Again Graham Coughlan's reserve side failed to impress, then again the experienced Farmers line-up had to wait until 21 minutes from the end before finally finding the net and beating the home side by two second half goals in the reserves Essex derby.
However first year scholar Marlon Agyakwa was the star of the Shrimpers show showing great promise, only 16 he looks a great prospect out on the right wing, and on only 7 minutes after a good Harry Crawford break his curling strike from outside the box went just wide of the right upright.
There were three trialists having a go in the game, centre-backs Maxine Blanchard & Richard Orlu and the striker Ortega Deniran, who did try his luck from far out but his effort went over the bar.
Just before the half hour Freddy Ladapo allowed the Southend keeper Daniel Bentley to make an easy save and that was about it for the first 45.
Even free this was not great entertainment which was surprising with so many senior players on show for both teams.
After the break Jemal Johnson did remind us what he can do, and he might easily get a chance to show more on Saturday with Ryan hall suspended, when he hit the post with a low, hrad strike from around 20 yards.
Then, on 69 minutes, Col U took the lead when old nemisis Karl Duguid, back after a year with Plymouth, found Craig Arnott form a corner and his shot deflected whose first time cross into the path of former loanee John White to strike home from just inside the penalty area.
The Farmers now stepped it up and Duguid nearly scored himself before Bentley did well to twice deny Craig Arnott on 76 minutes before Freddy Ladapo made sure the second rebound ended up past the young Shrimpers shot stopper and the victory was sealed for the team from the wrong part of the county.
With only eight Combination league games this season to be pointless after two of the home ones is unfortunate!
Southend United: Bentley, Furlonge, Artemi, Blanchard, Prosser, Agyakwa, James-Lewis, Kalala (Stevens 75), Johnson, Crawford, Deniran
Subs not used: Njie, Paxman, Hyams & Tatham.
Colchester United: Williams, Alfred, Sanderson, White, Duguid, Arnott, Gillespie (Wright 69), Forlan, Olufemi, Ladapo.
Subs not used: Mafuta, Phillips, Craner, Gilfedder.
For a more comprehensive report from the official site: www.southendunited.co.uk