Southend United 1 Shakers 0: IT is back to the drawing board for Andy Preece and Graham Barrow after the Shakers' mini revival came to an abrupt end at Roots Hall.

Glynn Garner's brilliant performance appeared to have earned Bury a point they barely deserved.

But his defenders let him down once too often in the final minute and not even the Welshman could keep out Leon Constantine's late winner.

And it has not taken long for natural justice to right itself after Bury's controversial injury time penalty against Lincoln City on Bank Holiday Monday.

However, probably the most galling aspect of the defeat was this was a game Bury could have won.

They started well and Southend looked like a team that had lost it's previous four matches.

Even in the second half, once Gareth Seddon was introduced to the fray, the visitors created opportunities to have claimed maximum points.

"Gareth livened things up and I thought we were going to win it," said assistant boss Graham Barrow.

"But to lose it like we did on the back of the performance was a real kick in the teeth.

"We've certainly got a lot of work to do. I felt at the start we got dragged down into the comfort zone.

"The game was there to be won. Southend looked like a team that had lost four games in a row and the crowd were ready to get on their backs.

"But we let them off the hook."

Bury's failure to profit gave the Shrimpers extra confidence and it was not long before Garner was doing the work of two keepers.

Constantine, Drewe Broughton and winger Mark Gower were all causing problems, culminating in a 29th minute penalty against Lee Unsworth.

The full-back escaped with a booking and Bury escaped with their goal intact as Garner saved Gower's spot kick.

Broughton and Constantine had further chances before the break but Garner was equal to the task.

Bury had not heeded their lesson at the start of the second period and Broughton twice more should have broken the deadlock but Garner stood firm.

Seddon replaced Charnock after 57 minutes and suddenly Bury looked more potent.

It seemed, against the odds, the game would end goalless. But when Gower crossed from the left, Colin Woodthorpe misjudged the flight of the ball and Constantine did the rest from eight yards.

"I'm gutted," said Garner. "When things are not going well you've just got to hang in there and try to get a result. I thought we'd done that."

(4-4-2): Garner 9, Unsworth 6, Swailes 5, Strong 5, Woodthorpe 5, O'Shaughnessy 8, Duxbury 6, Charnock 6, Singh 5, Preece 6, Nugent 5.

Subs: Seddon 7 for (Charnock, 57).

Not used: Connell, Barrass, Kennedy, O'Neil.

Attendance: 3,045 (127 from Bury).

Referee: Steve Tanner (Avon)