The S24 Preview: Southend United v Southampton

Saints secured a much needed second league win of the season and finally wiped out their ten point deficit with a comprehensive 4-1 demolition of Gillingham at St Mary's.

Alan Pardew's team came into the match under pressure to bag a victory and they delivered the goods, rarely looking in trouble as they moved into plus points for the season.

In form Adam Lallana bagged two goals with Rickie Lambert and Papa Waigo netting the others as Saints cruised to victory.

Saints had a chance within 15 seconds of the start of the game.

Bizarrely Gillingham briefly started with ten men with Dennis Oli leaving the field just before kick off and Saints took advantage to find Jacob Mellis in the area but he volleyed over from ten yards out.

Adam Lallana had an effort from distance just two minutes later which Simon Royce turned wide before Radhi Jaid's header drifted just wide.

Gillingham were forced into an early change as with just six minutes played as Danny Jackman was forced off after landing heavily on his shoulder and he was replaced by Jack Payne.

Saints' initial dominance paid dividends when they took the lead on 13 minutes.

Some neat interplay saw the ball worked out to the right and Dean Hammond who whipped in a cross that was met by a fierce volley from Rickie Lambert ten yards out and he buried the ball in the bottom corner for 1-0.

Lambert so nearly created another three minutes later when he cut the ball back from the right by-line but a strong challenge came in just as Lallana looked ready to steer it home.

Neal Trotman won a header from the corner but put it straight into the ground and it bounced over the bar.

It was an interesting tactical switch that Pardew had made, deciding to match up Gillingham's 4-5-1 formation.

Both teams were prepared to get men up and make it a 4-3-3 when in attack.

And it was one of those men joining up that equalised for Gillingham on 27 minutes.

The goal came out of the blue as the only real threat they had offered was Andy Barcham down the left but when the was rolled back to Luke Rooney just outside the top right hand corner of the area he chipped a curling shot over Kelvin Davies and into the far corner.

Papa Waigo had a glorious chance to restore the lead just a minute later when he was in on the far side of the area but he dinked a little chip over the keeper and wide as he flew out the way of the incoming challenge.

Mellis came within a whisker of getting a goal on 34 minutes when his shot from 20 yards flew past Royce but cannoned against the post with Waigo curling the rebound over from the edge of the area.

But Waigo made no mistake a minute later.

Lloyd James' throw into the area was flicked into the onrunning Waigo's path by Lambert and the striker took a touch before lifting the ball past Royce for 2-1.

Trotman became the first player in the book on 43 minutes for a late tackle on Curtis Weston.

But that didn't stop things getting even better for Siants a minute before the break as they gave themselves a much needed cushion.

Again it was good play out on the right, Mellis got the cross in which found Lallana who needed one touch to nick it past a defender and then having bought himself time and space used a second touch to bury the ball in the bottom corner.

When the half time whistle went Saints were in total control.

Other than the goal they had not been troubled by a far inferior Gillingham side and looked as though they could go on to score plenty more if they wanted to.

Gillingham gave Saints a reminder seven minutes after the restart when a free kick was knocked back to Barcham on the edge of the area but he sliced his effort well over.

The second half was struggling to come alive with Saints comfortable thanks to their two goal cushion while Gillingham rarely looked like causing many problems.

Lambert almost diverted Dan Harding's far post free kick goalwards but couldn't quite get it on target.

It was that man Lambert again who threatened to provide a second half spark on 66 minutes with a curling free kick from 25 yards out on the left that Royce turned over the bar.

Saints were certainly allowing Gillingham plenty of possession as they dropped off but it was all in areas that couldn't hurt them.

It seemed Pardew's men had decided to contain and protect what they had rather than push on for a big win and a bigger performance.

To be fair they were playing it well, strangling the life out of the game and looking occasionally lively on the break like on 72 minutes when Waigo squared across the face of goal but Lallana couldn't quite get on the end of it.

Gillingham tried to do something about their toothless attack on 74 minutes as Mark McCammon replaced Rooney.

But almost immediately Saints erased any doubt about the result as Lallana got the ball out on the left, cut inside and curled a lovely right footed shot around Royce and into the bottom corner for 4-1.

Pardew made his first change with Simon Gillett on for Lallana on minutes.

Tempers flared towards the end with Weston in the book for a late tackle on Harding.

Saints were just left to see out the remaining time before picking up a win.

Pardew made late substitutions with Lee Holmes coming on for Waigo before Matt Paterson was introduced for Lambert.

When the final whistle went it was a much needed and fully deserved victory for Saints.

Finally that ten point deficit had been wiped out and they were able to look onwards and upwards with some optimism.

With plus two now on the board they have given themselves the platform they required to build from.

Southampton: Kelvin Davis (Capt) Lloyd James, Neal Trotman, Radhi Jaidi, Dan Harding, Jacob Mellis, Dean Hammond, Paul Wotton, Adam Lallana, (Simon Gillett 77), Ndiaye Papa Waigo (Lee Holmes 87), Richard Lambert (Matthew Paterson 88)

(Report supplied by Adam Leitch from www.dailyecho.co.uk)

You can see the goals from that game here, poor old Roycey, but sadly not in some areas of the UK: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/8289870.stm

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