I think it's fair to say referee Mick Russell did not have a good day at the office.
With the game as good as over at half-time with the Blues one goal and a man down, it's to their credit that they finished the game unlucky not to have gained at least a point.
Blues boss Steve Tilson kept Alex Revell up front but decided to draft in Sunderland loanee Jean Yves M'Voto at centre-half for the soon to be departed Matt Heath while the other member of the Colchester duo, John White, did return at left back.
M'Voto went on to have a decent league debut and should turn out to be a good signing by Tilly.
The away side side had the best of the early skirmishes with Revell giving his usual big hearted performance. Captain Adam and Lee Barnard both going close, the latter a stinging volley well tipped over by Robins keeper David Lucas.
Then within a minute Southend showed, again, their vunerabilty at set pieces. On 19 minutes Anthony McNamee swung in a free-kick from the left and Jean-Francois Lecsinel heads just wide.
Sadly for the visitors they didn't heed this warning.
Sixty seconds later; another free-kick, again from the left, though it's Jon-Paul Mcgovern this time, a poor headed clearance from John White falls directly into the path of the unmarked Scott Cuthbert, who hits a low, powerful shot into the corner that gives Shrimpers keeper Steve Mildenhall no chance. 1-0.
The Moose, as ever, tries to get things going before referee Russell makes his first intervention of the game on 28 minutes, it will not be his last.
A touch of handbags sees yellow cards for Lecsinel and M'Voto where a talking to would have been enough, yet 6 minutes later he repeated the offence.
Jean-Francois Christophe, already booked for a challenge only a few minutes earlier, was tripped close to the penalty area. Fair enough, the ref says no foul, equally fairly, Christophe is surprised and may have said a naughty word though it's not been reported.
Whatever, Russell decides to hand the Blues midfielder another yellow and his marching orders, one presumes for diving!
Unbelivable, the game was just over the half hour, two wrongs don't make a right but a decent referee would have given the player a strong chat and a warning.
Very poor as the Shrimpers were happy to finish the half only a goal down and re-group.
Ex-Blue Billy Paynter was starting to get involved more before the referee, on 57 minutes, decided to turn down a penalty shout as Moussa went down in the box after a challange by Scott Cuthbert.
I could just about accept that but not the second appeal where Barnard was clearly impeded in the penalty area but the Swindon defence probably felt they could get away with anything with this twat, and they were right.
Southend were piling on the pressure even with only ten men, and Barrett headed wide from a Moussa corner, however the Shrimper defensive shortcomings were to rear their ugly head again.
With 11 minutes remaining M'Voto lost possesion on the edge of the 12-yard box and though the Essex club believed both Anthony Grant and Simon Francis had been fouled, Tope Obadeyi went on and his shot somehow crawled under the body of the diving Mildenhall.
From the other end it was difficult to know if the Blues had a case but they certainly made their feelings known to referee Russell who by now must have just wanted to blow the final whistle! 2-0.
On 70 minutes Tilly had substituted the tirering Barnard and Revell for Damien Scannell to go wide and Francis Laurent to attack down the middle.
On 81 minutes he was rewarded for that decision when Scannell cut inside and smashed his shot into the top of the net from 11 yards. A great goal. 2-1.
It was all Southend now as Francis, who overall had one of his shockers, worked his way clean through but shot high over the bar.
Obadeyi broke away in stoppage time yet Mildenhall was equal to his shot making a good save.
Finally, it was over without the Blues making a clear chance for an equaliser.
We lost, and it's hard to judge Swindon on this game, did they relax once we were down to ten men and they were a goal to the good, but the Southend players left to well deserved applause from the travelling faithful who knew they had given everything.
Swindon Town: Lucas, Amankwaah, Cuthbert, Greer (c), Jean-Francois, McGovern, Ferry (Timlin 77), Douglas, McNamee (O'Brien 69), Hutchinson (Obadeyi 63) , Paynter.
Substitutes not used: Smith (GK), Morrison, Kennedy, Macklin.
Southend United: Mildenhall - 6, Francis - 5, Barrett (c) - 6, M'Voto - 6, White - 6, Grant - 7, McCormack - 7, Christophe - 6, Moussa - 7, Barnard - 6 (Scannell 70 - 7), Revell - 7 (Laurent 70 - 7).
Substitutes not used: Sankofa, Heath, Betsy, Walker, Freedman.