George Burley says Saints will learn from their shock defeat at Southend.

Saints went into the game on a seven-match unbeaten run, while Southend hadn't won in the league in their previous 17 attempts.

It was then perhaps inevitable that both those records would be smashed at Roots Hall.

Burley was not too downhearted - even though his side had lost to a team who had collected just six points out of the previous 51 available to them!

The Saints boss insisted his side, who remain in the play-off zone despite the loss, will be better prepared in future because of the defeat.

He said: "It's disappointing, but we've had a great run, four wins and seven unbeaten, and you've got to learn from this.

"When you come away to these type of grounds you've got to be really focused and positive because they'll be waiting for you in terms of closing down.

"With any defeat you've got to look at it and analyse it.

"At times we've over-played through the middle which has allowed them to get tackles in.

"It's all a learning curve.

"In football you have ups and downs.

"We've had a lot of highs recently, but unfortunately here it wasn't to be."

Burley added: "We had chances. Southend scrapped away and at the end of the day maybe deserved to win it.

"We had a number of chances and coming away to a stadium like this you need to be strong and scrap away.

"We never got total control of the game and they were lively on the break.

"Decisions have gone against us - it was never handball for Rudi's disallowed goal.

"But we didn't do enough to win it, though maybe a draw would have been fair.

"All credit to Southend, though, they battled away and hung in there.

"It was a game where we were not at our best. We had a number of chances but never dominated."

For the best report, reaction and pictures from Roots Hall, don't miss today's Daily Echo.