AN INJURY-TIME effort from Nick Haughton saw Southend United suffer a 2-1 defeat at managerless AFC Fylde tonight.

The Shrimpers seemed to have secured a share of the spoils when Gus Scott-Morriss cancelled out Jon Ustabasi’s effort for the Coasters.

But Haughton showed why is the National League’s top scorer with an excellent strike in stoppage time to condemn Kevin Maher’s side to their second defeat in the space of four days.

Southend threatened early on with George Moncur curling a 20 yard shot wide of the left post before the hosts hit back with dangerman Haughton firing wide of the target from a similar distance.

With play switching back to the other end of the field, Jack Bridge saw a low 25 yard shot saved down to his right hand side by AFC Fylde Ben Winterbottom before a stretching Ustabasi sent a looping header straight at Andeng Ndi.

Moments later, the Shrimpers shot-stopper easily held a half volley from Gavin Massey.

But the hosts broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time when Utsabasi’s right wing cross was headed back across goal by Corey Whelan which enabled Utsabasi to nip in and score with a brave header from close range.

The second half was slow in starting due to a drone above the pitch but once it was underway the visitors began to get on top.

Moncur saw an effort deflected wide of the right post before Macualey Bonne’s header from James Morton’s right wing corner was brilliantly saved by Ben Winterbottom at his near post.

However, Blues were not to be denied for long and drew back level in the 57th minute with Bonne headed the ball down to Scott-Morriss who scored his seventh goal of the season with a neatly taken effort from eight yards out.

The Shrimpers soon made their first change of the night with Bim Pepple taking the place of Joe Gubbins and it was Maher’s side who threatened next with Harry Taylor sending a left footed shot straight at Winterbottom from long range.

Keenan Appiah-Forson then took the place of Morton but Fylde began to threaten on the counter attack and a minute into stoppage time they scored what proved to the winner with Haughton curling a 25 yard shot into the bottom left hand corner of the net.

However, a shell-shocked Southend still came close to levelling at the death with Scott-Morriss heading over from six yards after Adam Crowther had nodded Jack Bridge’s corner into his path.