It was third time lucky for Southend United as they finally picked up their first away win of the season against Hartlepool United.

A polished performance from the Shrimpers at Victoria Park on Saturday finally got Blues off the mark on their Third Division travels - following previous defeats at Rochdale and Swansea City - as Southend sealed three welcome points in a match packed full of high-drama.

Southend were head and shoulders above a very ordinary Hartlepool outfit and should have had the game sewn up at half-time, such was there superiority.

However, the inevitable happened one minute into the restart when Paul Stephenson punished Southend for a catalogue of missed opportunities by firing the North-East team ahead with a weak free-kick, which Shrimpers keeper Mel Capleton fumbled into his net.

Southend, deservedly equalised through skipper Simon Coleman's header, before Capleton made up for his error by keeping out home striker Chris Freestone's penalty - leaving Seasiders forward Neil Tolson to win the game from the spot himself three minutes from time.

Blues were a class above Hartlepool - they had more skill, invention and grit than their hosts - who couldn't compete with their visitors' free-flowing football.

For an area of the country which supposedly prides itself on knowing a thing or two about how to play the glorious game, Hartlepool seemed to have lost the plot as they were content to just lump the ball forward to their frontmen.

As for Southend they played their way through their opponents with ease as Blues' three-pronged midfield of Mark Tinkler, fit again Gordon Connelly and Scott Houghton by-passed their Hartlepool counterparts as they orchestrated numerous forward raids.

Southend boss Alan Little, who was born a stones throw away from Victoria Park and ended his playing career with Hartlepool, should be proud of his men.

They displayed a tremendous team spirit as they battled and grafted, not letting their heads go down when they fell a goal behind, to earn this victory - qualities which will hold them in good stead during another long and hopefully successful season.

Little kept faith with a back-five for the third successive game against Hartlepool with the immaculate Coleman, Martyn Booty and Leo Roget snuffing out the home attack at the centre of defence.

They were flanked by wing-backs Mark Beard, who replaced rested youngster Garry Cross, and Nathan Jones, who gave valuable support to Tinkler and co, with Tolson and Neville Roach leading Southend's attack.

Southend made a comfortable start to the match, apart from one early scare when Capleton palmed Stephenson's deep right-wing cross away from the head of Hartlepool defender Ian Clark, with six minutes on the clock.

That was the nearest the hosts got to Southend's penalty-area for the next half-an-hour as the Shrimpers dominated the proceedings, creating a glut of goal-scoring opportunities.

Roach went close with a couple of efforts from outside the Hartlepool box, before Houghton sent a 20-yard drive and an awkward volley flashing past the woodwork.

With 22 minutes gone Roach should have given Southend the lead when a slick display of one-touch passing between Connelly, Jones and Houghton released the front-runner goalward, but his tame effort was comfortable for home custodian Martin Hollund.

Three minutes later Roach was in the thick of the action again, but his composure let him down as he blazed an acute-angled effort over the bar, with Tolson screaming for a pass unmarked on the six-yard line.

The Seasiders continued to dictate the game, with Tinkler growing more influential in midfield, and two surging runs from busy-body Houghton resulted in Tolson firing over and Beard steering a shot wide of the left-post after 34 minutes.

Hartlepool finally showed some resistance as Southend old-boy Gary Jones headed a cross from Chris Perkins inches wide of Capleton's left-post three minutes later.

The final word of the half was inevitably Southend's though, as Beard again dragged his shot past the left-post from just inside the box, following a smart cut-back from Connelly.

Southend were made to pay for their wastefulness 60 seconds into the restart when Hartlepool went in front, thanks to a helping hand from Capleton.

Coleman fouled Stephenson on the left-edge of Blues' box and although the winger's slightly deflected free-kick lacked any power, it found the back of the net as Capleton lost control of the ball and embarrassingly helped it over the line.

A determined response from Southend, with Trevor Fitzpatrick replacing Roach, saw Jones and Tolson find the goalkeeper's midriff with shots, before Beard conjured up an equaliser.

The wing-back forced his way down the right-channel past Clark before sending over a looping by-line cross, which Seasiders captain Coleman stooped to head past Hollund at the far-post after 63 minutes.

However, Southend weren't prepared to settle for just one point and continued to push forward, backed by superb vocal support from the 100 travelling Shrimpers fans, with Houghton again going close with a long-range drive.

With ten minutes remaining though, it looked as if Blues were going to make the long-trip home to Essex empty handed as Capleton conceded a penalty.

The Southend custodian had a massive goal-kick from his opposite number Hollund covered, until the ball took a wicked bounce on the edge of his box back to Hartlepool's substitute hitman Kevin Henderson, who was upended by Capleton as he raced goalward.

Thankfully though, Blues' No 1 kept his nerve, diving to his left to push away Freestone's penalty - the first the ex-Middlesbrough man has ever missed - as the Southend keeper made it three league spot-kick stops out of four in a Shrimpers shirt.

For his next trick, Capleton showed great athleticism to keep out a deflected 25-yard drive from Hartlepool's Norwegian midfielder Thomas Tennebo, with six minutes left, before Southend earned their first penalty in more than a year.

Houghton raced into the Hartlepool box and was clattered in a 50-50 challenge with Hollund, resulting in a spot-kick successfully converted by Tolson, who crashed home his third match winning goal of the campaign in the dying minutes.

Got it covered - Blues' defender Leo Roget does battle with former Roots Hall striker Gary Jones while goalkeeper Melvin Capleton looks on

(Right) Goal hero - man-of-the-match Simon Coleman got Southed United back on level terms

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.