The home side started well enough and many in the west stand felt top scorer Lee Barnard had found the net as early as the fifth minute when Jabo Idehre, who made a useful debut on loan from MK Dons, placed the ball into the good Lord's path, and he curled the ball just wide of the right hand post.
Steve Mildenhall, another good game from the big shot stopper, saved well from Grant Holt who was to be a pain for Southend's rearguard as well as the referee for most of the game.
The first half continued with lots of nice little passing movements from Norwich but little at the end of them, while the Shrimpers matched them for effort yet gave the ball far too often, Simon Francis and Macca being particularly guilty.
A lot of long range efforts then including one from Idehre which was well saved by Canary keeper Fraser Forster.
It was at half time the talk was that a point would be acceptable with Charlton away on Saturday, and when Mildenhall made another good save from Wes Hoolahan it looked as if that was the way the game was heading.
In fact, Damien Scannell, starting for the injured Laurent, should have done better when he latched on to a superb ball from the hard working Barnard, cut inside brilliantly, and smashed the ball over the bar.
Oh dear, would we be punished for that? We were.
Southend had several chances to clear a loose ball in the 66th minute but allowed Hoolahan to gain possesion and place a dangerous cross into the home penalty area, Korey Smith laid on for Holt, and he showed how it should be done, a low hard accurate shot past Mildy into the bottom left hand corner.
There was another great chance for the Shrimpers when a decent francis cross was met by Barney, who headed past the Norwich goal.
Up the other end, and another lesson in finishing by the Norfolk side 11 minutes after the first, this time Chris Martin setting up Smith, who doubled the lead with another low strike, this one going in via a deflection off the Moose.
Barnard and Jean-Francois Christophe both had shots at goal, Jeff's fifth booking tonight so another rest for him as Granty can take over at Charlton, and young Jabo even had the ball in the net, but the effort was disallowed for hand ball.
Then to give a slightly unfair gloss on the scoreline, and bugger up the Shrimper goal difference, Macca was deemed to have fouled Luke Daley in the penalty area in stoppage time and up stepped Holt to make it a brace for him and a third for them.
With only six points keeping 13th place Southend above fourth from bottom Brighton, this tired squad, Moose could do with a fortnight in the sun somewhere, must try and get something from fortress Valley as Hartlpool at home looms on the horizon as a very important game indeed.
Southend player markings: Mildenhall 8, Francis - 5, Morrison - 6, Barrett - 6, Malone - 6, Scannell - 6 (Walker 78), Christophe - 6, McCormack - 5, Moussa - 5 (Freedman 78), Ibehre - 7, Barnard - 7.
Referee: Mr. P. Crossley (Kent) - 6.