Southend United crashed to a 3-1 defeat against Southampton at a rain soaked Roots Hall.
Two goals from Adam Lallana put Southampton in control in the first half, despite George Friend's first strike for the club with a spectacular free kick helping the Blues overcome a disappointing start to this League One match.
That very start saw Southampton take the lead inside six minutes in controversial circumstances, with Steve Mildenhall appearing to have two hands on the ball when Neal Trotman scored.
Rickie Lambert headed goalwards from a corner and after Mildenhall made the save, he looked to grasp the ball, only for Trotman to bundle it over the line and the goal to be given.
There was plenty of frustration shown from Southend, but they looked to response when Lee Barnard arrowed a low shot straight at goalkeeper Kelvin Davis.
Yet the visitors should have taken a two-nil lead when Lallana was put in the clear, but Mildenhall saved his initial strike and then recovered to make an even better stop from his follow-up effort.
Half chances fell the way of the Blues when Francis Laurent shot wide and Adam Barrett aimed a shot straight at Davis, but in the 27th minute they got back on level terms in impressive fashion.
Friend lined up a free kick from 25 yards out and rifled a stunning strike that cannoned off the top of the crossbar and over the line.
It was the perfect response, but the Blues could only hold out for a further five minutes before Southampton regained the lead with a fortuitous goal.
Simon Francis failed to make a proper clearance out of his own penalty box and after Morgan Schneirderlin drilled the ball goalwards, Lallana got a lucky deflection to wrong foot Mildenhall and score.
Lallana was then on target again just before the interval to put the Saints into a 3-1 lead, with Davis hitting a long goal kick forward that caught the Southend defence flat-footed and allowed the striker to direct a composed finish beyond Mildenhall.
The second half was a much more lukewarm affair, with Southend struggling to create the chances they needed to get back into the match.
Laurent did head over a corner from close range, but the Blues had to keep their guard at the other end of the field when Papa Waigo N'Daiye's goalbound shot was blocked by Friend.
Francis looked set to pull a goal back when he was first to a corner, but this time Dan Harding was in the right place to clear the ball off the line.
The Blues simply couldn't find the space needed to make their mark, with Roy O'Donovan's low shot turned around the post, as they slipped to a second home defeat of the season.
Southend: Mildenhall, Francis, Sankofa, Barrett, Friend, Laurent (O'Donovan 78), Grant, McCormack (Christophe 85), Moussa, Freedman (Sawyer 67), Barnard.
Southampton: Davis, Harding, Jaidi, Lambert, N'Daiye (Antonio 76), Wotton (Perry 86), Trotman, Hammond, Schneirderlin (Mills 90), Lallana, James.
