League 1 Match 12 - Southend 1 Southampton 3

Put a picture of Adam Lallana on here quick

The season had just started and I recall saying to a mate of mine that one of the best things about League 1 was the sensible kick off times.... Saturday at 3pm or Wednesday at 7.45. So, here we are on poxy Friday night playing an away game at Southend. I understand that many will think Friday night is a good night for playing footy on but it's a pain in the hole for yours truly. Between the hours of 8.45pm and 10pm, I'm on a plane flying me back from Dublin to Southampton.... more of that later.

I'm confident going into this game as I feel we're getting stronger all the time. In midweek we've signed another player in Irish striker David Connolly who (according to my Irish mates) is far too good for League 1. Happy in this knowledge I am liking the way (as I've said before) that Alan Pardew identifies what is lacking and sorts it out. It's great... Connolly starts on the bench tonight and the starting XI is predictable with Schneiderlin coming in for Mellis who is away with the England Under 13 squad.

I'm logged onto the internet, having thrown 3 euro (27 minutes!!!) into one of those SiteKiosk machines in the departure lounge. At least Dick Turpin had the decency to wear a mask! Five minutes, 1-0 to us and the goal is scored from the most unlikely source....Trotman. I have visions of him rampaging forwards with the ball and crashing it in from 40 yards like Johnny Metgod or chipping the keeper like Phillip Albert.. nope, the Southend keeper had hold of the ball and Trotters slid in and booted him, his hands and the ball over the line and allowed for crap officials to do the rest and allow the goal.

My credit on SiteKiosk is going down quicker than knickers in a Portsmouth nightclub but it really is all us, shots, corners and everything but no second goal. Lallana forces a save and then hits the keeper again with the rebound and before you can say 'foul by Harding on the edge of the box', it's 1-1 as George Friend, who is no friend of mine nor of the 1000+ Saints away support, curls home the free kick.

1.00, 0.92, 0.84, 0.76 Goal by Adam Lallana, get in there. I manage to read that it's an assist by Schneiderlin, 0.16, 0.08, 0.00, before the screen goes blank. "Flybe flight BE382 will board from Gate Number 10 in 15 minutes". Faced with the choice of being ripped off by ShiteKiosk or ripped off by scandalous roaming data charges, I opt for the latter and ascertain that Schneiderlin had a shot and it's hit Lallana and deflected past the keeper. Who cares and it's 3-1 now with Lallana scoring again.... half time, time to board, happy commuter.

The plane I'm boarding is one of the one's that Flybe have named after a footballer. It's not the Matt le Tiss or the Kevin Keegan but the George Best that is taking me home tonight. When the big clubs come knocking for Adam Lallana, perhaps we can get Flybe to stick his mug on the side of a plane if he stays.

8.45pm and the second half is starting. a voice comes on the tannoy telling me that 'all mobile phones should now be switched off'. I'm pretty good about this usually but not today. I'm still hitting refresh as we take to the skies. We get to 52 minutes of the game before the signal goes dead. Bugger. I'm now completely helpless.... no internet, no way to find out the score for another hour. Dammit.

45 minutes of punk rock later and I can see lights which are probably Winchester. Bastard phone is still showing 'No Network Coverage' as I'm getting annoyed now as I can quite clearly make out Winchester Cathedral. I am furtively dodging the stewardesses beady eye, looking for phones and headphones etc and I'm waiting for the signal to kick back in and be bombarded with texts with Goal Waigo, Goal Lambert and Goal Connolly on them. For God's sake I can now see Eastleigh and then with a vibration there's a text. Final Score, Southend 1 Southampton 3.

Good things come to those who wait. For a second I was disappointed that we'd not gone on and mullered them completely but the bottom line is that we closed the game out with little or no alarm. Also, it must be remembered that the players have played lots of games in a short space of time so who can blame them for just doing enough in the second half.

We are now on +5 and just one point behind Wycombe who along with Tranmere, sacked their managers today. Wycombe sacked Peter Taylor who in my opinion is one of the most over-rated managers ever and Tranmere predictably sacked John Barnes who probably only got the job because once scored a good goal against Brazil. The rest of the league will be wondering about us now and just maybe Steve Claridge (good bloke despite being a Skate) was right on Saturday when he said that Saints would be up near the playoffs. Not getting carried yet but we have won 3 games in 6 days. Whatever next...