AN OWN goal from Luke Prosser condemned Southend United to a 3-2 defeat against West Ham United in an entertaining pre-season friendly at Roots Hall this afternoon.

Kevan Hurst and Jack Payne were both on target for the Shrimpers either side of an impressive brace from the Hammers’ Dimitri Payet.

But it was Prosser’s unfortunate own goal which eventually settled the clash in favour of Slaven Bilic’s side.

The Hammers had earlier started the game strongly with Djair Parfitt-Williams having a cross-shot tipped over by Shrimpers shot-stopper Daniel Bentley before Stephen Hendrie fired wide of the right post when well placed in the penalty box.

Payet then also sent a long range shot straight at Bentley before Blues opened the scoring in the 20th minute, with Hurst on target.

The Shrimpers winger cut in off the left hand side of the penalty area and unleashed a low shot which took a deflection on its way past Hammers goalkeeper Darren Randolph.

Blues soon almost doubled their lead when Myles Weston saw a curling effort impressively tipped wide of the left post by Randolph.

But, with 25 minutes on the clock, West Ham drew back level when Payet curled a brilliant free-kick into the top left hand corner of the net after Martin Samuelson had been brought down by John White.

Four minutes later, Payet – a recent £10.7million signing from Marseille, was again on target as he superbly curled a low, 25 yard shot into the bottom right hand corner of the net.

Moments later, Diafra Sakho fired straight at Bentley following a misplaced pass from Gary Deegan before Blues drew back level in the 40th minute after Randolph failed to collect a right wing cross from Weston.

As a result, Anthony Wordsworth soon swept onto the loose ball and delivered a pin-point cross which Payne headed home from close range.

After the break, West Ham began to get back on top with Sakho having an effort blocked by Bentley when clean through on goal before they bagged what proved to be the game’s decisive effort in the 57th minute.

Payet was again involved as he tricked his way into the left hand side of the penalty area before delivering a low cross which Prosser sliced into his own net.

In reply, Payne soon sent a low, long range shot straight at Randolph before a number of substitutions, from both sides, saw the game became less eventful.

However, West Ham did almost extend their lead when Cheikhou Kouyate charged through but his effort was well saved by Bentley.

Southend United: Bentley (T Smith 84), White (Zubar 70), Bolger (Matsuzaka 80), Prosser (Barrett 60), Coker (Bridge 84), Hurst (Atkinson 60), Deegan (Williams 74), Wordsworth (Leonard 60), Payne (Timlin 60), Weston (Worrall 60), Mooney (Galbraith 70).

West Ham United: Randolph, Pike, Collins, Ogbonna (Oxford 60), Hendrie (Page 60), Poyet, Kouyate (Nasha 60), Payet (Cullen 60), Parfitt-Williams (Mavila 60), Samuelsen (Maiga 60), Sakho