Southend United striker Simon Cox gutted with draw but is determined to stay upbeat

Cox seemed to have fired the Shrimpers back to winning ways with a well-taken effort against the Saddlers on Friday, only for the home-side to secure a 1-1 draw with a hugely contentious last gasp penalty.

But the Blues forward is now already focused on facing the Brewers.

“I have never known anything like this season but we have to take it on the chin and go again on Monday now,” said Cox.

“Of course we’re gutted because I just couldn’t see them scoring at all.

“We defended really well and looked really solid and compact.

We did everything we needed for three points but then they get a penalty which 95 per cent of the people in the stadium would say wasn’t a penalty.

“We’re gutted but we have to take heart from the performance and if we play like that until the end of the season then we should get the points we need to stay up.”

Victory would have seen the Shrimpers move out of the bottom four but Walsall’s late leveller means Blues head into Monday's game still in 22nd place.

Kevin Bond’s side are two points from safety with just three games to go but Cox is hoping the club’s fans, who roared the side on at Walsall, will again be in fine voice this afternoon.

“The fans were just superb,” said Cox.

“I think they saw from the performance that we still have the fight and the heart we need for the situation we find ourselves in. We hope they come and back us again on Monday now for another big game.

“But we’ll keep fighting until the end and give it all we’ve got but everyone at the club has to be doing the same.”

However, the Shrimpers have now not won in 15 games and are running out of time to secure their League One status.

In contrast, Burton arrive at Roots Hall sitting ninth in the table. Nigel Clough's side had gone five games without defeat during a run which included four victories prior to Friday's 2-1 defeat to high-flying Portsmouth.

Monday's game kicks off at 1pm.