IF the form book and pre-match predictions of many pundits were to be believed, Accrington Stanley should have expected to return from Southend broken hearted.

As it was, it was the Shrimpers who saw their 10-match unbeaten run ended and were left sobbing into their Valentine’s Day meals after the Reds produced a terrific performance to win 2-1.

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John Coleman was forced into one change to the side that beat Oxford with Seamus Conneely coming in for the injured Adam Buxton but they continued their momentum at Roots Hall, haranguing and harassing their hosts from the first minute.

The Reds survived an early penalty appeal against Rob Atkinson and saw Terry Gornell and Gerardo Bruna off target with efforts in a first half of few chances before two key moments brought proceedings to life.

First Southend missed a great chance when Atkinson left a Jerome Binnom-Williams hook forward for goalkeeper Scott Davies only for Joe Pigott to latch onto the ball. The on loan Charlton striker found himself one on one but could only clip the top of the crossbar with his chip.

Soon after it was Stanley’s turn to rue their fortune; a corner to the near post was met by a right foot flick from skipper Luke Joyce and with debutant keeper Ted Smith beaten Ryan Leonard headed the ball off the line.

The 0-0 half-time scoreline had the home fans frustrated but it was about to get worse.

Eight minutes into the second half Stanley took the lead. Nicky Hunt’s long throw from the right was helped across the face of goal by a defender and Piero Mingoia pounced to volley home emphatically past Smith into the bottom right corner from the edge of the six yard box to register his fifth goal of the season.

It was the first goal Phil Brown’s side had conceded in their last eight home games and Roots Hall was stunned. Moments after the goal Joyce and Windass combined from a corner again but the former’s header was over the bar.

Chances in the Stanley box were few and far between and when they did come Southend failed to make the best of them. Michael Timlin and Josh Payne got in each other’s way before Adam Thompson headed wide as they looked to level things up.

Twenty minutes from time the home side’s task got even bigger when Stanley grabbed their second. Smith cleared with a goal kick straight to Joyce who headed the ball into space for the superb Gornell to chase.

Tuesday’s matchwinner made no mistake again, dinking the ball deftly over the goalkeeper for his second goal of the week to make it 2-0.

The two goal cushion lasted just a minute, with sub Barry Corr heading in Payne’s right wing cross at the far post to end Stanley’s hopes of back to back clean sheets and make it 2-1.

But an anticipated onslaught never really came.

Instead Stanley sub Kal Naismith was denied a third goal by a block from Corr inside his own box as the Reds looked to see things out with a degree of comfort.

Balls were shelled into the visitors’ area and the home players protested for a series of perceived penalties to no avail but Davies was rarely tested, holding on comfortably to a strike from former Stanley loanee David Worrall.

The full-time whistle secured two consecutive wins for the first time since November and a deserved three points for an excellent Stanley display.

Southend United: T Smith, White, Thompson, Binnom-Williams, Coker (Hurst 73), Atkinson (Worrall 54), Timlin, Leonard, Payne, Pigott, Cassidy (Corr 63) Subs not used: Prosser, Coulthirst, P Smith, Deegan Goals: Mingoia 53, Gornell 71 (Stanley); Corr 72 (Southend) Attendance: 5241 Referee: Mick Russell (Hertfordshire)