STRIKER Nick Chadwick had special reason to savour Plymouth Argyle's dramatic late comeback to draw 2-2 against Southend United at Home Park on Saturday.

In the visitors dug-out was Southend's former Pilgrims boss Paul Sturrock.

It was Sturrock who ended Chadwick's injury-plagued first spell at Home Park when he released him after the 2007/08 season.

So Chadwick was thrilled to get one of the two last-gasp goals which earned Argyle a point.

Southend had led 2-0 going into the closing stages, before Chadwick fired home from 20 yards in the 86th minute.

It was his first goal, in his second game, since returning to action from a hamstring injury.

Then, two minutes later, debutant Alex MacDonald put the Pilgrims on level terms after a shot from Chadwick rebounded to him off a post.

The loan signing from Burnley had been sent on as a substitute earlier in the second half.

Chadwick, who re-signed for Argyle last November, gestured towards the Southend bench as he celebrated his goal.

The 29-year-old told Herald Sport: "It's not nice to be let go by managers.

"I have no qualms about it. If I had been him (Sturrock) at that time, I would have done the same thing.

"But it's nice when you score against them, full stop."

Not only did MacDonald get the equaliser for Argyle, he also linked up with Chadwick for his goal.

Chadwick said: "I think it was a long ball forward and I flicked it on.

"Credit to Macca, he held it up brilliantly. It was on the edge of the box and he held the defender off and set it back lovely.

"I just needed to strike it as clean as possible and get it on target. That's what I managed to do.

"I had been out for a few games with injury so it's nice to come back and get another goal," he added.

Chadwick's powerful, swerving shot completely deceived Southend keeper Glenn Morris.

He got one hand to the ball, but was fooled by the flight of the ball and he deflected it into the corner of the net.

Chadwick said: "It swerved but, with these new balls, if you hit them well they do take off.

"He (Morris) got a hand to it, but not enough. For a split second, I thought he might have saved it but, thankfully, it went in."

Argyle immediately went in search of a second goal, and MacDonald got it for them.

Chadwick shot against the left post, after the ball was passed to him inside the penalty area by another of Argyle's substitutes, Joe Lennox.

But the ball rebounded out to MacDonald, who applied the finishing touch from close range.

Chadwick said: "It came from a corner and the ball fell to Joe. All I was thinking at the time was 'Joe shoot, Joe shoot' and then he passed it to me.

"I just tried to hit it on the turn. It wasn't the cleanest of strikes but I thought it was in.

"Lo and behold, it has come back off the post, so I was a little disappointed, but Macca did what good strikers do.

"He was right there just to roll it in and, all credit to him."

Even when Argyle trailed 2-0 to promotion-chasing Southend at half-time, Chadwick was convinced they could avoid defeat.

That belief was further fuelled when the Pilgrims made a strong start to the second period.

Chadwick had a header easily saved by Morris in the 53rd minute, after the ball was crossed into the penalty area by winger Ashley Hemmings.

But Argyle stuck to their task and, eventually, their perseverance was rewarded.

Chadwick said: "Any time when you are at home, and you have got a crowd like we have got, if you get that first goal there is always a chance you are going to get another one.

"I have seen it happen time and time again here.

"I could have scored earlier on, which would have really set the game alight, but it was a bit of a weak header.

"But when I got the goal, I just wanted to get back to the halfway line and go again.

"We really had that momentum behind us, and we have taken a point from absolutely nowhere."

Argyle are still in the League Two relegation zone after the draw against Southend.

They are one point adrift of 22nd-placed Dagenham and Redbridge, who are in the last position of safety.

The game against Southend was the only one in League Two to beat the freezing weather on Saturday.

It means the Pilgrims have played one more match than all the teams around them at the bottom of the table.