Latics were pegged back with ten minutes to go following Nathan Sheron’s strike on the hour-mark.
The overall game was end-to-end, with both sides creating a number of decent chances.
After he saw his open goal shot brilliantly saved by Ndi at the end of the first half, Sheron fired the ball past Ndi, following Norwood’s flicked ball forward.
Latics looked to be in a good position for all three points, but had to settle for just one when Noor Husin found the net from range with ten to go.
Southend started the game as the better side overall, but didn’t create many potent chances, instead having the larger share of possession, a good chunk of which was in the final third.
It would be Latics who’d have the first major shot on target, however.
Devarn Green raced past the Southend defence to chase Hammond’s ball forward. He controlled it well, forcing a good save from Ndi.
Green was forced off a few moments later, going down inside Latics’ area with an ankle injury.
Devarn hobbled off, Tom Conlon was the man selected to replace, with McGahey moving into defence and Hogan moving out wide to accommodate the change.
Wing-back Jack Bridge had a chance to put the visitors ahead just before the break, as he chested and controlled the ball following a corner, but shanked his shot, meaning it went wide and didn’t trouble Hudson.
The best chance of the half was undoubtedly the product of Joe Garner’s ever-excellent workrate.
Having worked his way into the box, he squared the ball for Sheron, who seemed destined to score from ten yards out into an empty goal, but Ndi recovered brilliantly, stretching every fibre of his body to block Nathan’s shot.
Garner looked to break the deadlock himself, rocketing a half-volley towards the Southend goal, with it going just over.
Hudson couldn’t be so sure, moments later, from Gus Scott-Morriss’ own volley, he had to tip it over the bar, in the last action from the first half.
The second half started in a similar fashion to how the first ended, both sides traded short spells and chances, Danny Waldron saw his shot saved by Hudson, Hammond aimed wide on the volley.
Having come off after an hour one month ago against Ebbsfleet, he returned to action with 30 to go, in place of Mike Fondop, and had an instant impact.
He nodded forward a longball from the back into the path of Sheron’s run, who slid into the ball, hitting it first time with a superb amount of pace.
Ndi got a hand to it, but couldn’t prevent it rustling the back of the net.
The back-and-forth football was swapped for a far more conservative approach, as Southend threw everything at Latics.
Micky Mellon’s team dealt with it well, but the away side still managed to find a way through, with Noor Husin’s long-range strike sneaking through the defence, and past Hudson into the goal.
With ten to go, Latics pushed to retake the lead, but with the raining poor down on the Boundary Park, it just wasn’t to be.
Oldham: Hudson, Kitching, Hogan, Hobson, Fondop (Norwood, 60’), Sheron, Green (Conlon, 36’), Raglan, McGahey, Garner, Hammond (Garnder, 90’).
Subs not used: Norman, Dallas.
Southend: Andeng Ndi, Scott-Morriss, Ralph, Crowther, Bridge, Husin, Cardwell (Dackers, 70’), Waldron (Sandat, 89’, Miley, Fonguck, Demetriou.
Subs not used: Wood, Morton, Coker.
Attendance: 6,309 (436)
Referee: Andrew Humphries