Blues boss Paul Sturrock made three changes to his starting line-up for the game.
Goalkeeper Glenn Morris returns in the place of penalty-save hero from Tuesday Rhys Evans.
Sean Clohessy came back as right-back after serving a one match suspension, allowing Josh Simpson to go back to wide-right midfield with Adam Bouzid dropping down to the bench.
Finally, Louie Soares replaced Barry Corr who had a back problem.
The Shrimpers came out with all guns blazing in a one-sided first half that saw Anthony Grant and Josh Simpson beat Gulls keeper Scott Bevan with superb strikes.
Blair Sturrock started by diverting a left-wing free-kick from Ryan Hall just wide, and then the two players combined again to give Simpson a chance but he blazed the ball over the bar from 18 yards.
All of this before ten minutes had been reached on the clock!
Howver, the lead was to be taken by the home side on the quarter hour. Midfielder Grant brilliantly half-volleyed the ball into the top-right corner from the edge of the box after Ryan Hall's corner from the right was only half cleared.
On the half hour it was Bilel Mohsni heading over Craig Easton's looping cross from the right that went close.
As the half drew to a close the Shrimpers continued to spend long periods in Torquay's half and deservedly doubled their advantage two minutes from the break when the Gulls lost possession.
Midfielder Simpson picked the ball up and unleashed a scorching right-foot shot from 25 yards out to the right of a diving Bevan and the cheers of the South Stand.
With a change of tactics, i.e. bring on the big bloke up front, the Devon based club had far more of the action in the second period, though Southend might have sewn the match up if Hall had gone down in the penalty area when having his shirt clearly pulled but deciding to stay on his feet and having his subsequent shot saved.
In the 69th minute Torquaybelieved they had their goal when a strike by Kevin Nicholson was deflected on to the crossbar.
However, the Gulls did finally pull a goal back with 12 minutes left when substitute Martin Gritton's shot hit the right post and rebounded for Chris Zebroski to slot into the bottom-right corner from six yards.
The away side had a great chance to share the points when skipper Nicky Wroe found himself six yards out but scuffed his shot well wide, and Glenn Morris showed why he's Southend's No.1 by denying Billy Key an injury time headed equaliser from a Nicholson free-kick.
Three successive wins for Luggy's men with the Cobblers of Northampton up next Saturday at Sixfields.
Southend player markings: Morris - 8, Clohessy - 8, Gilbert - 6, Barker - 8, Mohsni - 6, Simpson - 9, Grant - 8, Easton - 7, Hall - 8 (Coughlan 84), Soares - 6 (Paterson 77 - 6), Sturrock - 7.
Referee: Mr. D. Whitestone - 7.