Southend are outside the National League relegation zone on goal difference after Danny Waldron’s second-half winner sent them to a 2-1 victory away at Maidenhead.
With 11 sides separated by only four points, the visitors earned a crucial win that left their opponents with just a single-point cushion on safety.
Defender Kevin Lokko’s goal just before half-time had drawn Maidenhead level as they tried in vain to avoid a fourth consecutive league defeat.
Earlier, Southend’s Adam Crowther had given his side the lead en route to claiming a first league win since January 13.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.