WASTEFUL Accrington Stanley’s wait for a League One win goes on after they failed to take their chances and were beaten 3-0 at Southend United.

John Coleman’s team could easily have been well in front when the injury hit Shrimpers took the lead before extending Stanley’s wait for three points to seven games.

There was one change from the abandoned game with Sunderland with Michael Ihiekwe fit to return at the expense of Ross Sykes and the visitors were immediately making the running at Roots Hall.

Billy Kee had the first real chance when Sean McConville’s right wing free kick fell to him in the box but he smashed the ball over the bar from close range.

Moments later a fine run from Sam Finley ended with the midfielder bending a shot just wide with the outside of his boot before Offrande Zanzala met a Finley cross but could only fire into the side netting. They would be made to regret not taking those early chances as the hosts hit the front.

Southend’s first real attack brought the opening goal of the game when a fierce strike from Simon Cox was parried by Reds keeper Connor Ripley only to go straight to Sam Mantom who converted from a tight angle on the right to make it 1-0.

McConville looked to hit back straight away with a shot straight at Shrimpers keeper Mark Oxley but within less than five minutes Stanley’s troubles were doubled.

This time Cox was scorer rather than provider, reacting quickest to pounce on the ball when Stephen Hendrie’s low effort was blocked on the line, Taylor Moore fired it back into the penalty area and Cox pounced to beat Ripley.

The tone for the whole encounter was set, with Stanley heading up to the other end of the pitch and proving unable to get themselves back into the game.

Hendrie did brilliantly to scramble Nick Anderton’s cross out from inside the six yard box with Finley arriving before Ihiekwe put a free header over the top from a McConville free kick.

It could have been worse on the stroke of half time when Cox raced onto Theo Robinson’s flick on and found himself one on one with Ripley but the keeper quickly rushed out to block and ensure it was only 2-0 at the break.

After the restart there was more of the same. Defender John White turned the ball over his own bar from a Finley cross, McConville hit a fine strike from 30 yards that was just turned over by Oxley and the Stanley captain’s header from Callum Johnson’s delivery was held by the goalkeeper.

But once again when the visitors looked to be on top they were caught out. Chris Powell’s team nicked the ball in the Stanley half and found Cox who in turn threaded a fine ball through for Robinson who kept his cool to sweep a third goal beyond Ripley and put the result pretty much beyond doubt.

Even then there were more opportunities for Coleman’s men to get back into the game with a Kee shot deflected over, McConville seeing an effort blocked inside the box and sub Connor Hall even finding the net only for fellow sub Ross Sykes to be flagged offside.

The final whistle meant it was just two points since late October for Stanley. It is their worst run in two years coinciding with a habit of misfiring in front of goal which was all too clear to see in the Essex rain.