EXPECTING the unexpected may be par for the course when following the fortunes of Southend United.

But, even by the Shrimpers’ standards, Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Portsmouth at Roots Hall was rather remarkable.

The promotion pushing Hampshire side dominated the opening 31 minutes and raced into a three goal lead.

At that stage of the contest, a tennis set score-line looked to be on the cards and Blues seemed to be set for a humiliating afternoon and yet another defeat at home.

The game was screened live on Sky Sports and those watching wanting a Southend win could well have been forgiven for starting to channel hop.

After all, this was a Shrimpers side short of confidence who headed into the contest with just one victory in their last seven outings.

And the one-sided opening saw Blues looking vulnerable at the back and under immense pressure every time Portsmouth attacked.

At that stage of the afternoon, it seemed a matter of how many Portsmouth would win by and how embarrassing it could get for Southend.

The prospect of a Shrimpers fightback seemed as likely as a lottery win.

But, for the first time since January 2000 when Rochdale visited Roots Hall, Blues came back to secure the most unexpected of points – thanks to Simon Cox.

In a season ravaged by injuries, conceding late goals and painful setbacks, Cox has been a shining light for the Shrimpers despite finding himself in a number of difficult situations.

Cox has been affected more than most by Blues’ struggles and, only at Doncaster on Tuesday, he was forced to line up in an unfamiliar role on the left flank.

The experienced striker has also been incredibly isolated in attack at times and has lacked the support and service needed for him to fully utilise his talents.

As a result, Cox has been forced to put in an unselfish shift for the good of the team at the risk of sacrificing his own personal success.

But, on Saturday, Cox took centre stage with his first hat-trick in seven seasons to take his season’s tally to 15.

The striker has now netted six goals in his last seven games and, right now, he is the main reason stopping Blues being dragged deeper into danger.

Of course, the Shrimpers’ fightback sparked wild celebrations and rightly so.

But, the stark reality, is the game still extended Blues’ winless streak to five games and, despite them working their way up to 13th in the standings, staying up remains the ultimate aim this season.

Southend are now seven points above the relegation zone and are certainly not out of the woods just yet.

But Saturday’s fightback showed exactly the character and determination needed to maintain the Shrimpers’ League One status for another season.

Cox will undoubtedly play a key part in quest for survival but others will also need to step up to the plate, just like Michael Klass on Saturday.

The youngster entered the action midway through the first half and showed a calmness and confidence which had been lacking in the centre of the park.

Klass was also keen to get Blues on the front foot at every possible opportunity in what was arguably his most impressive first team performance so far.

Klass took the place of the injured Stephen Humphrys while Michael Kightly also had to be substituted with a groin problem late on.

Rather unbelievably, that means luckless Blues boss Chris Powell now has 13 players currently sidelined with injuries, alongside Dru Yearwood who remains suspended after being sent off at Charlton Athletic.

Furthermore, centre-backs Rob Kiernan and Harry Lennon are still working their way back to full fitness after long lay-offs and will return to action for the under 23s at MK Dons this afternoon.

More youngsters could therefore be given more opportunities to impress and Blues ended Saturday’s contest with five academy products on the pitch.

That made the Shrimpers’ comeback even more impressive against such a strong side.

But, once again, the challenge facing Blues is to build on what ultimately ended as a positive afternoon.

Up next is an important trip to Accrington Stanley. But, as Saturday showed, just do not try and predict what might happen!