Printer-friendly pageWednesday, December 20, 2006
The defeat at Southend showed Saints up for not being the sort of team that can expect automatic promotion. We also don't really seem settled enough, and more changes greeted the visit of Norwich; Ostlund in to counter the pace of Huckerby and Jones to provide the brute force up front.
Nearly 26,000 people can report that the moves worked very well.
Saints even recovered from going a goal behind, when Earnshaw was given far too much space and time to pick off a loose ball from the edge of the box. Earnshaw's subsequent celebration dance was embarrassing and Norwich deserved to lose because of that. I don't think they played particularly well either, and only defending that occasionally looked desperate kept Saints out while Bale had come close with a couple of free kicks.
Then when presented with an opportunity from a bit further out, Bale quickly checked with the redoubtable Uriah Rennie that all was OK, before floating a shot past Gallacher as he completed his 'wall' arrangements.
Jones added the second and winning goal on 64 minutes with that old Championship favourite - a near post header from a corner. For the first time City had to attack, but even our habitual nemesis, Dion Dublin, failed to look dangerous and the visitors then proceeded to take off their usual threat, Huckerby. However, that's not to say that Saints strolled home; Davis saved the day when Etuhu looked certain to equalise.
Man of the Match: Gareth Bale, a superb example of attacking full back play.
Saints: 1.Davis, 2.Ostlund, 5.Lundekvam, 21.Baird, 22.Bale, 29.Surman, 10.Wright, 4.Pele, 7.Skacel (23.Viafara), 15.Jones, 9.Rasiak (8.Wright-Phillips)
