SOUTHEND United’s Morecambe hoodoo continued with a 1-0 defeat against the Shrimps at Roots Hall this afternoon.

Blues came in to the game on the back of four successive wins.

But they were still unable to find a way of beating Morecambe who have now triumphed in eight and drawn one of the nine league meetings between the two teams.

Jim Bentley’s side latest success was secured by Jack Redshaw bagging the only goal of the game after just five minutes.

The former Manchester City trainee was picked out by Shaun Beeley’s fine ball from the right flank which drifted over the head of Southend defender Adam Thompson and enabled him to fire a first time volley in to the back of the net from 12 yards.

The shell shocked Shrimpers came close to immediately drawing back level when Kevan Hurst teed up Conor Clifford and midfielder curled a 16 yard shot against the top of the crossbar.

Moments later, Morecambe hit back and almost doubled their lead when Redshaw again found himself clean through on goal.

However, this time his effort was superbly saved low down to his left hand side by Daniel Bentley before Thompson beat Andrew Wright to the resulting rebound.

Blues again hit back and, with 24 minutes on the clock, Jack Payne curled a deflected long range shot straight at Morecambe goalkeeper Barry Roche.

With Southend continuing to push for an equaliser they wasted a golden chance to score on the half hour mark when Kevan Hurst’s brilliant right wing cross picked out Shaq Coulthirst just eight yards from goal.

But the on loan Totttenham Hotspur striker could only head his effort straight at Roche.

Myles Weston then sent a deflected long range shot straight at Roche before the Shrimps shot-stopper pulled off a fine double save as he denied Coulthirst from close range before also parrying out Hurst’s well struck follow up effort from the edge of the penalty area.

Blues soon went close again when a mis-hit left wing cross from Jerome Binnom-Williams had to be tipped over the crossbar by a backpedalling Roche.

He was then relieved to see Coulthirst drag an angled effort wide of the right post after neat approach play from Payne.

Blues were unable to maintain that level of pressure in the second half and, with 61 minutes on the clock, boss Phil Brown made a double change in a bid to get his side back on top.

Lee Barnard replaced Payne while Will Atkinson came on for Clifford and Blues almost levelled just after the changes with Coulthirst firing just wide of the left post from 25 yards.

The Shrimpers soon made their third substitution with David Worrall replacing Myles Weston.

But it was Morecambe who threatened next with Redshaw having a downward header impressively to his left hand side by Bentley.

The Shrimps then wasted an even clearer chance to score when substitute Andy Fleming raced clean through on goal but he could only fire wide of the right post when he should have done better.

Kevin Ellison then also charged through before having a low shot tipped wide of the right post by Bentley.

Those wasted opportunities almost came back to haunt Morecambe late on, when Prosser's flick from Coulthirst's right wing cross went just inches past the left post and the outstreched boot of the sliding Worrall.