Southend United were denied the early Christmas present they needed, after missing out on picking up a much-needed result on the road in a 1-0 defeat at Exeter City.
The Blues have now lost their last seven games away from home and they failed to change such a sequence in this League One fixture, with both teams eventually finishing the match with 10 men.
It was a hard fought game with few openings in front of goal created by either side, but Southend will look back on two good chances for Jabo Ibehre in the first half, with the striker's disappointing afternoon summed up when he was later sent off.
Excellent work down the left wing did hand Southend the perfect chance to take the lead inside 12 minutes.
Franck Moussa and Scott Malone exchanged passes and the on-loan left back darted forward before delivering an in-swinging cross, which looked set for Ibehre to head in his first goal of the club, but the ball somehow got away from him as he failed to provide any connection.
Just five minutes later though and it was Exeter celebrating with Adam Stansfield collecting a long ball over the top and with Steve Mildenhall caught in two minds as to whether to come to the ball, Stansfield lobbed it over his head and into the net off the left-hand post.
Ryan Harley had a great opportunity to score a second goal for the hosts, as he ghosted into the box to meet a left wing cross, but with just Mildenhall to beat, he poked the ball wide of the right-hand post.
It wasn't turning out to be Ibehre's day, with Malone supplying another good cross from the left, but the striker could only head the ball wide of the target from in front of goal.
A great chance arrived for Southend after the break, with Simon Francis breaking down the right wing and whipping in a cross for Lee Barnard, but he could only head straight at goalkeeper Paul Jones.
The Blues were enjoying a good spell of pressure and Alan McCormack charged into the penalty box to collect a pass, but his fierce effort from a tight angle was blocked by the body of Jones.
Exeter found themselves reduced to 10 men in the 63rd minute, with Barry Corr shown a straight red card for a late tackle on Anthony Grant.
Yet despite the numerical advantage in Southend's favour, it was actually Exeter who came closest to scoring again, with Harley found totally unmarked from a free kick, but heading directly into Mildenhall's gloves.
The Blues made a double change 15 minutes from time with Damian Scannell and James Walker coming on to replace Malone and McCormack, but this attacking decision may have needed a quick rethink after Ibehre was sent off in the 78th minute.
An off the ball incident involving Ibehre and Richard Duffy resulted in the referee consulting his linesman before showing the red card.
A shot from Walker was pushed out by Jones before Stansfield got away from Scott Morrison and should have scored, only to fire the ball wide of the right-hand post.
From a short corner, a well-struck shot from Franck Moussa was gathered by Jones as Exeter held out for the win to leave Southend now looking to respond in the local derby at home to Colchester United on Boxing Day.
Southend: Mildenhall, Francis, Morrison, Barrett, Malone (Walker 75), Laurent, Grant, McCormack (Scannell 75), Moussa, Ibehre, Barnard.
Exeter: Jones, Tully, Duffy, Russell (Dunne 56), Taylor, Harley, Stansfield, Golbourne, Corr, Cozic, Archibald Henville (Edwards 71).
