Only one thing mattered on this night, that we scored a goal and that we won, Ok thats two but who'scounting after this game that could turn the season back our way.

It was one of those nights when for a long long time you thought that it would be another goal less game for us with the worry that Palace might nick a goal at the other end, this almost happened on a couple of occasions in the second half but when the ball rebounded off a post and safety you sensed that things might just be turning Saints way.

Saints didn't play badly at any stage of the game, right from the off they pushed the visitors back and created chances, stats of 62% possession and 23 attempts on goal bore witness to that, the problem was though that although Saints clearly had learnt from West Brom and weren't trying to pass the ball into the goal and were willing to have a go, only 3 of these shots were on target.

Perhaps it was that we were trying too hard and perhaps it was that things just weren't running for us, on another night we could have had 3 or 4 goals but Palace just seemed to have the rub of the green at crucial moments.

Indeed the goal resulted from a shot that really should have been buried from James Ward Prowse, he made space for himself and shot, but in truth he hit it straight at Speroni in the Palace goal, although the keeper would argue it was hit with pace, the reality was that he should have held it, he didn't though and there was Mane to dink it over him for what would prove to be the winning goal and it released a pressure pot in St Mary's that has been building.

All that matters now is the result and the fact that we have moved up to fifth in the table, we might drop to sixth this evening and even seventh by Saturday, but these three points have been precious and mean that we come back for the last ten games of the season confident and refreshed.

Perhaps one big factor that we were able to keep going and put ourselves in the position to win the game late on was the crowd, perhaps the empty seats were usually filled by those that would have turned against the side when they failed to capitalise on a plethora of chances, but those that did turn up gave the team great backing and did not turn on certain players, this meant that the atmosphere in the main was positive and did not turn nasty and affect the players.

Indeed when Pelle went of on 70 minutes he was given a standing ovation from many parts of the ground who recognised he had run his heart out and truly deserved a goal or at least to see one created from his good hold up play.

Likewise Filip Djuricic his running and hard work created much and he had a never say die attitude that often took the play forward and created either chances or caused Palace to have to foul.

But this performance was often about guts more than skill, at the back poor play from both of our central defenders almost cost us goals, if you are at the top f the table you have to be stiched on at all times and sometimes we werent, that is not to say that Fonte & Yoshida had bad games, for 98% of it they were strong, but its that 2% that changes games sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad and this slack defending could have cost us on at least three occasions.

But the three points have been won and the team spirit and battling got them and that is a good foundation to build on for the last quarter of the season.

Saints now take a well earned break and an opportunity to rest and get the attitudes right for these last 10 games, in recent weeks we have been shell shocked but now we can put that behind us, get all of the squad fit and ready and then it will be game on for the rest of the season.

Photo: Action Images

ancientbriton added 09:51 - Mar 4 Yes we won - just but the real change came when Long and Ward-Prowse came on. Up until then there was too much side to side passing with nobody seemingly wanting to risk the attack at goal. Even the CP fans were talking about our seeming need for "just one more pass" in every attacking movement and no conviction to risk the sort of goals that have been scored against us in recent matches. Brilliant to have won but the opposition is frankly no longer in awe of us. Come on you Saints!

1

davepid added 11:11 - Mar 4 It feels like that moment when the laxative has just worked and the constipation over.
0

SanMarco added 12:28 - Mar 4 You saying we were sh1t Davepid!? I actually thought we were a bit lucky last night but we were due a bit after Liverpool. Talking of which what is it with refs and penalties at St Mary's this season? I thought the Fonte shove in the second half was a definite one but that is about the 7th or 8th that I have thought were certain pens that haven't been given (nearly all of ours came in one game of course). Still - I agree with Nick and Ron, this could just be a turning point although we will have to improve at the back to get anything from the next game...

0

davepid added 12:35 - Mar 4 Hi no I wasn't saying we were rubbish . I'm just glad the anguished painful drought of the last few games is over. And I hope it is over for good , though when Nic says JWP should have scored but shot straight at the keeper instead my heart fell as that is what he tends to do in good scoring positions.
0

SaintNick added 12:52 - Mar 4 I sw what davepid was doing with the laxative comment lol it was that rush of everything pouring out
0

corkcitysaint added 18:32 - Mar 4 A win is a win is a win and the 3 points is fantastic but this result shouldn't paper over the cracks. Yes we dominated possession once more but again we were woeful in front of goal and with corners / free kicks. Another nice botched free kick, 2 players running over the ball... Spironi in truth didn't have a save to make except for the one he fluffed that we scored from. (JWP should have scored directly, poor strike). Thank goodness Mane followed in. It could have been a different feeling today had Palace scored instead of hitting the bar, been given a penalty for the Fonte challange or when Forster flapped at the cross. I fear we wouldn't have come back form a goal down again. Fine lines gentleman, fine lines.

2

Blogs 31 bloggers

Arsenal Polls