League 1 Match 11 - Southampton 4 Gillingham 1

X-Ray on Neal Trotman confirms what I suspected all along.

After the disaster that was Bristol Rovers. Saints had something to prove on Saturday against Gillingham. We really needed to win this one and win it well. In a role reversal from Tuesday, my Dad couldn't go and as I was unable to give the ticket away, I was on my own with my usual collection of Kingslanders and desperate for a better performance from the Mighty Saints than the one Dad saw on Tuesday. Gillingham hold a special place in my heart due to the memory of a League Cup trip to Priestfield during Ian Branfoot's reign of complete misery, when we had Dixon and Speedie up front for one of the worst 0-0 draws ever... oh the memories.

I realised as the teams lined up that I'd got the shape of the team completely wrong for the midweek game as we were playing 4-3-3 with Hammond, Wotton and Mellis in midfield and Lallana, Waigo and Lambert up front. Despite fantastical rumours of impending fitness, Wayne Thomas was again kept out of the side by his fractured eyelash.

Saints started off in a very lopsided way with 9 outfield players on the right and Dan Harding on the left which looked a bit worrying as Gillingham started the stronger of the two sides. About 10 minutes in we settled in our formation a bit and began to play. Wotton was patrolling in front of the back four and when we had the ball we had 5 players breaking forward. It soon paid off when Waigo fed Hammond who put in a decent cross from the right for Lambert to crash home with a right footed volley. Excellent goal and showing the value of getting somewhere near the oppositions goal before crossing the ball. Feed the Lamb and he will score!!! 1-0.

Saints were looking dangerous now and even the set pieces were better. It really should have been 2-0 straight afterwards as a Lallana corner was met by Trotman, six yards out but 50p Head directed it straight at the ground and it bounced over.

A week or so ago I was extolling the virtues of the Saints defence and the uncompromising nature of it. It didn't look so good 10 minutes later when Trotman had a free header to clear and instead, managed to 50p it straight to a Gills player who crossed, only for Jaidi to half clear it to another Gills player who ran past Harding's feeble attempt to tackle before (not the real) Rooney chipped Kelvin Davis who didn't seen to realise it was going over him until too late. 1-1 and not in the script.

The next chance fell to Jacob Mellis who worked himself a space with some nice footwork before rolling a precise shot against the outside of the post. Maybe there is a footballer in there after all.... but is there one in Papa Waigo, loitering ten yards offside? The next time that Waigo got the ball he just had the keeper to beat from 6 yards but his first touch was woeful and the chance was scuffed wide. I cursed him and his stupid dance and I cursed him with the ultimate insult of being as bad as Bradley.... and then he scored and I forgot all that negative stuff. Lambert played him in with a nice touch and even though there was an element of fortune about the control with his face and knee, it ended up in the net and Papa Waigo N'Diaye could legitimately do his dance for a reason at the third attempt.

Half time was approaching and so was the first booking as Trotman incurred the wrath of the referee for a kind of Judo throw that I think would have been a foul in that Ultimate Fighting cack that they pretend is a sport on Setanta. The first half action was not over though as Saints broke at pace and a combination of Waigo, Lambert and Mellis worked to ball to Lallana who scored easily. 3-1, Half time, happy days are here again.

At half time I thought I'd ring an old friend to see if they were in the concourse. They were in a concourse all right, but unfortunately, it was in an airport in Hong Kong wheich meant of course, that a half time chat and a beer was out of the question. More roaming charges for me no doubt.

The second half began with a lull as Gillingham weren't ready to go for broke yet and Saints were happy with what they had. Things livened up with the award of a free kick, 25 yards out which Rickie Lambert smashed towards the top corner, only to be denied by an excellent save from Simon Royce. This was followed by a superb run by Papa Waigo who left the full back on his bum before cutting in and sliding a lovely ball across the box where the flying Lambert just failed to connect. I am not convinced that the Waigo means anything he does but for today, what he was doing was just fine.

Gillingham rarely threatened and the game was finished off when after some over-elaboration by Mellis, Lambert and Waigo, Lallana decided it was time to stop all the messing about and curl home the 4th. The game was over from there on in with Lambert, Waigo and Lallana all being substituted to deserved ovations.

Despite his two goals, Adam Lallana is just pipped as player of the day, by Rickie Lambert who was simply unplayable. He is improving and I can't have been alone in thinking that he could play at a higher level than this. A shout must also go out to Paul Wotton whose 'dirty work' underpinned the result today. He knows his limits and plays within them, winning the ball, passing it to players who have more creative ability and generally, being a rock in the centre of the park. I firmly believe that he and Hammond should be two of the starting central midfielders with Schneiderlin challenging Mellis for the other spot. Last year, Wotton would launch into tackles so late that the game was already over. This year he appears to be staying on his feet more and only 'clearing out' when completely necessary.

To be honest, this is the sort of game we should see a bit more of at SMS this season. We should be burying these sort of sides and hopefully this will be the first of many emphatic wins at home and my Dad will hopefully see the others. He saw Bristol Rovers, I saw this one, I won, ha ha ha!

Next up is a first in the shape of a game v Torquay United in the Not-In-the-Top-Two-Divisions-Trophy knows as the Johnstone Paints Trophy. In his interview after the game, Alan Pardew said we'd be putting out a full side and he wanted to win it. To be honest, it is our only hope in hell of winning a trophy this season so why not.... I fancy a day out at Wembley too.

PS - Our game finished before Pompey's fluke, not a handball honest, win at Wolves.... so we got to one point first. We are now +2