Printer-friendly pageSaturday, November 1, 2008
Preston 2, Saints 3
Saints included new loanee Alex Pearce in the starting line-up at Preston, alongside Lancashire, and although Lallana was injured there was no place for Euell in midfield - all of which meant that Skacel was by many years the oldest outfield player.
As often happens in this league, there was a contrast between the careful approach play of Southampton and that of the home attack led by burley Jon Parkin. Inevitably the more desperate action occurred in the Southampton box, but things weren't going so badly until Saints failed to block Jones's 35th minute shot that brought the first goal that is usually so vital in our away games.
A mistake that characterised the performance of Lonergan in goal could have led to an equaliser but the bounce of the loose ball didn't favour Saints, unlike just before half time when it fell perfectly for Elliot to double Preston's lead.
However, this was to be a game of two halves, with Saints profiting from the half time introduction of Wright-Phillips and yet another teenage debutant, Oscar Gobern. Cork moved to full back, but three forwards meant a lot of gaps in midfield, and a third home goal to end the contest was always possible. However, it didn't come and when Pearce headed home Surman's corner, the game began to swing dramatically. Lanky Gobern was certainly causing more problems than the withdrawn Smith, and he played his part in a 69th minute equaliser by crossing for Surman to head home - although it may well have been a shot from the lad.
Gobern was certainly going for goal a few minutes later with Linergan out of the picture, but the ball was deflected wide. This was far too early to go ahead anyway and even another Gobern effort hooked off the line in the 87th minute would have been too soon.
Instead, we were happy to wait until the game moved into added time, and McGoldrick scored a fine individual goal to start wild celebrations, with the scorer eventually engulfed by all of his team-mates... and I do mean all, with Davis's yellow jersey appearing in the pile of 10 grey shirts.
Meanwhile some people were on the pitch, but although it meant the end of the entertainment for them, no-one thought it was all over, not until the final and longest 3 minutes of the game were completed. At least McGoldrick's booking for shirt removal allowed Davis time to retreat 90 yards back to his goal, and then when the final whistle sounded there was a touching display of solidarity by the other lads who threw their shirts into the jubilant away support. No doubt there has already been an inquest into such profligacy while the club is in dire financial straits.
LSSC Man of the Match: Andrew Surman, by common consent.
Preston: Lonergan, St. Ledger, Mawene, Wayne Brown, McEveley, Nicholson (Sedgwick 76), Jones, McKenna, Wallace, Parkin (Chris Brown 72), Elliott (Mellor 73).
Subs Not Used: Neal, Jarrett.
Goals: Jones 36, Elliott 42.
Southampton: Davis, Cork, Lancashire, Pearce, Skacel, Thomson (Gillett 83), Schneiderlin, Surman, Smith (Gobern 46), James (Wright-Phillips 46), McGoldrick.
Subs Not Used: Bialkowski, Wotton.
Booked: McGoldrick.
Goals: Pearce 64, Surman 69, McGoldrick 90.
Att: 11,508
Referee: Mark Haywood (W Yorkshire).
