Should have known Blues boss Paul Sturrock would change the team around, especially with a tough trip to Macclesfield, but Bilel Mohsni on the left wing!
Even so, as is often the case, he was proved right with the Frenchman moving around the field anyway, scoring in controversial circumstances, and being an all-round nuisance; welcome back Bilel.
Loanee Luke Daniels, of course, made his debut in goal, while centre-back Chris Barker recovered from illness to replace the concussed Luke Prosser.
Ryan Leonard returned on the right along with Anthony Grant in central midfield as both Kane Ferdinand and Jean-Paul Kalala were given a rest on the bench against the bottom two team before the match started at Underhill in front of 1,216 travelling supporters in the attendance of 2,744, nearly a half!
Poor shot stopper Luke had only just signed from West Brom for an intial 28 hours when without even touching the ball on three minutes Mark Phillips took the legs away of Barnet defender Darren Dennehy during a goalmouth scramble following a corner and a penalty was given.
And after the kick was taken by Izale McLeod, he still hadn't, as the ball is still travelling down the northern line as I write, high and wide is an understatement!
S24's player-to-watch certainly was at that moment, but not for the right reasons!
Without ever really getting out of third gear Southend slowly but not too surely at times, took control of the game.
The ever busy Hall in his more central position, where does Luggy get these thoughts from, shot straight at Bees keeper Liam O’Brien from eighy yards before he deciding he had to get serious and find the net on 17 minutes.
After bringing the ball down brilliantly on his chest from a Peter Gilbert free-kick Ryan Hall turned his man, hitting a hard and low left footed volley which O’Brien could only parry into the bottom left hand corner.
Looked a poor effort by the keeper who was probably caught flat footed by the speed of Ryan's turn and the velocity of the shot.
Bar some good runs by the diminutive Michael Marshall Barnet were not producing very much and the recalled Ryan Leonard gave O'Brien food for thought with an 18-yard effort.
However, the Shrimpers were not to be denied a second and, of course where Bilel is involved, it didn't come easy!
36 minutes had gone when a typical Hall cross was met by Moshni at the back post who scored, however the referee's assistant had his flag raised and the goal seemed to be disallowed for offside.
Bilel, as is his way, was shocked, as were the majority of the travelling faithful, as most had seen the Frenchman starting his run from behind the Barnet defender, and decided to have a word.
The man in black Andy Woolmer went over to chat with his linesman and after what seemed longer than the four minutes given as stoppage time before the break, gave the goal!
Now that didn't go down well with the Barnet players as you can imagine, I'm sure Mr. Sanchez will have a few words about the incident soon enough.
Bilel Mohsni said after the game: 'I was never offside so the referee got it right. I couldn't believe it was disallowed, I ran past their defender to score.'
It was a late call by the lino, but even from my poor position squashed at the back of the stand you could clearly see that Bilel was behind the back four man when he made his move; poor decison by the bloke with the flag, correct call by the ref.
2-0 United at the break.
Bees winger and Shrimpers supporter Rixky Holmes was mysteriously given the sponsors M-O-M award at the end and with the first action of the new half he woke Daniels up with a long range effort before Hall decided to have a go as well, his going just wide.
Then Liam Dickinson was put through with a sublime pass from Leonard, but with the goal in his sight decided to go backwards allowing the Barnet defence to get back and clear the danger, sttange.
Of course it had to happen, on 59 minutes McLeod found the net from close in after a good parry by Daniels, but the same linesman had his flag raised, earlier this time, and it was struck off for offside, sometimes you know it's not going to be your night!
Young Luke proved himself again with 20 minutes left, getting his fingertips to a Daniel Leach header to push over the bar, but the ball just went up the other end and from a Hall free-kick Phillips couldn't keep the ball down enough when trying to head home.
Two minutes lafter that, Hall was released again, cut past Dennehy and was metres from the 12-yard box when the lumbering defender decided to haul him down, having already received a yellow card for a poor tackle there wasn't even much of an 'off, off, off,' from the crowd, the decision was that inevitable. Another yellow, red, an early bath, and Barnet down to ten men.
It was only a mtter of time that Southend grabbed a third, they were passing the ball around for fun now, and it was the substitute Neil Harris who scored it on 85 minutes.
Another excellent low cross from Ryan Leonard on the right passed several players and there was the experienced Bomber lurking with intent to find the back of the old onion bag, something he's rather good at.
Cue a mass exit of the home support and cries of 'is there a fire drill', witty stuff from the Blue Voice, hadn't heard that one before.
The changes weren't always succesful, Bilel at times looked what he was, a centre-half stuck out on the left, and he was given a right tounge lashing by Timlin on more than one occasion when he failed to track back, not that that bothered the section of Blues support that cheered him to the rafters when he came close, great banter between them.
To be brutal though, this was fairly easy, once again the Shrimpers didn't have to reach a high level, but they showed the strenght of the squad and at the end of the evening, it was job done, three points, a gap appearong between us and the seventh placed side, Crawley still in our sights.
The Silkmen and the long trip to Moss Rose on Saturday in front of far less Southend support should be a touch tougher.
Southend Player Markings: Daniels - 6, Colhessy - 5, Barker - 9, Phillips - 7, Gilbert - 7, Leonard - 7, Grant - 8, Timlin - 8 (Ferdinand 80 - 6), Hall - 7 (Johnson - 88), Dickinson - 7, Mohsni - 7 (Harris - 82).
Referee - Mr. A. Woolmer - 7.
