TWO goals in the space of five second half minutes saw Southend United record their second away win of the week this afternoon.

The Shrimpers had gone six games without a victory on the road prior to Tuesday night’s 3-0 win at Oldham Athletic on Tuesday night.

But goals from John White and Marc-Antonie Fortune handed the Shrimpers another triumph on their travels at play-off pushing Bradford City.

The game – which was slow to get going - was a stop start affair early on and, with 15 minutes on the clock, Bradford were forced into making an enforced change as Kai Bruenker was stretchered off.

He was replaced by former Blues youth team striker Dominic Poleon and, shortly after the alteration, the hosts came close to taking the lead when Callum Guy’s long range effort was tipped wide of the left post by Shrimpers goalkeeper Mark Oxley.

In reply, Blues youngster Dru Yearwood sent a deflected effort wide of the right post before a right wing cross from Fortune flew across the face of goal.

After the half chance come a period of prolonged inactivity before Bradford threatened on the stroke of half-time with Poleon heading over a right wing cross from Alex Gilliead.

Two minutes in to the second half, Nathaniel Knight-Percival headed a wayward Matthew Lund shot inches wide of the left post before Oxley kept the scores level with a stunning double save in the 57th minute.

The Shrimpers shot-stopper did well to keep Timothee Dieng’s close range header and then somehow kept out Poleon’s effort from the subsequent rebound.

After surviving the scare, Southend hit back with Sam Mantom volleying Stephen McLaughlin’s right wing corner over the crossbar.

Moments later and, with 65 minutes on the clock, Blues boss Chris Powell made his first change of the afternoon with Michael Kightly replacing Theo Robinson.

Shortly after the change, Jason Demetriou sent a low 30 yard free-kick straight at City goalkeeper Colin Doyle who then also tipped a low effort from Mantom wide of the left post.

But Blues were not to be denied for long and, in the 73rd minute, the visitors broke the deadlock, with White on target.

The Shrimpers centre-back was picked out by looping right wing cross from McLaughlin and netted with a neatly taken header which he nodded into the bottom right hand corner of the net from 10 yards.

Just five minutes later, Southend doubled their lead following a well-constructed counter-attack led by Dru Yearwood.

The young midfielder picked the ball up just in front of his own penalty area before charging the full length of the pitch and teeing up Fortune whose deflected effort looped up into the air before dropping into the right hand side of the net.

Shortly after the strike, Fortune limped off and was replaced by Freddie Ladapo who soon set up Simon Cox to fire inches over the crossbar with a curling effort.

In turn, Cox then made way for youngster Lewis Gard late on as Blues recorded their third win in succession.