PROBLEMS continue to mount for struggling Southend United.

The bottom of the table Shrimpers suffered a dire 3-0 defeat at Salford City tonight and remain bottom of the League Two table without a single victory to their name.

Blues have now gone 10 games, in all competitions, without tasting victory and suffered a further blow at the Peninsula Stadium with Nathan Ralph being stretchered off with a serious looking injury.

Ralph, who dislocated his shoulder last season, was stretchered off after just nine minutes and was replaced at left-back by Richard Taylor.

But the first half was slow to get going and was incredibly short of quality.

Salford posed perhaps slightly more of a threat and Paul Scholes’ side broke the deadlock in the 26th minute when a deep right wing free-kick from Ibou Touray caused havoc in the Shrimpers’ penalty area.

And, with Blues goalkeeper Mark Oxley rooted to his line, the ball bounced around the penalty area before Harry Lennon inadvertently diverted the ball into the bottom right hand corner of his own net.

Southend were angered again just moments later when Brandon Goodship went to ground in the penalty area while under pressure Touray but referee Carl Boyeson opted to wave play on.

After the break, Blues came close to equalising when an inswinging free-kick from Kyle Taylor was pushed away by Salford goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky before the hosts hit back with Brandon Thomas-Asante firing into the side-netting from a narrow angle.

After surviving the scare, Southend replied and again had strong shouts for a penalty waved away when debutant James Olayinka went to ground in the box.

With an exciting few minutes continuing, Thomas-Asante then charged through for the hosts, only for Lennon to get back and deflect the ball behind with an impressive last ditch challenge.

Thomas-Asante was then denied by Oxley who did well to divert the striker’s well struck shot wide of the right post before the Blues custodian pushed away a swerving 25 yard shot from Ash Hunter.

But Salford eventually doubled their lead in the 58th minute when a left wing cross from Touray was neatly controlled by an unmarked James Wilson who rolled a low, left footed shot into the right hand side of the net.

Five minutes later, Salford were celebrating again as they piled more misery on the Shrimpers as Hunter’s ball from the right hand side picked out Ian Henderson who headed home from close range.

Henderson's effort completely killed off the game but Blues responded with two changes in quick succession with Ashley Nathaniel-George and Shaun Hobson both entering the action.

But it was the hosts - who had shareholders Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs watching from the stands - who stayed on top and comfortably saw out the closing stages.

Southend United: Oxley, Bwomono, Dieng, Lennon (Hobson 74), Ralph (R Taylor 9), Egbri, Demetriou, K Taylor, Olayinka, Goodship (Nathaniel-George 67), Sterling