It's all so close you can taste it, but that top seven position was taken from the Shrimpers by a dour, defensive minded, tough looking Cobblers team, and I'm not counting Francis Laurent, who equalled a club record when recording a sixth successive draw in a match littered with fouls, and only the home side really trying to keep the game flowing.
Blues boss Paul Sturrock was surprisingly able to welcome back Anthony Grant after his recent concussion, while fellow midfielder Kane Ferdinand stayed out!
However, as expected, top scorer Barry Corr did return, to claim his 15th goal of the season with a cracking header, and striker Harry Crawford's ankle injury cleared up enough for him to take a place on the subs bench.
It was not rocket science to work out the Cobblers game plan, three big blokes covering the back four, who were no drawfs themselves, along with the little fat one, and everytime the main Southend ball-players, mainly Anthony Grant and Ryan Hall, got the ball, stop them by any means possible, if not legal.
A masterful tactic worked out on the training field and given full approval by some lenient referring by Mr. Booth.
So after a couple of half-chances, Corr cut in once to sting the palms of Cobblers shot stopper Chris Dunn, it was a bit of a surprise that with their first real venture forward, certainly their first shot on target, they scored!
Lee Sawyer, who overall played well, working as hard as usual with those mazy runs, lost the ball in central midfield on 27 minutes, but right-back John Johnson was given far too much time to run with the ball striking a fine shot past Rhys Evans and into the bottom left-hand corner from outside the area.
However, the Shrimpers equalised only seven minutes later when a Ryan Hall corner found the head of top scorer Barry Corr who headed home in magnificent style, one to watch on the highlights.
Overall, while Barry had his busiest game for a while, Ryan had a quieter match than usual, Miguel Comminges replacing him towards the end, maybe his mind on a certain court appearance next Thursday.
Still the Shrimpers tried to find a way through and Granty, who has now reached a century, of being fouled, had one of trademark runs into the opposition box before firing a rising shot over the bar, leaving the Roots Hall faithful in better spirits and believing that after the break another home win could be secured, what would be the third in a row.
However, it was Ben Tozer spurned a great chance to head the Cobblers back in front minutes after into the second 45, before Southend missed a great chance to take the lead.
A great run by Grant found Sawyer who worked his way into the box, but with two teammates free to his right decided to weakly shot straight at Dunn. Bugger.
And that was about that really, Northampton certainly finished the brighter, a couple of free-kicks in good areas wasted by the away side, as their substitutions, Leon McKenzie and the French wideboy Laurent, who had a late chance that went wide of the post, trumping ours of Louie Soares and, admittingly hard working, Harry Crawford.
Still, let no one persude you otherwise there was only one team trying to play footy out there for the first hour at least, and before those legs started going once again, the Essex boys deserved their point.
A word for the defence, who were excellent, especially our man-of-the-match Chris Barker, who dealt with the hundreds of high balls swung into the area efficiently enough while taking no prisoners, though I'm certain he was not adjudged to have fouled anyone throughout the game.
With a week off to look forward to the lads can recharge the batteries, do a spot of training when Luggy insists, and get ready for the long trek to Morecambe and the pleasant spectacle of Shrimpers netting some Shrimps!
Southend Player Markings: Evans - 7, Clohessy - 7, Coughlan - 7, Barker - 8, Gilbert - 6, Hall - 6 (Comminges 84), Sawyer - 7 (Soares 73 - 5), Easton - 7, Grant - 7, Sturrock 5 (Crawford 55 - 6), Corr - 7.
Referee: Mr. R. Booth - 6.