Wednesday hold Saints

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Ifill became the latest defender to pull out of a game, but the club's web site did say that he had already gone through the pain barrier by completing the match at Leicester despite injury. Skacel never seems to be fully fit, so his omission 3 days earlier meant he was available to slot in for the midweek game against Sheffield Wednesday - but then it all changed again, with Davies hurt in a bruising encounter with Sodje that put both players out of the game. We would certainly have traded that at Hillsborough, where Sodje did the most damage in a five goal reverse, but it did mean the return of Viafara at centre back, where Bennett was suddenly the senior defender.

Both sides played some enterprising football in the first half, and we may have come as close as we're likely to get to the 'beautiful game' in a league not known for its subtlety. Having been well served by Hammill and Surman, Saints turned round with a reasonable points lead in boxing parlance, but they failed to capitalise after the interval despite the introduction of Saganowski and Lallana in a bid to break the deadlock. Wright-Phillips was thwarted by Grant when he created an opening, but a better chance fell to Tudgay after Viafara fell over - Davis made the save this time.

Both managers may have felt that they needed more than just a point in order to make up lost ground, so play became a bit more impassioned in the closing minutes, but 0-0 it remained: maybe not altogether surprising given Southampton's recent home form that has now seen just one Saints goal in four home games, or two in the last five.

LSSC Man of the Match: Alan Bennett - who hasn't let anyone down after that torrid first couple of games.

Southampton: Davis, Wright, Bennett, Davies (Viafara 26), Skacel, Euell, Safri, Surman, Hammill (Lallana 74), John, Wright-Phillips (Saganowski 67).
Subs Not Used: Bialkowski, Rasiak.

Sheff Wed: Grant, Bullen, Hinds, Beevers, Spurr, Jermaine Johnson, Folly, Whelan, O'Brien, Small (Esajas 85), Sodje (Tudgay 28).
Subs Not Used: Burch, Lunt, Boden.

Booked: Whelan.

Att: 17,981.

Ref: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire).