Southend United 2 Bristol Rovers 1: An improved display after the interval was not enough to save Bristol Rovers from their second defeat in a row.

The Pirates were undone by a goal early in each half from Southend’s leading scorer Lee Barnard.

Though the visitors pulled one back when Anthony Grant steered the ball into his own net, they squandered other opportunities to have taken at least a point away from Roots Hall.

Rovers made one change to the side that had started the 5-1 mauling at Norwich a fortnight earlier. Central defender Steve Elliott made his first league appearance of the season in place of Danny Coles, who had been hit by a stomach bug.

Loan signings Mikkel Andersen and Chris Dickson both overcame the injury problems they suffered earlier in the week to keep their places in a side looking for their fifth away win of the campaign.

But it was the home side who made the brighter start with Franck Moussa going close after two minutes after the visitors only partially cleared a free kick.

Southend’s breakthrough came when Mark Wright lost possession in midfield, allowing the home side to break, and Dougie Freedman’s clever backheel set up Barnard, who curled his shot from 20 yards over Andersen’s despairing dive.

Wright tried to make amends after 20 minutes, but his 25-yard drive clipped defender Adam Barrett on the head and flew over the top. From the corner, Elliott headed wide.

Rovers looked fortunate not to concede a penalty when Carl Regan appeared to shove Freedman in the back just after the half-hour, and the experienced Southend striker then was close to adding a second with a drive that went inches wide of Andersen’s right-hand post.

Rovers did create a good chance shortly before the break, but Steve Mildenhall made a good save to keep out Dickson’s shot after good work by Jo Kuffour.

Poor defending allowed Southend to increase their lead early in the second half when Alan McCormack progressed down Southend’s right flank and delivered a cross which presented the unmarked Barnard with a tap-in from six yards and his second goal of the game.

Dickson then had a couple of opportunities to claw a goal back for Rovers. But he chipped one chance over the top after bursting through and then slammed a shot too high from Kuffour’s nod-down.

The Pirates were given hope after 56 minutes though when a good run by Chris Lines allowed Wright the chance to cross and Anthony Grant prodded into his own net while under pressure from Kuffour.

That gave the visitors fresh impetus and they then started to put the home side under pressure – something they had failed to do in the first half.

Mildenhall made another good save, coming out quickly to smother a Dickson shot, as the visitors pressed for a leveller.

And Southend survived a late scare in the closing seconds of normal time when Mildenhall foiled Duffy – and substitute Andy Williams was also thwarted in the scramble that followed.

Southend: Mildenhall, Francis, Christophe, Barrett, Grant, McCormack, Barnard, Moussa (Herd 90), Freedman (Scannell 85), Friend, Laurent (Sawyer 74). Subs (not used): O’Donovan, O’Keefe, Joyce.

Bristol Rovers: Andersen, Regan, Anthony, Elliott, Lescott, Wright (Williams 69), Campbell, Lines. Hughes (Swallow 69), Kuffour, Dickson (Duffy 77). Subs (not used): Evans, Kite, Blizzard, Reece.