Southend twice pegged us back from a winning position to hold us to a draw at Roots Hall.

Macaulay Langstaff had sent us into the break ahead with his 18th goal of the season, only for the hosts to restore parity when Ollie Kensdale looped a header past Sam Slocombe despite appearing to blatantly shove Cedwyn Scott as he jumped.

We were back in front shortly afterwards thanks to a fine Scott finish, but the hosts levelled again when Aden Baldwin could only turn a low cross into his own net.

Luke Williams made one change to the side that drew with Bromley in midweek, with Richard Brindley taking Connell Rawlinson’s position on the right of the back three.

The match began with the sides jostling for dominance, both having good spells but without creating any real clear-cut chances.

Sam Slocombe was the first keeper called into action when he pushed a shot away relatively comfortably, before watching the ball wide of his near post five minutes later when Callum Powell rounded off a counter-attack with an off-target effort.

Our response came six minutes later through Scott, who was first to a loose ball in the area before dragging his left-footed effort through a crowd of bodies and wide of the far post.

A minute later, Rodrigues played Langstaff into the area and, from a difficult angle, the forward sent a short across goal and a yard or so wide.

The hosts then had a threatening moment of their own when Slocombe’s pass didn’t reach its intended recipient, eventually leaving the keeper with the task of saving a shot at his near post.

Plenty of ball was being won and lost in central areas – and it was to our benefit on 34 minutes when Matt Palmer emerged from a challenge and burst into the space in front of him. He supplied Langstaff, whose deflected effort found the back of the net.

Searching for a second before the break, Palmer broke through again three minutes later, this time playing the ball to Rodrigues. The Portuguese skipped along the edge of the box and the ball eventually ran for Scott who couldn’t get hold of his curling effort, leaving an easy save for Collin Andeng Ndi.

We emerged for the second half unchanged and, on 54 minutes, were incensed by the referee’s decision not to blow for a foul as Kensdale put two hands into Scott’s back before heading home the equaliser from a corner.

Six minutes later, however, Scott channelled his frustrations into putting us back in front once again. The forward twisted and turned on to his right foot before unleashing a sweetly struck, low effort which found the back of the net.

But the game’s topsy-turvy nature meant there was no way we could relax, and the hosts were level again on 65 minutes when a crossfield ball caught Aaron Nemane out, allowing Jack Bridge to cross a dangerous ball into the area which Baldwin could only turn into his own net.

Baldwin tried to make amends 10 minutes later, seeing his shot well blocked at a corner, and Langstaff could only head Matt Palmer’s cross wide under pressure from a defender.

Quevin Castro, on for Ruben Rodrigues, then flashed a trademark free-kick narrowly off-target before Adam Chicksen got up to meet a cross from the right only to nod the ball wide.

And that proved to be our final opportunity as we had to settle for a point.

STARTING XI: Slocombe; Cameron, Baldwin, Brindley; Chicksen, Nemane (Adebayo-Rowling 72'); Bajrami (Austin 61'), Palmer, Rodrigues (Castro 80'), Scott; Langstaff

SUBS: Rawlinson, Mitchell

BOOKINGS: Brindley 79'

ATTENDANCE: 6,603 (286)