Bloody Parky, he does love Roots Hall as Bradford won for the first time in 14 previous visits to the home of football and tasted victory for the first time on the road this season, and no one can say they didn't deserve it.
Only 10 minutes had passed when S24 player-to-watch Michael Flynn struck a fine free-kick which brought out the best of loannee Shrimpers keeper Luke Daniels.
And ten minutes after that Ricky Ravenhill volleyed over the bar from 14 yards followed by Nakhi Wells who also fired over from further out.
Still not much from the home side as old nemisis Kyle Reid started to get in the game, which was more than the entire Blues team were, as one effort nearly caught Daniels out, before turning provider as his cross found Ravenhill who headed wide.
That was the first half then, not very good if your heart is with Southend, and it sadly only got worse, far too many players at the same time are in poor form, Gilbert obviously affected by the Bilel saga, and in picking up his fifth yellow card of the season suffers a one-match ban, a welocme rest many would say!
This is a real test of Blues boss Paul Sturrock's managerial skills.
Anyway, more of the same soon after the break, Wells heading past the post from close enough for the player to feel he might have done better.
Luggy did try to liven things up by bringing both Anthony Grant and Lee Sawyer into the game, and Sawyer had not been on long when he missed the home side's best chance of the night, heading wide from eight yards when completly free, poor, but a fine cross by Hall, one of only a few on the evening, teams have truly sussed him out, time for a plan B Luggs with the tricky winger.
Grant was also showing in parts why he might make the starting line-up next time out, and with only 19 minutes left he actually warmed the hands of City keeper John McLaughlin with a long range strike, probably appreciated the action in the bitter cold.
A Liam Dickinson free-kick from around 20 yards also got through and McLaughlin had to dive this time to push the ball clear.
However, with two minutes left of what was a dismal last home game of the year anyway became pretty crap when Luke Oliver somehow found the bottom left corner of the net after being set up by Andrew Davies.
Four minutes of stoppage time was to bring no respite.
Aldershot and AFC Wimbledon away then have become even more vital than they already were as the Shrimpers poor run continues with no win in six games including four successive defeats; happy Christmas my arse.
Southend player markings: Daniels - 6, Clohessy - 5, Gilbert - 4, Phillips - 6, Prosser - 5, Ferdinand - 4 (Grant 65 - 7), Timlin - 5, Leonard - 4 (Sawyer - 6), Hall -5, Dickinson - 6, Harris - 5.
Referee: Mr. G. Scott - 7.