A late strike from Alan McCormack helped Southend United come from behind and end their last game of the season at Roots Hall with a 2-1 victory over Stockport County.
With both sides already having their fate sealed with relegation into League Two, the first half was a disappointing affair, but the match sprang into life in the closing stages after former Blues loanee Jabo Ibehre headed the visitors into the lead.
Southend's response was swift though and after Harry Crawford looked to have got the vital last touch to equalise with his first goal for the club, McCormack secured the win at the death when heading home after excellent work from Matt Paterson.
The Blues made the brighter start to the match, with Pat Baldwin hooking the ball over the crossbar from inside the box before seeing their celebrations cut short in the fourth minute after McCormack thought he scored.
A brilliant ball over the top from Stuart O'Keefe set McCormack through, but as he lobbed the ball over the top of goalkeeper Lloyd Rigby, he was left to look over to see the linesman flagging to disallow the goal for offside.
Yet in the 16th minute, McCormack was played through again, as he exchanged passes with Scott Vernon to charge into the box, but despite the flag staying down this time, he volleyed the ball wide of the left-hand post when he should have scored.
Stockport rarely troubled Southend in the opening 45 minutes, but had a decent opening on the stroke of half time when James Vincent arrowed a low shot from 15 yards that Steve Mildenhall smothered at the second attempt.
David Poole had a great chance for Stockport after the restart, but miscued his shot from just six yards out before having another sight of goal when blasting the ball over the top from an acute angle inside the box.
At the other end, Danny Swailes nearly headed into his own net when knocking the ball wide of the right-hand post from a corner, but it was Stockport who opened the scoring in the 71st minute.
Danny Pilkington delivered a free kick from the right flank and Ibehre reacted first to head the ball into the far corner of the net and beyond the outstretched arm of Mildenhall.
Southend's reaction though was to draw level within just four minutes, with Johnny Herd swinging over a cross from the left wing and after Swailes directed the ball goalwards, Crawford got the last touch to send it over the line for his first goal in professional football.
Paterson looked to make a swift impact off the bench and would have scored were it not for a stunning save from Rigby, who tipped his instant volley over the frame of the goal with one hand.
But Paterson played a crucial part in the winning goal, as he twisted and turned his way past two players on the left wing before delivering a teasing cross for McCormack to power a bullet header into the roof of the net.
Southend: Mildenhall, Francis, M'Voto, Baldwin, Herd, Grant, McCormack, O'Keefe, Moussa, Crawford, Vernon (Paterson 70).
Stockport: Rigby, Turnbull, Partridge (Pilkington 41), Huntington, Vincent, Ibehre, Poole (Donnelly 79), Halls, Swailes, Perkins, Sadler.
