Defender Leon Cort scored a hat-trick for Southend as they condemned Boston to an eighth successive defeat.

Cort struck in the seventh, 23rd and 88th minutes, each of his goals coming from headers following free-kicks.

Mark Rawle bagged the Shrimpers' other goal, a drive from 15 yards shortly before the break to put his side 3-0 up.

But any thoughts they entertained of being able to cruise to victory were soon shattered as Richard Logan and Mark Angel struck in the 57th and 64th minutes for Boston.

Simon Weatherstone went close to grabbing a Boston equaliser before Cort arrived on the scene once more to become the first defender in Southend's history to score a hat-trick.

Southend: Flahavan, Beard, Cort, McSweeney, Searle, Scully, Thurgood, Maher, Rawle, Bramble, Jones. Subs: Gay, Salter, Broad, Clark, Tilson.

Boston Utd: Bastock, Costello, Hocking, Balmer, Chapman, Lee Thompson, Higgins, Redfearn, Angel, Simon Weatherstone, Logan. Subs: Conroy, Battersby, Douglas, Ross Weatherstone, Cook.

Referee: K Hill (Hertfordshire)