Port Vale, hit by injuries and returning loanees, were, frankly, terrible, and the Shrimpers, with winger Dave Martin making a promising debut on the left and Bilel Mohsni back on the bench, didn't have to get out of third gear and take the points, raising their goal difference to plus 21, the best in the division.
As a competitive contest it was all over in the first half hour, in fact, many would say it only took eight minutes!
For that was the time that centre-back Mark Phillips rose to a Ryan Hall corner, again, totally unmarked from just six yards and headed home past the stunned Vale keeper Chris Martin, his eighth of the campaign!
At least the other one can go home to Gwyneth Paltrow for comfort, this poor sod had a back four that, as one wag in the West Stand passed on, seemed to have been picked up from a local pub side!
Immediatly, the heads went down, the shoulders dropped, this was a beaten side with 82 minutes of the game to go, not good, their boss Mickey Adams deserves more support from his players.
It was only matter of time when the home side grabbed a second, and in only his second game for the club striker Elliot Benyon showed some lovely touches and plenty of skill, this boy is good, and a strike of his from outside the penalty area flew inches wide, while midfielder Michael Timlin, at last with us on a permanant basis, also shot wide from further out.
Hall brought the best out of Martin with a trademark 25 yarder followed up by another that this time went just wide.
Eventually the inevitable happened on 27 minutes, and it was a well deserved ninth goal of the season for Liam Dickinson, but his first with his head, who had looked the liveliest he has been for months, competition for places can do that, another good cross, more poor defending, and up he went to find the bottom right hand corner from close to the exact spot that Phillips had done 19 minutes earlier, they hadn't learnt much!
Hall was also showing his delight at having a winger on the other side who actually looked he knew what he was doing and after a marvellous piece of skill found himself in space with only Martin facing him, it was so quick I was just about to have a go at him for cocking it up, luckily I kept my counsel, he immediatly let loose with a fantastic strike from the edge of the area, that had goal written all over it before Martin somehow got his hand down to take the sting out of the shot but it was spinning back towards the goal with Hall following up before Vale's Lee Collins gratefully cleared for a corner. Highlight of the afternoon.
Still time before the break for left-back Peter Gilbert to have a go before the Potteries club remined us they did have some attacking talent out there when Sean Rigg tried his luck from 30 yards, they weren't getting any closer, but the returning Morris, who had looked safe in evrything he did, saved easily.
The Valiants were now kicking towards their own travelling faithful and Louis Dodds gave them something to cheer at the second half with a good shot turned around his near post by the former Borient keeper, but it was short lived, when five minutes before the hour, Gareth Owen scored one of the strangest own goals I've ever seen live on a football pitch.
Gilbert delivered a deep cross from out on the left which Martin left for his centre back to clear from six yards, however he decided to volley it brilliantly volleyed it passed hisown custodian! Amazing, I didn't even get out of my seat, and applauded in sympathy for Vale more than joy for the Shrimpers!
It was all about Southend now trying to boost an already strong goal difference; plus 21 the best in the division.
A Michael Timlin free-kick freed debutant David Martin, who again like Benyon looks as if he will prove a good bit of business for Luggy, suddenly the team looked like it had plenty of options when going forward, but on this occassion his 12 yard effort went wide.
A few hearts were in their mouths when the trainer was on for so long taking a look at just returned to the first eleven keeper Glenn Morris, and no sub keeper on the bench, but he carried on much to the relief of the hom,e sections of the crowd and it has confirmed that though the former Borient man has in fact discolated a finger, he will be fit enough to take on Aidy Boothroyd's, winning, Cobblers next weekend at Sixfields.
You felt all afternoon that the frustration the away team were obviously feeling could lead to a red card, and sure enough on 64 minutes it happened.
The defender, already shown a yellow for a foul on Dickinson in the first half, saw another by match official Brendan Malone when he brought down Benyon, who, after another fine first touch, was about to launch clear with the goal at his mercy when his legs were taken from him.
The Shrimpers now took their foot of the gas a touch, job done but a fourth or fifth would have been nice, and Hall did try and add to the scoreline, yet not for the first time Martin kept his side from a complete thrashing with a fine stop.
Now for two away games at Northampton and Shrewsbury on consequtive Saturdays before the big one against Swindon on January 28th at Roots Hall, by the end of the month promotion could really be in the Shrimpers grasp.
Southend player markings: Morris - 7, Clohessey - 7, Phillips - 7
Barker - 7, Gilbert - 6, Timlin - 7, Kalala - 7, Hall - 7, Martin - 6, Benyon - 7, Dickinson - 7.
Referee- Mr. B. Malone - 7.