League 1 Match 22 - Dagenham & Redbridge 1 Southampton 3

Hedge End Crossroads. Surprised Old Lady out of shot.

And the games come thick and fast with a trip to Dagenham and Redbridge who play at the LB Barking and Dagenham Care in the Community Stadium or something like that. Having duffed them 4-0 at SMS earlier in the season and them being in the bottom three, it was of course a game that we should win but we do have a habit of making a balls of such games.

Having only played two days ago, there was of course the question of which players would be rotated. Everyone had a chance except for the only one who most needed a rest, Alex Chamberlain as we have no replacement in the squad other than Lee Holmes who is currently in hospital waiting for his leg to grow back. In the end we switched Dickson in for Harding, Butterfield for Richardson, Hammond for Schneiderlin and Jaidi for Seaborne. Aside from the right back switch, I felt that all of these changes made the team stronger than the home game against Exeter so overall I was very confident we could continue the winning streak.

Away we go and roll up, roll up, it’s time for the procession as we set up camp in the Daggers half and manage not to score. We’re playing some really good attractive football and the combination play between Sir Rickie and The Gulyman is looking more promising by the week. However, we haven’t got a week, we’ve got 90 minutes and Sir Rickie sets up The Gulyman to head straight at Tony Roberts (38), who I thought quit with dodgy knees in about 1996.

We have obviously been practicing the move whereby we take a throw in across the pitch and the recipient just lashes it first time (Sir Rickie v Huddersfield) and so it came to pass again that Butters threw in to Chamberlain who lashed it first time left footed but Roberts (42) managed to keep it out with his zimmer frame.

Adam Lallana showed why he is far too good for this league with a wonderful drag back and turn from a tight spot out on the right wing before feeding Chamberlain on the left who cut in and thumped it wide and it was Chamberlain again who must have impressed this weeks unwelcome Liverpool FC pariah by skinning the full back and putting the cross on The Gulyman’s head from which he really should have scored…. but he didn’t and so, somehow, we went in at 0-0 having had about 70% possession.

Half time was upon us and I had manage to get myself in front of a radio to listen to the 2nd half and the Genius of Merrington, which sounds like one of those weird religious groups that spring up in desolate places in America. I apologise if you are the old lady at the traffic lights in Hedge End who gave me a very funny look as I gave it the large ‘GET IN THERE…..’ as following good work from Chamberlain, Sir Rickie laid it back for Ryan Dickson to cross and Lallana to bicycle kick it past Roberts (48) for 1-0.

1-0 nearly became two when following a hoof up in the air from Superkelv, Guly controlled superbly to the onrushing Chaplow who drove just over the bar from 35 yards. I beglected the mention last week that we have signed Chappers on a permanent deal now and what a deal that is. He is always in the box when we are attacking and a snapping, annoying terrier-like midfielder when we haven’t got the ball. The only thing he seems to lack is the ability to just hold the play up as he seems to want to just pile in whenever he gets near an opposition player.

The boys on the radio then get very excited about a penalty shout for the Daggers. They got so excited that they totally failed to tell us anything about what actually happened the useless bastards.

“That looked like a penalty didn’t it Dave ?”,
“Well it did but ….. (pause)”…..
“ and Fonte clears for Saints”.

That’s cleared that up then, brilliant piece of radio chaps, well done.

Barney has come on for Chamberlain with The Gulyman switching to the right wing and it’s from here where he picks up a decent pass from Barney before beating the left back on the outside, cutting inside the lunging tackle from the centre back and burying it under Roberts (52) to make it 2-0. Dave is in radio dreamland over the goal and is giving it over the top gushing enthusiasm of the highest order. It cannot be denied that it’s a brilliant goal and game over …… or not.

Five minutes later and Dagenham are hoofing it into our box with abandon and we’re not helping ourselves as a Hammond airshot presents a decent chance which is fired over the bar. It’s a temporary reprieve though as a cross comes in and Fonte is beaten in the air by Scott who makes it 2-1 on 85 minutes. Surely we can’t fuck this up now. We have a bloody good go though as Tomlin floats a free kick over the wall, it beats Davis and hits the underside of the bar before hitting Superkelv on the back and somehow staying out. We are lucky buggers.

Having survived that scare, the inevitable happens and a Richardson through ball is taken on by Sir Rickie who keeps his cool really well to hold off the last defender and lob it over the onrushing Roberts (58) who gets back to his feet courtesy of a Stannah Stair Lift. Full time, 3-1, get in and all hail the Genius of Merrington. There was some more radio gold in the dying seconds as some Lallana skill is described as ‘step backs and drag overs’. It’s painful and he’s a knob…. but he’s our knob so we should be respectful.

OK, it was a bit squeaky arsed before we made it 3-1 but who cares. We won and stay in 2nd place. It could have been even better but bloody Brighton won 2-1 in the last minute and so we stay 6 points behind them but in the end, we worry about ourselves. Today was a game that everyone expected us to win and for once we did, instead of being the team that buggers up everyone’s accumulators and keeps all the money in the bookies.

I think the highlight today was the show of squad strength and it’s well known that you build from a position of strength. Let’s hope that that’s a cliché that’s well known in Switzerland as well. Individually, it was a fantastic goal by The Gulyman even though the gloss was slightly taken off it by Dave Merrington and his over excitement…. and of course, Sir Rickie is back with his clinical finish for the 3rd goal showing that he’s getting back to last years levels. It’s all getting a bit exciting being up the top of a division which is not an experience I’ve had too often in 35 years of support.

Next up we have the slightly unwelcome distraction of Blackpool at home in the FA Cup. However, win and the confidence builds, lose and no bother really. I hope that Brett Ormerod is playing and I fully expect a chant of ‘you’ve got Brett Ormerod’ when he falls over trying to control the ball for the first time. Jason Euell... if there was a study to decide who was the worst Saints player pound for pound, I reckon Jason would be 2nd behind Agustin Delgado.