SOUTHEND United manager Phil Brown felt Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at table-topping Wigan Athletic was harsh on his side.

The Shrimpers - who had Jermaine McGlashan sent off just before the hour mark - conceded twice in the final six minutes to suffer another heavy setback on the road.

But Brown insisted Blues’ display was better than the final score-line suggested.

“The score-line doesn’t really reflect what the game was like up until the 85th minute,” said the Shrimpers chief.

“At that point we were a man down but we were looking to push for an equaliser and our counter attacking actually improved when we were down to 10 men.

“We had good possession of the ball but then lost it far too easily which I wouldn’t expect from senior players.

“Wigan have scored from that and we’ve gone on to lose 3-0 but the work-rate and honesty of some of my players was there to be admired despite that final score-line.”

Blues went behind after just eight minutes at the DW Stadium when Michael Jacobs netted with a deflected long range shot.

And the visitors’ hopes of salvaging something from the game were severely hindered when McGlashan was dismissed in the 59th minute for a two-footed challenge on the Latics’ Callum Elder.

However, Brown felt the home side should have been punished for a similar incident in the opening exchanges.

“In the first minute of the game a two-footed challenge from a Wigan player was overlooked and wasn’t even given as a foul,” said Brown, who opted to make five changes to his starting line-up.

“Jermaine has slipped and it looked like a two-footer.

“The slip didn’t do him any favours and we had to shuffle the pack again after that.

“But we stood up to the test until the 85th minute.

“After that it looks like we capitulated but I don’t think we have. We just made a couple of very bad decisions that cost us.

“Hats off to Wigan because they are a good side but we’ve contributed to our own downfall and it seems some of the senior players are lacking a bit of a belief.”

The defeat saw the Shrimpers slip down to 15th in the League One standings and Brown’s troops will now be bidding to bounce back when they host Peterborough United at Roots Hall on Tuesday night.