Russell Slade has swiftly discovered that if matches lasted 85 minutes, rather than 90, Albion would be well clear of the relegation mire they find themselves in now.

Time after time this season they have been undone by late goals.

That was the case again at Withdean last night as Lee Barnard and Theo Robinson scored in the last five minutes for Southend to sentence the Seagulls to their eighth home defeat out of ten in League One.

The manner of both of Slade’s defeats to date have been especially cruel.

At Leyton Orient on Saturday, Sean Thornton curled a beauty from outside the penalty area in the closing stages.

Barnard provided a carbon copy of that strike after the former Spurs forward’s opener had been cancelled out by Lloyd Owusu on his home debut for the Seagulls.

Robinson made absolutely certain by converting Kevin Betsy’s cross to leave Albion staring down the barrel of League Two next season.

There are still 12 games to go but they are now six points adrift of safety, so Slade has it all to do to engineer an escape.

Slade’s demeanour has been upbeat since the moment he walked through the door and there was a positive feel to the line-up for his first home game.

He changed the wide men following Saturday’s late defeat at relegation rivals Leyton Orient, where assistant Dean White picked the side.

Dean Cox returned from suspension at the expense of Kevin McCleod and the attacking instincts of Seb Carole were preferred to the more disciplined attributes of Tommy Fraser.

Slade also had Glenn Murray and skipper Nicky Forster up his sleeve on the bench as the inhibiting injury list begins to clear.

The former Yeovil chief’s adventurous outlook was further emphasised by spare keeper John Sullivan’s absence rom among thesubstitutes.

Albion could not build up the early head of steam Slade would have wished for in a subdued start to the contest, although the aerial power and strength in possession of Owusu provided a focal point up front.

Southend’s confidence and composure in possession was an indication that they went into the game in rejuvenated mood after Saturday’s sixth win out of eight at home to Walsall.

The visitors nearly went ahead in the fifth minute when a header from a corner by centre-half Peter Clarke was scrambled clear.

The visitors looked more threatening than the Seagulls and they should have taken the lead in the 20th minute.

Betsy’s cross from the right found Robinson unmarked towards the near post but the striker, on loan from Watford, guided his header wide of the target.

It was only a temporary reprieve for an Albion defence containing a hat-trick of home debutants in Mikkel Andersen, Matt Heath and Gary Borrowdale.

Southend went in front three minutes later when Andersen got a hand to Alan McCormack’s cross-shot.

The ball still reached Robinson beyond the far post and he fed it back in for Barnard to sidefoot his sixth goal of the season.

The Seagulls were, indeed, defending a bit like strangers and they were almost punished again when Anthony Grant’s chip forward picked out Robinson. Nobody followed his run but his touch on the volley was too clumsy and cleared the crossbar.

Southend were good value for their advantage as Albion struggled to find any cohesion and forward momentum. They should, nevertheless, have been level on the half-hour when a mistake by Clarke allowed Craig Davies to break through. The ex Oldham marksman has looked short of confidence in recent matches and it showed as he lost control and eventually ran out of room.

Albion managed to haul themselves level somewhat against the run of play on the stroke of half time when Owusu, back on after a change of shirt caused by a blood injury, buried a header from Borrowdale’s left-wing cross.

Parity at the break was slightly flattering, particularly as Barnard had another effort ruled out for offside in stoppage time.

Owusu’s goal shifted the momentum in Albion’s favour after the break.

Unlike the Seagulls, Southend had goalkeeping cover on the bench, which was just as well, since Ian Joyce had to replace the injured Steve Mildenhall between the posts for the second half.

The American was swiftly needed to touch a shot on the turn from Carole on to the post after two Southend defenders got in each other’s way from another Borrowdale cross.

Unfortunately for the on-loan QPR left-back, his evening was curtailed by injury, which forced the Seagulls into a defensive reshuffle, Adam Hinshelwood coming on in the centre and Adam El-Abd taking over Borrowdale’s role.

Forster, recovered from a calf problem, had also been introduced by that stage in place of Davies in the search for a much-needed winner.

Forster was inches away from connecting with Andrew Whing’s cross 13 minutes from time. The Seagulls continued to press but Barnard’s brilliant strike broke their hearts and Robinson’s third for Southend rubbed salt into the wound.

ALBION (4-4-2): Andersen; Whing, Heath, El-Abd, Borrowdale; Carole, Jarrett, Bangura, Cox; Owusu, Davies. Subs: Forster for Davies (withdrawn, 63), Hinshelwood for Borrowdale (injured, 65), Birchall for Carole (withdrawn, 78), Murray, Fraser.

Scorer: Owusu (45).

Yellow card: Cox (32) foul.

Southend United (4-4-2): Mildenhall; Sankofa, Dervitte, Clarke, Barrett; Betsy, Grant, McCormack, Moussa; Robinson, Barnard.

Subs: Joyce for Mildenhall (injured, 46), Francis for Betsy (withdrawn, 90), Christophe for McCormack (withdrawn, 65), Herd, Laurent.

Scorers: Barnard (23,85) Robinson 89).

Yellow cards: Sankofa (14) foul, Dervitte (50) foul.

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