The surprising change was made in midfield where Louie Soares has replaced Lee Sawyer as the Shrimpers decide on a 4-4-2 formation, not sure about this but time will tell, I suppose it's good Louie gets some game time in case Ryan is back under lock and key come next Thursday's hearing!
Not much to tell at the start between the away side with one defeat in ten and the Lancashire lads with only one win in the same number of games, though that was last week 2-0 at runaway leaders Chesterfield!
So was the tide going to turn against Southend?
Well, it was the Shrimps busy striker Danny Carlton who headed just wide of goal in the 11th minute, followed by Stewart Drummond striking wide of Southend keeper Rhys Evan's right hand post.
On the 19th minute United top scorer Barry Corr didn't help matters by getting booked for a deliberate handball. Not the first time that's happened!
S24 player to watch for the home team, loanee Kevan Hurst, was making himself a nuisance in the middle and sure enough, as Morecambe started to gain greater possession, it was from his corner two minutes before the half-hour that his side took the lead.
Chris McCready rose above everyone to head home from close range, where was the marking though?
As ever Anthony Grant was getting fouled on a regular basis, must be close to 150 for the season by now, but bar a Barry Corr header in the six-yard area from a Sean Clohessy cross soon after the goal, United were making no clear cut chances.
Instead the Shrimps continued to press and James Spencer shot wide left.
Some late Southend pressure before the break saw the usual hard working Hall delivering crosses and corners but to no avail, and Soares even got a shot in, easily saved by Morecambe keeper Barry Roche.
Ha, when will Luggy learn? Sawyer replaces Soares at half-time to add some life to a stuttering Shrimpers performance.
And it works! We said you should watch Kevan Hurst, who is adjudged to have fouled, who else, Mr. Grant, in the penalty area following another Hall corner, and up steps Blair, no, Barry Corr, to stroke home the equaliser for his 16th goal of the season.
Against the run of play but very welcome, hopefully the good ship Shrimper will sail steadier now.
Sure enough the play is now more finely balanced with a lot of messing around in the middle, but as the hour mark approaches Sawyer shows his boss that maybe he should start the next time around with a strike deep inside the area that misses the left hand post.
Then, on 62 minutes, after Morecambe had seen a corner well cleared by Blair Sturrock, they took the lead for a second time.
A free kick given for a foul by Chris Barker on Garry Hunter entered the Shrimpers area with markers going missing again allowing Laurence Wilson to knock on for Stewart Drummond to find the net with an accurate header.
The game has swung back to the northern seasiders as they win four corners in fairly quick succession with Carlton close to confirming the result when his shot smashed against the crossbar!
13 minutes left and Kyle Asante gets his chance replacing Sturrock but it just leads to a Hurst shot outside the box that misses to Evans left.
Snoop Dog finds himself in the book for dissent as the match enters the last ten, don't think the midfielder agreed with an offside decision against him as he tried to break the tight Morecame back four.
Hall tries his luck but the shot is blocked, leading to a corner that the on bail winger takes himself to no reward.
86 minues now and after big Phil Jevons comes on for the Shrimps Blues striker Harry Crawford makes an appearance as Luggy takes off left-back Peter Gilbert!
Chris Barker gets a yellow card and from the free-kick Hurst sees his set piece saved by Evans, but up the other end Hall's free kick is deflected inches wide.
The match goes into five minutes stoppage time with Southend getting desperate to try and save something; Corr is found in the area but his shot drifts over the bar, yet another corner taken by Hall and yet again nothing comes from it, Sawyer crosses, cleared by the home defence, the referee blows the final whistle.
A disappointing result for the Shrimpers which hopefully will not affect their play-off hopes too much, but Gillingham at Roots Hall on Tuesday evening, and Tilly's Lincoln City at Sincil Bank next weekend, have become massive games that could shape the business end of the team's season; the promotion dream lives on, or a steady drop into mid-table obscurity.
Southend player markings: Southend player markings: Evans - 6, Clohessey - 5, Barker - 5, Coughlan - 5, Gilbert - 5 (Crawford 86), Soares - 4 (Sawyer h-t - 7), Grant - 6, Easton - 6, Hall - 6, Sturrock - 5 (Asante 78 - 5), Corr - 6.
League Two Results: Cheltenham 0-3 Chesterfield, Crewe 4-1 Burton Albion, Gillingham 2-0 Bradford, Hereford 0-3 Bury, Lincoln City 0-0 Accrington, Morecambe 2-1 Southend, Northampton 2-3 Shrewsbury, Port Vale 2-1 Macclesfield, Rotherham 0-0 Barnet, Stockport 2-1 Oxford Utd, Torquay 2-0 Stevenage, Wycombe 2-2 Aldershot.
The Play-Off Race:
| 6 | Port Vale | 33 | 8 | 54 |
| 7 | Gillingham | 35 | 8 | 52 |
| 8 | Torquay | 33 | 12 | 48 |
| 9 | Southend | 33 | 4 | 47 |
| 10 | Oxford Utd | 35 | -1 | 47 |
| 11 | Crewe | 33 | 11 | 45 |
| 12 | Stevenage | 33 | 10 | 45 |