A scintilating display but with warning signs.
Saints blitzed ipswich Town in a first half performance as good as any i have seen since relegation from the Premiership in 2005, but in a 15 minute spell early in the second half they almost threw it all away before a late rally saw them comfortably home.
From the kick off Saints went at the Tractor Boys and two goals from Rickie Lambert in the opening 11 minutes both blew the home side away and dispelled rumours that Lambert couldnt score in this division, for the rest of the half Saints took control although Ipswich were flashing in some dangerous balls across the face of goal, when a sublime move shortly before the break saw Guly round the keeper, but pushed a little wide he kept his cool, didnt go for the tight angle but took a touch and laid it right back to the oncoming David Connolly who maintained his goal a game record, Saints were good value for the half time lead.
In the second half you knew the home side would come hell for leather and they did, but just as Saints seemed to have rode the storm they collapsed into disaray in spectacular fashion, it started with a long drive that cannoned off the bar, Saints were slow to react and clear the rebound and Keith Andrews drove the ball home at the near post with a shot that to be blunt should have been saved.
It was then chaos at the back as Ipswich sensed blood and poured forward reminiscent of the final minutes at Barnsley, the Saints defence was panic stricken and there was barely a member of it who wasnt guilty of failing to clear the ball, then just after the hour a high ball in the six yard box wasnt dealt with properly and Emanuel-Thomas lashed in the ball from a couple of yards out, at this moment you feared the worse.
Saints dug in though and rallied and had a good chance to make it four, but didnt take it, Adkins took a chance and waited ten minutes before making a change, bringing on Schneiderlin on the right hand side for Guly, although this didnt look to bring balance to the midfield, it enabled Saints to defend their lines better and Ipswich couldnt keep up the pace and needed a breather.
At the back we still looked dodgy as good as Seabourne was at Barnsley he was bad at Portman Road, he could seem to clear the ball although he wasnt the only culprit in the back four, at one time Seabourne and Harding kicked each other rather than the ball and you feared that unless Saints got another then when Ipswich got their second wind it might be a nervy finish.
BBut it was Saints who got the decisive and killer goal, with 15 mins left Schneiderlin executed a wonderful chip that put Lallana right through on goal and he finished well and Saints had their brething space.
Danny Fox then made his first appearance in place of Connolly as Saints went five in midfield to smother Ipswich and Saints closed out the game well with Lallana deservedly putting the icing on tha cake.
Overall it was a great win but the warning signs were there for all to see, Nigel Adkins has to make some harsh decisions in the next week or so and be pro active rather than reactive, its no use waiting ffor something bad to happen, defensively we have had two dodgy spells and although neither have cost us points, they will do soon, a good manager will take steps to rectify these weaknesses and make sure they dont happen again and therefore dont cost us dearly come the final points tally a the end of the season.
But I have left perhaps the best to last, Jack Cork put in a good a performance in central midfield as i have seen in a Saints shirt, to say he ran the show is underselling his performance, he seemd to have it all in his locke, tacklng, passing, determination, box to box and good in the air, he drove the side on and i give him 10 out of q0 only because there isnt an 11.