STRUGGLING York City are still searching for their first home win of the season following a 3-2 defeat against Southend.

Skipper Russell Pennn scored his first goal for the Minstermen in first-half stoppage time to cancel out Myles Weston's penalty for the visitors.

But second-half strikes by Kevan Hurst and Jack Payne proved decisive despite Dave Winfield's late consolation,

City got off to a sluggish start and fell behind after only ten minutes when Payne tricked his way into the box and tumbled under a challenge from the recalled Winfield.

Weston then drilled an emphatic penalty to Michael Ingham’s left to give the Shrimpers the lead.

But the Minstermen got back on level terms when Penn lunged to head past Daniel Bentley from five yards after Jake Hyde had cleverly hooked the ball over his head towards goal.

Southend were back ahead, though, seven minutes after the restart when Ingham spilled a low Payne cross and Hurst gratefully smacked the ball into an inviting goal from ten yards.

The Minstermen, struggling to respond, managed their first shot of the second half on 68 minutes when Michael Coulson fired across the face of goal from 20 yards following Hyde's lay-off.

But Payne added a third for Phil Brown's men on 79 minutes when he drilled into Ingham's bottom right-hand corner from 15 yards after substitute Anthony Straker had surrendered possession near the halfway line.

Winfield managed a consolation for the hosts six minutes later with a powerful far-post header from Marvin McCoy's cross but it was too little, too late.

York: Ingham, McCoy, Lowe, Winfield, Ilesanmi, Coulson, Penn, Summerfield (Platt, 68), Meikle (Straker, 68), Hyde, Fletcher. Subs not used: Mooney, McCombe, Jarvis, Montrose, Hirst.

Southend: Bentley, White, Thompson, Prosser, Binnon-Williams, Clifford (Atkinson, 76), Deegan, Payne (Ibenfeldt, 86), Hurst, Weston, Coulthirst (Worrall, 66). Subs: Barnard, Corr, Smith, Williams.

Attendance: 3,307 (365 from Southend)

Referee: Paul Tierney (Wigan).