A youthful Southend United reserve side produced an impressive display to win 3-0 at home to Stevenage Borough.
Duan O'Archie set the tone by opening the scoring in the first half and the Blues continued to dominate proceedings after the break at Roots Hall, with further goals from George Smith and Julian Okai.
Daniel Bentley was needed to tip an early header from Adam Moss over the bar, but it was Southend who soon provided the greater threat going forward.
O'Archie should have put the Blues in front when he was found alone inside the box from Smith's left wing cross, but contrived to head wide of the target.
Yet it was the same combination moments later that allowed O'Archie to make amends and open the scoring in the 24th minute.
Smith chased down a long ball over the top and having escaped his marker to charge through on goal, it was O'Archie who was able to pick up possession and with just goalkeeper Callaghan Smith to beat, he kept his composure to slot the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
Stevenage looked to response and fashioned a couple of half chances, as Nico Salapatas shot into the side netting before Alwyne Powell managed to get past Bentley, but from an acute angle his effort was pushed behind.
O'Archie was still the main focal point of Southend's attack and after Marcus Milner went on an impressive run down the right wing, the move ended as he squared the ball to the striker, but his low shot was wide of the right-hand post.
The first half then ended with Smith drilling a strike at goal from just inside the box, but his namesake in the Stevenage goal was equal to the effort to parry it to safety.
Yet Southend made a lightening start to the second half and doubled their lead inside the first minute, with Smith on hand to turn the ball in from close range.
Alfie Wren tried to get Stevenage back into the match when taking aim from 15 yards out, but Bentley was at full flight to make an impressive save to tip the ball over the ball.
Anthony Furlonge could have further increased the Blues' lead when shooting wide from in front of goal as he reacted first to a free kick, but Bentley was soon coming to the rescue at the other end to make an excellent save to deny Jack Cornhill.
As it was, Southend went on to wrap up the victory in the 70th minute, as Okai lined up a free kick 25 yards out and superbly curled the ball beyond Smith.
Southend: Bentley, Furlonge, Whittaker, Baucutt, Malone (Nesbitt 63), Milner, Ekim, James-Lewis, Smith (Abedellah 72), Okai, O'Archie.
