Soccer's greatest domestic knockout competition turned into the FA Cup of woe for south-east Essex sides over the weekend.

Not only did the four local clubs competing in the first round proper, Southend United, Canvey Island, Billericay Town and Thurrock, all get beaten -- they couldn't manage a goal between them.

Blues, having won six games on the trot at Roots Hall and moving smartly up the League Two table, were comprehensively outclassed at home to League One runaway leaders Luton Town on Friday night.

They were 3-0 down in little more than half-an-hour and never seriously threatened to get back in the game.

On Saturday Canvey Island went to Nationwide Conference rivals Aldershot Town and looked a fair bet for a second bite of the cherry when they went in at half-time at 0-0.

However, they crashed to a 4-0 defeat in the end and can't be comforted by the fact they return to Shots in the league in little more than three weeks. Billericay Town, from the Ryman Premier, had got through four qualifying rounds of the Cup without conceding a goal.

They only let in one against Conference visitors Stevenage Borough at New Lodge, but that was enough to send them tumbling out with their own hopes of scoring being thwarted by a great goalkeeping display from ex-Southend shot-stopper Andy Woodman.

Finally, Conference South Thurrock remained the last local Cup hope yesterday when they took on League One Oldham Athletic at Ship Lane.

But they suffered the same fate as the other three when a second-half penalty saw them crash out 1-0.