Manager Danny Wilson had demanded an improverment after the Friday night flop against Cheltenham, and he got it ... up to a point.
With Joel Porter (left) at last restored to the attack, Pools had more pace when they went forward, and on-loan signing Alan Thompson added some bite to midfield. Porter hit the bar and made Antony Sweeney's late clinching goal.
He joined the club from Leeds for a month, but there is no word at present on whether the club want to make the deal permanent.
There was also no comment after the match on why Willie Boland and Ian Moore were not only dropped, but left out of the squad altogether.
Defender Ben Clark was out through another injury, and Michael Nelson and Godwin Antwi didn't always look comfortable in the middle of the home defence when Southend attacked.
But apart from the defensive errors that gave away the goals, it was a much better all-round display from Pools.
At least they looked positive, Brown was back to something like his best and Jamie McCunnie looked all right at right-back.
Southend manager Steve Tilson said Richard Barker gave his defenders problems throughout the game, and the top scorer gave Pools the lead from the spot in 17 minutes after Brown was fouled.
Steve Hammell's penalty levelled for Southend after Nelson tripped Mark Gower, but two great strikes from Brown in 47 and 53 minutes should have put Pools in command.
However, they pulled one back through Gower on 82 minutes, only for Porter to set up sub Sweeney to smash in a fourth for Pools a minute from the end, so Tommy Black's goal a minute later turned out to be no more than a consolation.
The win eases the pressure on Pools and on boss Wilson ... but it's only the start. They need to get their defensive problems sorted out before they can go anywhere near relaxing.
Thompson looks a good signing, though, and his experience and determination should help turn Pools from the soft touches they have been recently into a team that can produce results.
If they want to build the crowds back up again - at 3,217, last night's was the lowest for more than five years - they certainly more.

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