Southend pressed the self-destruct button as they scored two second-half own goals leaving Orient to win this battle of Brisbane Road.
In a blood and thunder affair there were five bookings and it was a mystery how both sides ended this derby duel with eleven players.
But Orient showed great resilience to come from behind at half time to win the game and stretch their unbeaten run to nine matches.
It was a relegation haunted Southend who grabbed the lead in stoppage time during the first half when striker Lawrie Dudfield nipped in ahead of Orient keeper Glenn Morris to head home Leon Constantine's through ball.
It was no more than the Shrimpers deserved as they should have been ahead as early as the sixth minute when Mark Peters was harshly adjudged to have handled a cross from Constantine.
But the young Orient keeper dived to his left to save Constantine's kick and parried away Kevin Mahers follow up attempt.
Orient levelled on 68 minutes when Drewe Broughton headed a Billy Jones corner past his own keeper and ten minutes from time Southend substitute Tes Bramble headed David Hunt's astute ball into the top corner past a startled Darryl Flahavan.
Southend caretaker boss Steve Tilson moaned: "I don't think we deserved to lose the game. It was a battle and we missed a penalty and scored two own goals. It's tough to take and you can't legislate for that." he said.
While Orient manager Martin Ling admitted: "I won't try and pretend it was a tremendous performance but we played with heart and spirit and worked hard for our luck." In a brutal affair chances were few and far between but both sides hit the woodwork in the first half as Orient's Gary Alexander rattled the bar with a header on two minutes and at the other end home defender John Mackie smashed a clearance against his own bar.
But in the second half the home side took control and Miller fired just over before the gift-wrapped own goals, although hero Morris still had to make a stunning save from Mark Warren's deflected effort three minutes from time to ensure the win.
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