going close.
However, injury time was reached, the third of four minutes, Stuart Campbell crossed from the right and Grant got his foot to the ball but found the back of his own goal for the Rovers winner.
It was a real smack in the teeth for everyone involved with Southend after they worked their bloody socks off as Tilly will no doubt say.
Let's start getting those sleeves rolled up, Easter's a good time for miracles, the tunnell king has not given up just yet.
Southend player markings: Mildenhall - 6, Francis - 6, Baldwin - 6, Barrett - 7, Herd - 7, Grant - 7, Christophe - 6, McCormack - 7, Vernon - 8, Spencer - 7, Moussa - 6.
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