The first in a series of looks back on Boxing Day crackers.

A game doesnt neccessarily need to be full of goals to be considered a cracker and this one was settled by a single goal eight minutes from time.

Manager Chris Nicholl had endured a difficult time in his first four years in the hot seat, he had had to oversee the departurre of the big names like Peter Shilton, Mark Wright and even Andy Townsend, indeed Danny Wallace had left only months earlier,meaning he had to bring through the youngsters along with a few carefully chosen signings, Saints often played an adventurous 4-2-4 formation even 4 -3 -3 to accomodate the attacking talent available to him.

For this game Saints lined up

Flowers

Dodd, Moore, Osman, Benali

Cockerill, Case, Horne

Rod Wallace, Rideout, Le Tissier

Amongst those not playing for one reason or another were Neil Ruddock, Alan Shearer, Micky Adams, such was the depth of the Saints squad.

Arsenal of course were reigning League Champions and they arrived at the Dell top of the tree with 36 points from 18 games, one point ahead of Liverpool who had played a game more than the Gunners.

For their part Saints sat sixth on 27 points from 18 games and harboured hopes of pushing into a top five finish, although at the time English clubs were still banned from Europe after the Heysel disaster.

20,229 packed into the Dell, a few more had been there for the demolition of Liverpool and a few more would come for the visit of United, but this was in effect a full house and Saints fans squeezed onto the terracing on three sides of the ground whilst Arsenal fans occupied the open Archers Road terrace.

Undoubtably this was the toughest home game of the season and most agreed afterwards the most rewarding win, yes the 4-2 against Liverpool had been great, but this was a tense game, one where every player had to do their job and leave Saints in the position to take their chances when they came and win the encounter.

Arsenal had their chances that was for sure, but Saints battled and kept them out, the Gunners averaged only a goal a game conceded you knew you wouldnt get many chances and you had to take them when you did, as the game went into the last quarter Saints were still level when the ball dropped to Rod Wallace 15 yards out on 82 minutes and he drove home in front of the massed Saints supporters and pedants  on the Milton Road end to send the other three sides of the ground into raptures.

All that remained now was to hold on for the last 8 minutes which Saints did to bring themselves only six points behind the Gunners, Liverpool had won though so Saints were still eight points off the top, however a draw with Sheffield Wednesay at the Dell four days later would push us into fourth as we turned into the New Year, and on 1st January a 4-2 win at Selhurst park against Charlton would cement that position and open up a gape between us and Spurs in fifth, at the bottom Man United sat only two points off the bottom three as "Fergie Out" Chants echoed around Old Trafford  

Photo: Action Images

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