This was only the second time in the Club's history that a trio of United players have been sent-off, and ironically the other occassion, some five years ago during September 1998 was also at the Vetch Field. Julian Hails, Mick Gooding and current Club captain Kevin Maher the guilty men that day in a match the Shrimpers lost 3-1.

Of course Southend had already won in Swansea this season, a 2-1 LDV Vans Trophy victory slightly more than a month ago, but few locals expected the Division Three strugglers to repeat the feat, but Southend cannot be under-estimated at the moment. Caretaker boss Tilson has finally sparked life into the squad and the players now seem to be playing with the belief that they can beat anybody as long as they're motivated enough and at the moment motivation seems to be no problem at all.

This was a Southend side we haven't seen for a while, it was a Southend side which wanted to be first to every ball, a side which wouldn't back out of a challenge and a side which attacked and defended in vast numbers. It was a side we didn't see under Steve Wignall, or indeed many of his predecessors.

The results speak for themselves and since Tilson and Brush took soul charge of affairs we have seen four victories out of five and thirteen goals along the way. Stan Collymore has now been forgotten and it is obvious now, even to Ron Martin who applauded the supporters after the match, that Tilson is the fans choice for the manager's job on a full time basis.

It was the home side, with just one previous defeat at home in the League, who made the early running and Kevin Nugent nodded just off target on eight minutes before a neat run from James Thomas saw the young Swans striker cut inside before firing over the top of Darryl Flahavan's crossbar.

On 14 minutes Swansea took the lead, Leon Britton, a former triallist with Blues, delivered a pin-point cross for Thomas who directed a perfect header past Flahavan and into the left hand corner.

However Southend, who hadn't won a League match coming from behind for 14 months, equalised only three minutes later. A fantastic run by Leon Constantine saw the tall striker wriggle his way into the penalty area before driving a low shot past Roger Freestone and into the bootom right hand corner. It was Constantine's tenth strike of the campaign and he becomes the first Southend player to net ten times before Christmas since Brett Angell did so in 1991.

Then, with still only 20 minutes on the clock United were dealt a blow with the foolish sending-off of McSweeney who waved his leg atRobinson after a fifty-fifty challenge on the halfway line. However the fact that Robinson also lashed out seemed to bypass referee George Cain, but what was obvious was that Southend had a tought task with over an hour left to play with a man short.

It was Robinson himself who squandered the next opportunity, stabbing a shot over the crossbar before a great turn by Tes Bramble brought a low shot which beat the far post only by a matter of inches. Lewis Hunt then headed a Gower corner wide of the upright before Bramble was gifted with a fantastic chance to put his side ahead. Having been played clean through on goal by Maher, Bramble somehow managed to scuff a left footed shot badly off target.

However Southend were not to be denied and stole the advantage in first half stoppage time. There didn't appear to be much on when Gower picked the ball up on the left hand edge of the area but the talented midfielder did what he does and cut inside before driving an angled shot across Freestone and into the bottom right hand corner.

Gower's audacious chip just two minutes into the second period dropped just over the top, but, perhaps as expected, Tilson's brave warriors spent most of the second half on the backfoot, fighting for the lives to maintain their slender advantage.

David McSweeney, playing in red, was the first of three to see red

Robinson then shot off target after a strong run before Flahavan pulled off a magnificent save to deny Nugent's header from Richard Duffy centre.

Then, on 85 minutes it all erupted when the Shrimpers were denied what was, in truth, a blantant corner. Smith said something to the linesman and for his words recieved a second booking before Gower was also cautioned seconds later. As a precaution Gower was about to be substututed for Mark Warren but on his way off the pitch muttered something to the same linesman and recieved a second booking just seconds after his first. Brush was then sent to the stand for what was alledgedy an incident with a Steward.

Once everything had eventually calmed down Southend were left to fight out the rest of the contest with only eight players remaining. But then, whilst the small band of travelling supporters prayed in their small section of the Family Stand, in stoppage time substitute Drewe Broughton suddenly broke away down the left, he cut in but Freestone pushed his shot away, the ball however only fell as far as Warren, who had eventually come on to replace Constantine, and the strong defender smashed the ball home to all but clinch the match. Quite simply there were sights of sheer delirium amongst the away support.

United did drift off for a bit with seconds left when Thomas pulled back a consolation with a great volley from 18 yards, but there was only really enough time for Blues to kick-off again before Cain's final blow of his whistle brought an incredible game to its climax, but most importantly took Southend back out of the relegation zone.