The threat of Confe-rence League football was finally snuffed out at Barnet on Saturday as second-half strikes from Scott Houghton and Lee Hodges preserved Southend United's Third Division status.

A long-range wonder goal from left-wing-back Houghton and a first league strike for Hodges capped a fine display which lifted the Shrimpers into the cushioned comfort of midtable obscurity.

Spurred on by an impressive travelling support, who outnumbered their Barnet counterparts, Blues extended their unbeaten away run under Alan Little's leadership to four matches.

The Seasiders have been victorious on three occasions and drawn one match on their travels, without conceding a goal - a record which has seen them gradually claw their way out of the relegation dogfight.

All the pre-match talk before the visit to midtable Barnet, which was Southend's first ever trip to Underhill in league competition, was of Blues needing a solitary point to make league survival mathematically certain.

Yet, in all honesty, Southend were pretty much safe before the Barnet clash with bottom club Scarborough needing a divine miracle to get out of trouble as they trailed the Seasiders by nine points and an inferior goals scored total, despite having a game in hand.

With everything looking rosy in the garden for the Shrimpers it would have been easy for Blues to have just turned up at Underhill and gone through the end of season motions against their equally comfortable hosts.

However, that is exactly what they did in their previous match which saw their lacklustre efforts land them an embarrassing 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Brentford and a record-equalling fourth consecutive Roots Hall defeat.

There was never going to be a repeat show at Barnet though, as Blues manager Little is not the sort of man who enjoys humiliation.

He will not tolerate any slackers and he gave his strongest hint yet that the holiday is well and truly over for some of his highly-paid stars by wielding the axe with merciless efficiency following the Brentford debacle.

The hatchet man's victims were out-of-sorts defender Leo Roget, forward Steve McGavin, fellow striker Barry Conlon and German midfielder Lars Unger, with the latter pair not even substitutes.

Martyn Booty, back from a one game suspension, returned to Blues' three-man central defence and Little handed the first starts of his regime to midfielder Kevin Maher and forwards Neville Roach and Alex Burns.

Southend set their stall out from the off, with the likes of Maher and company desperate to prove themselves to their new manager, by getting stuck into their task with a passion and desire which was missing in the Brentford match.

Blues, inspired by free-roving midfielder Hodges' clever tricks and runs which mesmerised Barnet's defence, carved out a number of half-chances, but were not able to cash in on their superiority.

Burns had the best two opportunities of a yawn-infested opening 20 minutes. He volleyed one effort over the bar after latching onto right-wing-back Mark Beard's header and knocked another chance wide after linking up with the same player shortly afterwards.

However, Barnet were determined to make a game of it and worked hard to try and escape the firm grip Southend had on the game.

Veteran marksman Ken Charlery and his young apprentice Marlon King caused the occasional flutter of panic around the Southend penalty box, but on the whole Blues were too strong at the back, thanks to Booty's ability to read the danger signals and mop up any impending threat.

Barnet did come close to opening the scoring, though, in the first-half when the ball found its way to King 10 yards from goal, but skipper Simon Coleman made a magnificent block with his legs, which deflected the ball past the left post.

Unruffled, Southend continued to push forward with defender David Morley nodding a corner from midfielder Simon Livett over the bar, and Roach and Hodges both finding Barnet keeper Lee Harrison's midriff with long-range efforts minutes before the break.

Within 60 seconds of the restart Charlery missed a contender for sitter of the century, never mind the season, when he failed to convert a chance on the Southend goalline.

The big striker had his initial point-blank header saved superbly by Mel Capleton, but with the Blues custodian grounded Charlery smashed the rebound into the keeper's body and the ball ballooned over the bar.

However, Barnet's loss was Southend's gain as Houghton netted a stunning strike four minutes later to give Southend the lead.

Roach had made a strong forward run through the centre of the park and as he was tackled the ball dribbled out to Houghton on the left-wing who smashed an unstoppable 25-yard drive into the top right-hand corner of the Barnet net.

Houghton was not finished there though and 16 minutes later he turned provider by teeing up Hodges for Blues' match clinching goal.

The midfielder accelerated past Barnet's statue-like defence before getting a toe to Houghton's cross, which he stabbed just inside the left- post.

Southend were still hungry for more and Hodges had a great chance to score his second goal of the afternoon in the last minute.

Burns' overhead kick was flicked onto Hodges by substitute striker McGavin, but the West Ham star was denied by Harrison as he raced into the box.

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