There was no stopping Southend at Crewe Alexandra, as Lee Barnard scored twice and Darryl Flahavan saved two penalties in a 3-1 victory.
First half goals from Barnard and James Walker put the Blues into the ascendancy and they never looked back to chalk up a third successive win.
It means that Southend were able to extend their unbeaten run to 10 games and despite remaining fifth in League One, have now created a six point buffer to maintain their play-off spot.
Southend made a dream start to proceedings with just two minutes on the clock, after Barnard scored against a Crewe side he was previously on loan at earlier in the season.
Barnard collected Walker's pass and powered his way into the penalty box before shrugging off the attentions of his marker in due course to produce a classy finish into the bottom corner of the net.
The Blues were bright and energetic every time they had possession, much akin to a side in-form and full of confidence.
Clever work from Joe Anyinsah on the right flank allowed him to cut inside and afford Crewe a sight of goal, as his cross to the far post found an unmarked Dean Morgan, but he headed straight at Flahavan.
It continued to get better and better for Southend though, as they went on to double their lead inside 19 minutes.
Walker raced on to an excellent cross field pass from Alan McCormack and arrowed the ball past goalkeeper Ben Williams who got a hand to the ball, but couldn't stop it rolling into the net.
Crewe thought they had found a way back into the match when they were awarded a penalty in the 33rd minute, after Peter Clarke was adjudged to have fouled Nicky Maynard inside the box, but Flahavan guessed correctly from Gary Roberts' spot kick to make a brilliant save.
Southend remained on top and Walker went agonisingly close at the end of a lengthy succession of Southend passes when he drilled an effort that Williams leapt to tip over the top.
A brief spell of heavy rain descended at the start of the second half, but seemingly as soon as it stopped, Southend had the chance to tie the game up with McCormack running on to Barnard's threaded pass, but shot straight at Williams.
Roles were reversed when Barnard then brilliantly controlled McCormack's lofted pass and hit a first-time shot that had Williams scrambling to the floor to parry the ball to safety.
Crewe were awarded a second penalty in the 72nd minute with Simon Francis this time adjudged to have fouled Maynard, but again Flahavan came up trumps to keep out Kenny Lunt's spot kick.
Yet almost immediately Crewe did pull a goal back when Maynard was presented with a free header from a free kick and diverted the ball into the far corner of the net.
Crewe followed up the goal with a heavy spell of pressure, but Southend repelled this in the only way they know, as Barnard scored his seventh goal of the campaign.
A superb pass from Walker set Barnard away with 10 minutes to go and he executed an equal finish past Williams into the far corner of the net.
Nicky Bailey missed the chance to add a fourth goal when he blazed over from only a few yards out at the end, but this was another job well done for Southend.
Southend: Flahavan, Francis, Clarke, Barrett, Mulgrew, Black (Moussa 84), McCormack, Bailey, Gower (Grant 84), Walker (MacDonald 85), Barnard.
Crewe: B Williams, Woodards (Carrington 55), Roberts, Baudet (O'Donnell 90), Schumacher, Maynard, McCready, Abbey, Lunt, Anyinsah, Morgan.
