Southend United twice came from behind in a highly charged encounter at Tranmere Rovers to earn a point from a 2-2 draw.
Goals from Alex Revell and Kevin Betsy helped the Blues go in level at the break, but they had to withstand heavy pressure from kick-off, as Tranmere missed a succession of chances in front of goal.
Yet Southend improved after the break and despite having to cope with the dismissal of Francis Laurent for an off the ball incident, they held out for a valid point at Prenton Park.
Tranmere supplied the first threat of the afternoon when Aaron Cresswell lined up a free kick 25 yards out and took aim, but with Adam Federici at full stretch he produced a brilliant one-handed save to push the ball behind.
The home side continued to attack and a well crafted move down the right wing in the 8th minute led to Chris Shuker sending a teasing cross to the far post where Ian Moore took advantage of the space afforded him to volley the ball into the far corner.
Southend showed their recovery rate though and equalised within two minutes through Revell.
It was a strange finish from the striker to say the least, but he wasn't complaining, as he connected to Betsy's cross with his knee and saw the ball loop above the head of a motionless Danny Coyne and into the net.
There was a high tempo to the match and Bas Savage was able to add his name to the scoresheet and haul the hosts back in front in the 14th minute, as he charged through the defence and blasted the ball past Federici from 15 yards out.
Southend carelessly away possession in midfield and Moore could have scored again when another quick counter forward ended with Savage crossing for him to strike another volley at goal that sailed just past the right-hand post.
It was then Savage who should have scored again during a dominate spell of pressure from the hosts, as he swung a boot at the ball from all of six yards out and drilled it up and over.
Federici was then kept busy when pushing Steve Jenning's effort around his near post and Moore missed when shooting off target, as Southend struggled to deal with the constant amount of crosses played into their penalty area.
The latest example came when Antony Kay won the ball and only a fine stop from Federici continued to keep the Blues just a solitary goal behind.
But Southend found the perfect way to relieve the pressure when Kevin Betsy scored his first goal for the club in the 35th minute.
Hal Robson-Kanu drilled a brilliant 20 yard strike which cannoned back off the post, but having darted into the box, Betsy reacted first to turn the ball in.
Tranmere came out the blocks quicker at the start of the second half, but Laurent was still able to fashion a sight of goal at the other end when turning his marker before shooting over the top.
Robson-Kanu fizzed a low strike from outside the box that Coyne was unable to hold on to, but no one was on hand to react to meet the rebound.
Kay should have burst Southend's spell of pressure and restored Tranmere's lead when he shot into the sidenetting in front of an open goal, after Savage squared the ball across the face of goal.
Southend's task was then made that much harder when Laurent was shown a straight red card, after the French striker was adjudged to have raised his head to Ryan Shotton in the 72nd minute.
Another superb save from Federici kept the Blues on level terms when he leapt off the ground to hold on to Ian Goodison's header.
The drama continued, as Tranmere were then reduced to 10 men themselves eight minutes from time when Jennings received a second yellow card for a foul on Lee Sawyer.
Three minutes of injury time came up, but Southend continued to hunt down every ball and picked up another important result on the road.
Southend: Federici, Francis, Clarke, Barrett, Harding, Betsy (Grant 78), Christophe, Sawyer (McCormack 87), Robson-Kanu, Revell, Laurent.
Tranmere: Coyne, Chorley, Goodison, Kay, Savage, Moore, Greenacre, Jennings, Cresswell, Shuker, Shotton.
