Southend reignited their survival push with a comfortable defeat of 10-man Walsall - their first win in 12 games.
Franck Moussa was the match-winner with two goals, the first a delicious volley from the edge of the area.
Clayton McDonald then saw red for the visitors for a lunge at Anthony Grant, and although a Matt Richards free-kick hit the bar, Walsall rarely threatened.
Moussa set up Scott Spencer to head home Southend's second before the Belgian headed a third on 89 minutes.
Southend United manager Steve Tilson told BBC Radio Essex: "It was a very good performance. We put our chances away, that's the difference. Franck Moussa could have had three or four, he got in some really good areas.
"As a team I couldn't ask any more in terms of effort, but with the ball we played really well. With three unbeaten, we've got to believe we can get out of the relegation zone.
"We've got ten cup finals - nine now - and we've probably got to win four of them, and maybe draw another."
Live text and stats
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
League One
Home Team
Score
Away Team
Time
Southend
3-0
Walsall
FT
(HT 1-0)
Moussa 19
Spencer 51
Moussa 89
Southend
01 Mildenhall
02 Francis
05 Baldwin
15 Sankofa
18 Herd
07 Grant
08 McCormack
12 Scannell (O'Keefe 64)
14 Moussa
17 Vernon
28 Spencer (Crawford 82)
Substitutes
36 Bentley,
03 Malone,
20 Mvoto Owono,
22 O'Keefe,
09 Paterson,
30 Crawford
Walsall
21 Gilmartin
14 Taundry
19 Vincent
28 McDonald red card
08 Mattis yellow card (Bradley 78)
15 O'Keefe (Smith 37)
20 Richards (Till 46)
24 Gray
07 Jones
10 Deeney
11 Nicholls yellow card
Substitutes
01 Ince,
02 Weston,
06 Smith,
12 Bradley,
18 Till,
09 Parkin,
27 Byfield
Ref: BoyesonAtt: 6,432
SOUTHEND
WALSALL
Possession
Southend54%
Walsall46%
Attempts on target
Southend7
Walsall2
Attempts off target
Southend8
Walsall6
Corners
Southend6
Walsall2
Fouls
Southend11
Walsall15
Final Result
Full Time
90:00+4:00 The referee ends the match.
90:00+3:01 The assistant referee signals for offside against Scott Vernon. Free kick taken by Rene Gilmartin.
90:00+1:49 The ball is sent over by Simon Francis, Peter Till makes a clearance.
88:41 Assist by Simon Francis.
88:41 GOAL - Franck Moussa:Southend 3 - 0 Walsall Franck Moussa grabs a headed goal from inside the penalty box. Southend 3-0 Walsall.
88:38 The ball is swung over by Simon Francis,
86:32 The ball is sent over by Simon Francis, Mark Bradley makes a clearance.
86:19 Mark Bradley challenges Alan McCormack unfairly and gives away a free kick. Alan McCormack takes the direct free kick.
84:49 Anthony Grant produces a right-footed shot from just outside the box that misses to the right of the target.
84:16 The referee gives a free kick against Harry Crawford for handball. Rene Gilmartin restarts play with the free kick.
81:54 Substitution (Southend) makes a substitution, with Harry Crawford coming on for Scott Spencer.
81:35 The ball is delivered by Scott Vernon, clearance made by Julian Gray.
81:05 A cross is delivered by Franck Moussa, save made by Rene Gilmartin.
80:10 Steve Jones concedes a free kick for a foul on Anthony Grant. Alan McCormack restarts play with the free kick.
78:08 The assistant referee flags for offside against Scott Spencer. Rene Gilmartin restarts play with the free kick.
77:17 Rene Gilmartin restarts play with the free kick.
77:17 Substitution Mark Bradley joins the action as a substitute, replacing Dwayne Mattis.
77:17 Scott Vernon is flagged offside by the assistant referee.
76:43 Anthony Grant fouled by Dwayne Mattis, the ref awards a free kick. Anthony Grant restarts play with the free kick.
75:41 A cross is delivered by Simon Francis, Richard Taundry manages to make a clearance. Inswinging corner taken right-footed by Simon Francis, Osei Sankofa takes a shot.
74:46 Unfair challenge on Alex Nicholls by Alan McCormack results in a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Jamie Vincent.
73:04 The official flags Alex Nicholls offside. Steve Mildenhall takes the indirect free kick.
72:25 Shot from outside the box by Alan McCormack misses to the left of the goal.
71:09 Steve Jones delivers the ball, clearance made by Pat Baldwin.
70:17 The assistant referee signals for offside against Alex Nicholls. Steve Mildenhall restarts play with the free kick.
69:24 Franck Moussa has a header from inside the six-yard box and clears the crossbar.
69:07 Franck Moussa takes a shot. Save by Rene Gilmartin.
68:54 Franck Moussa takes a shot. Blocked by Steve Jones.
68:01 Free kick awarded for a foul by Alex Nicholls on Anthony Grant. Direct free kick taken by Anthony Grant.
63:28 Peter Till takes a outswinging corner to the near post, Header from close range by Dwayne Mattis misses to the right of the goal.
63:28 Substitution Stuart O'Keefe on for Damian Scannell.
62:30 Franck Moussa concedes a free kick for a foul on Richard Taundry. Direct free kick taken by Rene Gilmartin.
59:54 Unfair challenge on Damian Scannell by Peter Till results in a free kick. Simon Francis restarts play with the free kick.
57:57 Unfair challenge on Jamie Vincent by Scott Vernon results in a free kick. Rene Gilmartin takes the free kick.
56:52 Scott Spencer gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Emmanuele Smith. Rene Gilmartin takes the free kick.
56:05 Scott Vernon takes a shot. Clearance made by Dwayne Mattis. Corner taken left-footed by Johnny Herd, Emmanuele Smith makes a clearance.
54:24 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Jamie Vincent by Scott Spencer. Rene Gilmartin takes the free kick.
53:54 Simon Francis delivers the ball, clearance by Jamie Vincent.
53:01 Johnny Herd sends in a cross.
52:21 Peter Till concedes a free kick for a foul on Anthony Grant. Alan McCormack takes the direct free kick.
50:57 Assist on the goal came from Franck Moussa.
50:57 GOAL - Scott Spencer:Southend 2 - 0 Walsall Scott Spencer scores a headed goal from inside the penalty box. Southend 2-0 Walsall.
50:54 Centre by Franck Moussa,
49:39 Scott Spencer takes a shot. Save made by Rene Gilmartin.
48:55 Simon Francis sends in a cross, Jamie Vincent makes a clearance.
48:05 Alex Nicholls gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Osei Sankofa. Steve Mildenhall restarts play with the free kick.
46:57 Johnny Herd delivers the ball, Peter Till makes a clearance.
46:01 Handball by Franck Moussa. Free kick taken by Rene Gilmartin.
45:29 Inswinging corner taken by Johnny Herd from the right by-line, clearance by Troy Deeney.
45:07 Substitution Peter Till replaces Matthew Richards.
45:01 The referee gets the second half underway.
Half Time
45:00+3:09 It is the end of the first-half.
45:00+1:33 Effort on goal by Damian Scannell from just inside the area clears the bar.
45:00+1:28 Centre by Franck Moussa.
44:38 Foul by Osei Sankofa on Troy Deeney, free kick awarded. Matthew Richards produces a shot on goal direct from the free kick, Header from deep inside the area by Matthew Richards goes harmlessly over the crossbar.
43:20 Dwayne Mattis gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Alan McCormack. Direct free kick taken by Simon Francis.
43:20 Booking Dwayne Mattis receives a yellow card for persistent infringement.
42:14 Julian Gray fouled by Simon Francis, the ref awards a free kick. Jamie Vincent takes the free kick.
40:11 Troy Deeney fouled by Johnny Herd, the ref awards a free kick. Direct strike on goal from the free kick comes in from Matthew Richards, clearance made by Pat Baldwin. Troy Deeney takes a shot. Blocked by Simon Francis.
38:10 Sent off The referee red cards Clayton McDonald for violent conduct.
36:23 Simon Francis produces a right-footed effort from long distance that goes harmlessly over the bar.
36:23 Substitution Emmanuele Smith comes on in place of Josh O'Keefe.
Correction - 36:23 Clayton McDonald gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Anthony Grant.
32:53 Alex Nicholls gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Alan McCormack. Pat Baldwin restarts play with the free kick.
32:53 Booking Alex Nicholls is shown a yellow card.
32:00 Shot by Franck Moussa from outside the box goes over the net.
29:15 Short corner taken by Julian Gray from the left by-line.
28:33 Shot from just outside the area by Richard Taundry goes over the bar.
27:19 Foul by Pat Baldwin on Josh O'Keefe, free kick awarded. Direct free kick taken by Rene Gilmartin.
25:20 A cross is delivered by Richard Taundry, clearance by Simon Francis.
23:56 Free kick awarded for a foul by Matthew Richards on Damian Scannell. Free kick crossed left-footed by Johnny Herd from right wing, save by Rene Gilmartin.
20:54 Dwayne Mattis concedes a free kick for a foul on Damian Scannell. Direct free kick taken by Simon Francis.
19:44 Scott Spencer fouled by Jamie Vincent, the ref awards a free kick. Alan McCormack restarts play with the free kick.
Correction - 18:14 Assist on the goal came from Johnny Herd.
18:14 The assist for the goal came from Johnny Herd.
18:14 GOAL - Franck Moussa:Southend 1 - 0 Walsall Franck Moussa fires in a goal from just outside the area to the bottom left corner of the goal. Southend 1-0 Walsall.
15:47 A cross is delivered by Matthew Richards, clearance by Pat Baldwin.
Correction - 14:25 Franck Moussa sends in a cross, Effort from the edge of the area by Damian Scannell goes wide of the right-hand post.
14:25 Franck Moussa produces a cross, Damian Scannell has an effort at goal from just inside the box that misses to the right of the goal.
14:12 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Anthony Grant by Troy Deeney. Free kick taken by Anthony Grant.
11:21 Centre by Richard Taundry, Header by Troy Deeney from deep inside the penalty area misses to the right of the target.
10:26 Unfair challenge on Alan McCormack by Dwayne Mattis results in a free kick. Simon Francis takes the direct free kick.
9:25 Effort on goal by Steve Jones from just outside the penalty area goes harmlessly over the target.
7:58 The ball is delivered by Simon Francis, clearance by Jamie Vincent.
7:35 The ball is sent over by Richard Taundry.
7:27 The ball is sent over by Steve Jones, Pat Baldwin makes a clearance.
5:07 Scott Vernon is ruled offside. Free kick taken by Rene Gilmartin.
4:12 Inswinging corner taken left-footed by Johnny Herd, free kick awarded for a foul by Damian Scannell on Rene Gilmartin. Rene Gilmartin restarts play with the free kick.
3:08 Inswinging corner taken by Johnny Herd from the right by-line played to the near post, clearance by Richard Taundry.
2:33 Damian Scannell concedes a free kick for a foul on Rene Gilmartin. Rene Gilmartin restarts play with the free kick.
2:04 Corner taken right-footed by Johnny Herd, Steve Jones makes a clearance.
0:32 Richard Taundry sends in a cross, clearance by Simon Francis.
0:00 The referee gets the game started.
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