Three up and cruising - then almost glad to hear the final whistle so Southend didn't have time to get a winner. That was the story of Pompey's visit to Roots Hall - one they will want to forget in a hurry.

Goals in the first 31 minutes by Bryn Morris, Ben Close and Oli Hawkins seemed to Pompey well on their way to their first league win in six.

But Simon Cox's hat-trick had them heading home with just a point - and losing more ground on the top two, Luton and Barnsley, who both won.

Morris tucked away the loose ball from five yards out after the United defence had failed to deal with Jamal Lowe's low cross eight minutes in, then Close volleyed home his second superb goal in eight days after Southend failed to clear from the edge of their box.

Hawkins slotted in number three just after the half-hour but Pompey were brought back to 3-1 fibe minutes later when Cox struck after a Matt Clarke error. And the fact the Shrimpers went close to a second before the break should have sounded the alarm.

The Blues failed to look as dangerous in attack in the second half and at times almost invited the home side to attack them. That backfired when Cox made it 3-2 from the spot on 77 minutes and levelled on 86.

It's now three draws and three defeats from their last six in the league and they urgently need to get back to winning ways in hosting Bristol Rovers and second-placed Barnsley in the coming week.

Boss Kenny Jackett told the Pompey website the Blues camp were disappointed: 'We were three goals up and in control — we should have seen it out. We’ve given a really sloppy one away just before half-time when Cox managed to get the wrong side of Clarke.

'Then after the break we’ve had a really big chance go get a fourth when Omar was sent through on goal. But we’ve bundled their forward down unnecessarily for the penalty and Southend’s equaliser was from a bit of quality.

'We’ve lost a few defensive players, with Thompson, Whatmough and Naylor all out. They’re the type who could have helped us to see the game out. Now we have to be tough enough to go again and realise the position that we’re in. We’ll be okay for next week because, in football, that’s what you have to do.'

Pompey: MacGillivray; Walkes, Burgess, Clarke (c), Brown; Lowe (Vaughan 88), Morris, Close, Solomon-Otabor (Curtis 71); Hawkins, Bogle (Evans 75). Subs not used: Bass, Casey, Haunstrup, May

Referee: Dean Whitestone

Attendance: 7,300 (1,239 Pompey fans)

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