Pools let slip a two-goal half-time lead at Roots Hall this afternoon to leave Southend on the back of a disappointing 3-2 defeat.

An Adam Boyd goal and a deflected effort from Andy Monkhouse gave Pools a two-goal cushion going into the second half but the break benefitted the hosts who came out to make Chris Turner's side pay with two early goals to draw level and a late winner.

With Ben Clark shown his marching orders late in the game, this is one match Turner's men will be eager to forget.

Pools played out a fortunate first half here at Roots Hall, frustrating the hosts and their supporters to take a two-goal lead.

Andy Monkhouse was involved early on as he put in a great challenge inside the box to snatch possession away from Jabo Ibehre.

Francis Laurent proved to be Southend's biggest threat as he showed a great turn of pace down the right wing to push a succession of balls into the area - fortunately for Pools a goal-shy home side lacked that vital killer touch.

With only minutes on the clock, Laurent went on a lightening run down the right to whip a testing ball into the box where Lee Barnard hit an instinct effort straight at Scott Flinders who gratefully accepted. .

The big Pools stopper rose well to snatch a Sean Morrison header out of the air as Turner's men dealt well with some early pressure.

And then, with eight minutes on the clock, Adam Boyd stepped up for a moment of individual magic to give Pools the lead.

With a ball forward looking to have been dealt with easily, Armann Bjornsson made enough of himself to see the ball bounce through for strike partner Boyd and, with no prospect apparent, the Hartlepool-born striker picked up possession to turn and curl a sublime effort past Steve Mildenhall and into the bottom left corner of his net.

A great start for Pools with Boyd's eighth goal of the campaign giving the team a good early footing in the game.

And Turner's men continued with their stifling of the hosts, sitting back and allowing Southend to make the running while holding on to their lead..

Antony Sweeney, in at right back in place if the injured Neil Austin, did well to block a Lee Barnard ball into the box from the right as the hosts again pressed from the flanks.

With Pools taking their opportunities on the break, Adam Boyd showed a great turn to thread the ball through the legs of Adam Barrett before turning past his next marker to float an effort at goal - this time though, Mildenhall was not to be beaten as he held the effort.

Alan McCormack had the best chance of the half for the hosts when he hit a low drive from the edge of the box but his effort scraped wide of Flinders' left hand post and the equaliser did not materialise.

And then Pools again used their possession well to push on make it 2-0, albeit in quite fortunate fashion.

With Anthony Grant being booked for a foul on Ritchie Jones just inside the final third, the freekick was pushed forward where Andy Monkhouse hit a hopeful punt goalwards and, with the winger clearly not expecting to see his effort hit the net, the ball took a big deflection off the unfortunate Grant and into the back of the net.

A fortunate second for Pools but one that was happily taken by Chris Turner's men.

Lee Barnard should have pulled one back for the hosts when he picked up yet another good ball from Laurent but the striker fired high over the bar when a goal looked more likely.

Scott Flinders made a brave interception to snatch possession from the feet of Barrett as Pools held on to their 2-0 lead going into the break.

Unfortunately though, that two goal advantage did not last too long after the re-start; a freekick gave the hosts the chance to get an early ball into the box and, with Flinders missing its arrival, Monkhouse did well to head clear off the line.

But the hosts were full of fight and were determined to silence their frustrated supporters.

With just 49 minutes on the clock, Pools conceded a second freekick allowing Southend to get a dangerous ball into the area, which Laurent pushed over the line despite the best efforts of Flinders and Humphreys.

It was a scrappy goal from the hosts but it gave Steve Tilson's men just the push they needed to keep running at Pools.

And with 56 minutes having passes, Southend were level; a mistake from Peter Hartley at the back allowed the ball to be pushed into the centre for Lee Barnard who slid in to finish past Flinders under pressure from Sam Collins.

The equaliser proved a massive blow for Pools who took their time to recover from it, the hosts enjoying a strong spell of pressure.

The hosts then finished what Pools had started when sub Damian Scannell was allowed space on the right to whip a ball in which found Barnard completely unmarked and the striker powered his header past an unfortunate Flinders who could do nothing about the effort.

After a more positive first half in which Pools had looked more capable of dealing with the hosts, Turner's men were left shell-shocked in the second half as Tilson's men well and truly dominated proceedings.

Pools did manage to create a few openings in the later part of the half, with Ritchie Jones enjoying a brief attacking role.

The midfielder won himself a freekick right on the edge of the box, which Adam Boyd curled in only for Mildenhall to touch on, allowing Hartley to pressure and win the corner.

Things then turned to real disaster for Pools as Ben Clark miscontrolled a ball and then challenged to recover, earning himself his second yellow card of his short game and leaving Pools with ten men for their third consecutive visit to Roots Hall.

The remaining players were left to battle on for the final five minutes of the game but it was clear that if there was to be a further goal in this game, it would be for the hosts.

Ibehre saw his effort hit the bar, while a Collins clearance which bounced off Scannell was well held by Flinders and they game did finish 3-2.

A disappointing afternoon for Pools and their travelling fans as a two-goal lead was thrown away and now Turner's men must lift themselves for next Saturday's home clash with Yeovil Town.

Att: 7737 (172 Pools)

Pools: Flinders, Sweeney, Collins, Liddle, Hartley, McSweeney (Fredriksen), Humphreys, Jones, Monkhouse (Clark 61), Boyd, Bjornsson
Subs Not Used: Cook, Cherel, Purvis, Power, Fredriksen, Greulich

Southend United: Mildenhall, Malone, Christophe, Morrison, Barrett, Grant (Walker 70), McCormack, Barnard, Moussa, Ibehre, Laurent (Scannell 61)
Subs Not Used: Sankofa, Freedman, O'Keefe, Joyce, Calver