League 1 Match 34 - Southampton 1 Leeds 0

Jose Fonte quite clearly fouling someone. Good decision.

For this and more incredible pics of why Jaidi's goal was disallowed. See http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/Gallery/0,,10280~1993364,00.html

And the big games keep on coming with the visit of Dirty Leeds to St Mary’s. Up until Christmas, Leeds appeared to be running away with the division and then they beat Man Utd in the FA Cup at Old Trafford, a result which appears to have thrown a bit of a spanner in the works. Prima Donna Jermaine Beckford immediately handed in a transfer request, obviously thinking that a big club would snap him up and ever since then, Leeds have stuttered along and are now several points behind leaders Norwich and just beginning to anxiously look over their shoulders at the chasing pack.

Back to Beckford for a minute – how do you define a big club? I mean, would you leave Leeds to go to Wigan, Hull or Portsmouth. Leeds get twice the gates of those clubs and could easily be in the same division as them next year… I know where I’d rather be, given the choice. I guess I’m hoping that some of Saints better players think the same way as me in the summer, in case some of the shite Premiership clubs come sniffing. Maybe I’m naïve and underestimating the role that short term money plays in the whole thing. Anyway, my opinion of Beckford before this game was that he’s a player with pace and a good finish but he’s of questionable character and he has a neck tattoo which makes him a berk. He’s a stupid hat away from being a member of N-Dubz.

The highlight of the build up for Saints had been the interview with Don Nicola Cortese in which he answered a load of fans questions in a very forthright and professional manner. I had kind of done this arse backwards, as I had read the hysterical reaction to what he had said, before I’d actually heard him say it – which meant I got a tabloid view of it all. For example – ‘He’s going to move us from St.Mary’s’ and a load of vitriol about him getting deluded because of take up on the JPT Final tickets (44,000 sold). What he actually said was that he hadn’t ruled it out if problems with St Mary’s with the traffic etc couldn’t be sorted. The highlight for me was his pop at the Pompey administrator and the lengths he had gone to to try and help Wembley stage the JPT final and give us more tickets. In summary, he’s a bloody good Chairman to have.

Saints were unchanged again with the only change being on the bench where David Connolly was finally fit for some sort of action. Also worth noting was that the referee was on loan from the Premiership, Mr Peter Walton, who would therefore be of the same standard as Howard Webb who brilliantly refereed the Skates match.

Saints customary fast strat saw the first threat come from Lambert as he reached a Hammond cross and headed narrowly over. Hammond was again involved in another great chance for Saints as his long range blast was parried by Ankergren in the Leeds goal, just past the onrushing Lallana. Jaidi then rose like a very large salmon, tightly marked by fresh air and looped a header over from the penalty spot. He had enough time to bring it down, have a cup of tea, have a bath, win another 100 caps for Tunisia and then score but chose not to. Puncheon then cut in from his right wing and worked the ball onto his left foot for what I assumed was to be the curling effort to the far post. This time however, he whipped it near post and struck the upright. Bugger!!!

There was a bit of a setback on 20 minutes as Leeds broke down our right and Otsemobor just seemed to be jogging alongside the Leeds winger without putting a challenge in. A minute later it became apparent why as he hobbled off to be replaced by Wayne 12 points Thomas the Tank who immediately produced a lung busting run up the wing at a fair pace. Once he gets going, Thomas is bloody quick which explains why the traffic police can never catch him.

It’s all Saints and it’s still 0-0 but not for much longer as Sir Rickie nodded down a Lallana cross to Puncheon who kind of scuffed it across the goal to where Harding was standing in an acre to tap it into the unguarded net. Harding had had a crap time when he was a Leeds player so scoring in front of their fans must have been nice and there certainly seemed to be an element of goading as he ran past. The last Saints player who did that with Leeds fans was Patrick Colleter, French psychopath full back, who ended up getting thumped in the face for his trouble.

Another glorious chance fell to Barnard a few minutes later but he managed to hit the defender on the line from six yards. The, in the 35th minute, the Premiership ref got renamed TWITB – The Wanker in the Black. Before a corner can be taken, TWITB calls over Fonte and a Leeds player and presumably instructs them to stop the pushing. As Puncheon takes the corner, Leeds player grabs Fonte round the neck and Fonte shoves him away – the ball ends up in the net courtesy of a close range bundled finish by Jaidi and it’s a free kick to Leeds. No one knows why and no one seems too surprised.

No one is also surprised a minute later when Barnard is taken out by Naylor when clean through and nothing is given. A free kick means a red card and TWITB doesn’t want to give out one of those so of course, it’s ‘play on’. So, Barnard gets booked for diving.. of course not. Barnard should of, at that point, asked to be substituted as even if he’d been decapitated, he’d have been penalised for having blonde hair or something. Premiership Ref: You’re having a laugh. There’s time for another presentable chance to be squandered by Lallana but half time arrives with it still at 1-0.

We were pissing it on all counts except for the scoreline and had played some fantastic stuff. It really should have been 3-0 but surely Leeds couldn’t be that bad in the 2nd half and only being 1-0 up may come back to bite us. My half time enjoyment is again interrupted by the complete moron who sits behind me, again turning his programme into a makeshift trumpet and making animal noises. As far as half time entertainment goes, it’s right up there with Dennis Rofe serenading the faithful at The Dell in the 90s, wearing just a t-shirt and shorts despite the sub zero temperatures. Unlike with Dennis though, I’m near enough to this guy to thump him… should I so wish to

The second half brings a Leeds attack and surprise surprise, another hoof forward and this time it bounces and Jaidi and Beckford compete for the ball – well, Jaidi competes and he doesn’t take his eye off it once. Beckford decides to compete by throwing himself to the ground. He really is a tool.

We then saw an example of a really retarded football rule as Puncheon went up with a Leeds player (McSheffrey) and there was a clash of heads or something. McSheffrey came off worse and for that reason, TWITB booked Puncheon. Play was restarted with a Leeds free kick and because he’d been treated by the physio, Puncheon had to wait on the touchline until the free kick was airborne. McSheffrey was also treated by the physio but had to be substituted and their sub came straight on and went into an attacking position. So, Leeds had a free kick and it was 11v10 in their favour. You may think it’s fair enough as it had been deemed a foul by Puncheon but if Punch had had to be substituted and McSheffrey hadn’t, it would have been 11v10 in our favour. Like I say – retarded and I wonder if TWITB had ever thought of this – I doubt it.

The rest of the second half was odd in that nothing really happened. Certainly, neither keeper had to make a save of note as both sides huffed and puffed without creating much. Sir Rickie was struggling to hold the ball up and the introduction of Waigo livened things up but brought no clear cut chance. Some little shit called Gradel came on for Leeds and he had been on the pitch about 10 seconds before he tangled with Harding and then appeared to lash out out him. Looked a red card as clear as you like but TWITB did nothing. Maybe he was intimidated by Gradel who looked the size of Shaun Wright-Phillips aside from the blond streak he has in his hair which makes his head look like an inverted arse. Seeing that you could now get away with anything, Cap’n Hammond tried his best to get sent off by aiming a two footed scythe (a Wotton) at someone having just been booked for tapping the ball away as Leeds won a free kick. The Wotton was one that the man himself would have been proud of as the ball had gone a good three seconds before it happened.

Leeds for their part did absolutely bugger all for the rest of the game expect rain long balls down on Jaidi and Fonte. I couldn’t believe how ‘long ball’ they were. How the hell did this lot win at Old Trafford and how the hell have they got loads more points than us – I guess they can’t always be this bad. The five minutes of added time were negotiated without any alarm whatsoever and the final whistle brought cheers from 31,000 people and one man made duck noises through a rolled up programme.

In the second half, the three best players on the pitch were all centre halves. Kisnorbo for Leeds, wearing the turban was immense and kept Sir Rickie quiet all game. For Saints, Fonte was class and completely unflappable at all times but the rock was Jaidi who must have headed away over 30 balls into the box. I repeat that I can’t believe how clueless Leeds were to keep hoofing balls down on top of him as Becchio and Beckford clearly didn’t fancy the physical challenge and didn’t win a thing in the air all game. Leeds for their part, should still go up and I kind of hope they do but if they play like this for the rest of the season then they’ll be in the playoffs where they will lose, again.

In his interview after the game, Dan Harding was asked if it meant more that usual to score against Leeds and he lied, horribly, great wobbly dangly load of bollocks. “Not particularly”, said Dan. Yes Dan, I believe you. Anyhow, up to 47 points and now 10th and nothing to say except that we just have to keep winning. Next up, Tuesday night, Swindon at home and the big games just keep on coming.