Printer-friendly pageSunday, May 13, 2007
The problem with what the Americans would call 'post season play' is that you don't qualify for it if you're already in the Premiership, or if you've gained automatic promotion: Saints have long relinquished the former and haven't harboured realistic hopes of the latter for some time either. Under those circumstances, the only thing worse than qualifying for the play-offs is not qualifying, so the three wins that took us there must have given eveyone a boost; as did the return of Saganowski to face Derby, and indeed the exceptional strike by Surman that gave us a 6th minute lead.
With very little to choose between the four contenders, such things should prove vital, but there was the worry that Baird and Pele between them might not be able to hold the thuggish Steve Howard in the Derby attack. The defence stuck to their task in a disciplined manner for over 30 minutes, but when a corner was only partially cleared, the marking on Howard was insufficient to stop him heading an equaliser when the ball came back into the box.
Saints hit back well with Saganowski rattling the crossbar and then denied by Bywater, but it was disappointing not to have clung onto that lead.
We shouldn't have been surprised that Derby appeared the better team after the break, as that is the story of our season, and Bialkowski was motionless when Macken shot against the post. He did make a pretty good effort at saving the goal (from Howard, of course) that gave Derby the advantage, but the odds were against him as it was from the penalty spot - and quite why Pele committed the obvious shirt tug that led to the award, we'll never know.
Often Saints' heads drop in such circumstances, but Best hit the bar, and it took some brave defending by Derby's famously resolute back line to keep them ahead. Our two most effective attacking options, Bale and Jones, were withdrawn on 54 minutes through injury and will miss the return at Pride Park, so when we gained an injury time free kick on the edge of the box, it was up to Skacel to try to rescue something. He failed. The good news is it is only half time. The bad news is we are a first half team.
Man of the Match: Andrew Surman. Of course the goal helped, but Surman has developed into a class act this season; he needs to have a run in a settled position.
Southampton: Bialkowski, Ostlund, Baird, Pele, Bale (Skacel 56), Belmadi, Viafara, Guthrie, Surman, Jones (Best 55), Saganowski (Rasiak 87).
Subs Not Used: Davis, Cranie.
Booked: Pele, Surman.
Goals: Surman 7.
Derby: Bywater, Mears, Moore, Leacock, McEveley, Macken (Teale 77), Oakley, Pearson, Fagan, Howard, Seth Johnson (Nyatanga 90).
Subs Not Used: Camp, Edworthy, Jones.
Booked: Leacock, Pearson, Oakley, Seth Johnson.
Goals: Howard 36, 58 pen.
Att: 30,602
Ref: M Jones (Cheshire).
