The game was a predictable end-of-season encounter with little to get the fans excited.
Both Southend manager Steve Tilson and his Vale counterpart, Lee Sinnott, brought players into the starting line-ups as neither had anything to play for.
The Shrimpers were safely in the play-offs and the Valiants relegated.
Southend created the first couple of openings when Charlie Mulgrew fired his 35-yard free-kick straight at Joe Anyon in the Vale goal, before Simon Francis saw Anyon comfortably hold his low effort from 30 yards.
The hosts should have taken the lead on 19 minutes when Alex Revell sent in a teasing cross from the right wing.
Gary Hooper knocked the ball down at the far post to Franck Moussa, but the Belgian midfielder screwed his shot wide when he should have done better.
Instead it was Port Vale - playing in Southend's red away kit as they had only brought their black strip - who took the lead on 23 minutes with their first effort on target.
Peter Clarke fouled Kyle Perry and, from the resulting 20-yard free-kick, David Mulligan curled the ball over Southend's four-man wall and into the top left-hand corner of Darryl Flahavan's goal.
The Shrimpers responded with Adam Barrett and Revell both putting attempts over the bar, while James Walker and Hooper shot straight at Anyon.
Marc Richards finished the half with two efforts, the first of which was blocked by Flahavan and the second went wide.
The second half was even more pedestrian that the first with little goalmouth action of note.
Walker saw his 12-yard shot blocked by Luke Prosser and Revell blasted over from 30 yards.
Richards again tested Flahavan but the Southend keeper easily held his shot from 20 yards, before Vale lost goalscorer Mulligan following a crunching tackle from Adam Barrett.
But with the game running out of steam ,Southend equalised in fortunate circumstances on 84 minutes.
Francis' long shot from the right bounced off a diving Anyon, hit Walker and rebounded into the empty net.