- 2 weeks ago
19th vs 18th. A relegation six pointer. A win for either club would lift them out of the bottom three. *NB* This coverage is NOT edited. Recorded live off the tv at the time of broadcast by pressing record and pause. Before the days of home editing.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00The club will, in effect, be returning to its roots. It began life as Southampton St Mary's.
00:05But the building of a 32,000 stadium depends largely on the Saints staying in the Premiership.
00:10And to that end, playing at the DEL is perhaps their biggest asset.
00:14It's archaic and atmospheric in equal measure.
00:19Southampton's line-up lacks Ken Monkau, who's suspended, so Francis Bernali plays in central defence.
00:24Hassan Cashloul is back after international duty,
00:27and David Jones has stuck with experience up front.
00:30Surely Mark Hughes must score soon.
00:33Southampton's only away win at Blackburn in November saw the end for Roy Hodgson.
00:37Because of their tough run-in, this is a game they believe they have to win.
00:41So it's an attacking 4-3-3 for Rovers, with eight first-teamers incapacitated.
00:46Kevin Gallagher returns after three and a half months on the injured list.
00:49He's their joint top scorer, with just four goals.
00:54Graham Barber is in charge at the DEL for the first time this season.
01:00On the most beautiful spring-like day.
01:03It is the fourth time in the last six years that Blackburn have paid an April visit to a relegation
01:08threat in Southampton.
01:10The Saints have won the previous three, with Matthew Letizia scoring in each game.
01:21Early free kick awarded in Southampton's favour.
01:24And Letizia's first act will be to take this free kick.
01:28London Clown is forward from the back.
01:31Marston and Bernali also available.
01:34Header away was by Carsley.
01:36Dodd.
01:38Hurston Stout asked to turn.
01:40Did make contact, but not meaningfully so.
01:46Ward turning and spinning away from Bernali.
01:50Bernali has been forced wide, but still Southampton under some pressure.
01:56Which ends with the concession of a corner by Bernali.
02:00Johnson and Gallagher both inside the six-yard box for this kick.
02:06Peacock a little further out.
02:09Moss made flailing contact with the ball and it's out for another corner.
02:19Angcho waiting beyond the back post for Wilcox's corner kick.
02:22There is Angcho.
02:23Gallagher with a cheeky touch.
02:24And then a second opportunity as well.
02:26And now a third.
02:28But Gallagher close in.
02:32Exception by Mark Hughes.
02:33Here's Letizia.
02:34And Cash-Lill has started a run on the far side.
02:37This is Scott Hailey.
02:39Hughes now in a much more central position.
02:42Letizia.
02:44Nice back heel to Cash-Lill.
02:46And the shot just kept out by Fyland.
02:50Scrambling to his left.
02:54Much more promising.
02:56Bernali beating Ward in the air.
03:00Gallagher.
03:01And here's Ashley Ward with a chance.
03:05And a goal.
03:09No sooner had Southampton almost taken the lead.
03:13Than Blackburn have taken the lead.
03:18And it's Ashley Ward with the 100th goal of his career.
03:24Southampton's mind seemed to be elsewhere.
03:27And Ward was allowed to run diagonally.
03:30And then Schender soft-looking shot really straight back across the face of the goalkeeper.
03:41And Ketir down the line for Gillespie.
04:04And Ketir down the line for Gillespie.
04:07Hustenstatt, Hughes and Dodd also forward.
04:09And here is Jason Dodd with a chance.
04:14Well, it's not his favourite foot, the left.
04:19And he hardly...
04:21Eye on the ball all the way.
04:24And it was only the fingertips of Fyland that took it away from Hustenstatt at the back post.
04:30Like Southampton, Blackburn have only won once away from home in the Premiership this season.
04:36So in that context, how valuable is Ashley Ward's fifth goal for Rovers?
04:42Likely to prove to be.
04:50Willcox.
04:51Ready!
04:52Robbed by Cash Law.
04:54He was looking by far the most threatening Southampton player.
04:59Now Letizia.
04:59Oh, didn't have the pace to take it in his stride.
05:02Southampton fortunate to get another chance.
05:04And here's Hustenstatt.
05:07Shadowed by Peacock.
05:08Dodd.
05:09And Marston!
05:14Chris Marston's first goal for Southampton.
05:24Greeted by a tumultuous reception around the dell.
05:30The ball played unmistakable, but to Blackburn, as Dodds Cross came in, totally unstoppable.
05:38A really emphatic header.
05:44John Feithan left as a spectator.
05:48Yet again Cash Law involved.
05:51Hustenstatt's touch.
05:52The captain's cross.
05:54And thump from Marsden.
05:58We have got a game on our hands.
06:03Hustenstatt's foul against Peacock, but they came from the crowd, not the players.
06:06Lundercramp failed to cut out the long ball forward.
06:08Here's Gallagher.
06:09Ward arriving to his right.
06:11But Benali sold himself early.
06:13Highly guided it behind.
06:17This game's swinging from one end to the other at quite a pace.
06:22Quite a lick.
06:26And there's Peacock!
06:30While the marking was just dreadful.
06:37And now it's Peacock's turn to score his first goal for his club.
06:43What happened to Lundercramp?
06:45He was supposed to be with him and lost him completely.
06:50Just the sort of set-piece goal that Southampton have been training to defend all week.
06:55In fact, all season.
06:59Well, the opening half-hour of this relegation contest has provided more entertainment and incident than many full 90 minutes
07:06that we've seen this season.
07:09Coletaire was tackled by Ward.
07:16And the goal all the way through to Neil Moss.
07:20The action is ceaseless.
07:25Letizia.
07:26No-one seems to be taking a firm grip on him or on Cash Law.
07:31But just for a second, it seemed that the Moroccans' header, which lacked power, was going to trickle in.
07:39Until Darren Peacock emerged on the goal line.
07:42To hook it clear.
07:44It actually came off Cash Law.
07:46Onto a Blackburn player and then towards the goal line.
07:51Oh, Coletaire could have cut it out.
07:52Johnson.
07:53To Gallica, who's turned.
07:55Oh!
08:00And from what we've seen so far, we would not be looking to put together a tape for a defensive
08:08masterclass.
08:12This formation of Blackburn's, designed to be attacking and dangerous, is causing so many problems for Southampton.
08:21McAteer tricking Coletaire inside and outside.
08:24And there's Gallica.
08:28So many chances.
08:32It's just Southampton, who are in the more worrying position of the two.
08:43This is McAteer.
08:45This is McAteer.
08:48So, Hapton have had quite a change around.
08:51Jason Dodd.
08:54And is now playing in a much more defensive role.
08:57Get him out!
08:59And that may well liberate the likes of Letizia and Cash Law to do more damage going forward.
09:07Here is Dodd.
09:19The helplessness of the football manager, once the game is in progress.
09:26Gallica.
09:28Dodd caught beneath the ball.
09:30Turning rather awkwardly.
09:32So Blackburn have it with Gillespie.
09:36Ward.
09:43McAteer.
09:46And Wilcox.
09:49A sucker punch.
09:56Jason Wilcox, an unlikely arrival inside the penalty area.
10:02Which caught Southampton out completely.
10:05McAteers ball in.
10:07And no one anywhere near Jason Wilcox.
10:12Blackburn have some daylight.
10:17And on an occasion where nerves are so taut,
10:22at least those belonging to the Blackburn players and supporters
10:25will have eased just a little.
10:33No Cash Law.
10:36Lost the fright of the ball.
10:38Dueling with McAteer.
10:41Oh, and a foul.
10:42Foot up by McAteer.
10:43On Bernali.
10:50McAteer could have withdrawn the foot,
10:52but chose not to and has played with a yellow card.
10:55It's all down to the delivery from Francis Bernali.
11:00Healy.
11:03Header away by Carsley.
11:06Attack turned into defence for the home team.
11:16Bernali.
11:17Letizia.
11:21Marsden.
11:31Highly.
11:33Cash Law uses the chest to David Hughes.
11:36DT.
11:37With no flag.
11:38And Mark Hughes a score.
11:41Mark Hughes in his 32nd appearance for Southampton.
11:48Finds the net.
11:51David Hughes to Vitti.
11:54He wasn't offside.
11:55It was marginal.
11:56And then the two Hughes sliding in at the near post.
12:00Mark Hughes decisively so.
12:02It's almost a year since Mark Hughes last scored a goal.
12:06That was for Chelsea.
12:07And they've waited and waited and waited at the del.
12:10For that moment.
12:16Bernali.
12:19Letizia.
12:22David Hughes.
12:24Mark Hughes.
12:25With a shot.
12:26He's cleared the bar.
12:28It took a deflection.
12:30It's going to be a corner.
12:31He seems to have got the taste now.
12:33Having almost forgotten how to score.
12:37He's remembered.
12:39And he likes the feeling.
12:42And Letizia getting a typical welcome from the supporters in that corner.
12:47As he goes across to take.
12:52Well, Cash-Lew nearly nipped in at the near post.
12:58Gallagher.
12:59Run by Marsden.
13:01Bernali.
13:02Cash-Lew.
13:03Full of forces with Southampton at this moment.
13:05That's a good ball to James Beattie.
13:08Mark Hughes screaming for it by the penalty spot.
13:13Well, that looked like a corner.
13:15But the referee has given a goal kick.
13:21Davidson was the defender.
13:23Then Wilcox came in.
13:25And there was certainly a nick off the Blackburn player that took it behind.
13:28Clampton player Kevin Davis is being sent on by Blackburn with 20 minutes to go.
13:35He's replacing Kevin Gallagher.
13:41Had a very good season with Southampton last year, Kevin Davis.
13:46A last throw by the Saints.
13:48Off goes Scott Hailey.
13:50And on for the first time at the Dell is the new man from Sconta Riga, known as Latvia's Michael
13:58Owen, Marian Pahas.
14:02Who's a striker and is, in the words of his manager, a big game player.
14:06Well, this is a big game.
14:20Finale.
14:23Beating.
14:25Headed by Daly.
14:26Mark Hughes, who's dropped a little deeper since the change.
14:29Cash Lowell, who was taken down on the edge of the box.
14:32And this is a free kick that very definitely is within Matthew Letizia's range.
14:38In fact, he's already marched very purposefully across to place the ball on this piece of turf that he knows
14:48so well.
14:54It's deflected.
14:56It's Mark Hughes.
14:57It's deflected again.
14:59And it's a corner.
15:00There's a heroic block.
15:03Lee Carsley hurled himself into the path of the ball.
15:10And Blackburn have dispatched the ball towards the halfway line.
15:14That's what the boos are all about.
15:16And the referee, Graham Barber, is coming across to his assistant to see who the culprit was.
15:23A clear piece of time-wasting, but who was the perpetrator?
15:31And it's Gillespie.
15:33Who is going to be cautioned.
15:39Letizia's kick.
15:42BT.
15:51Dodd.
15:53BT.
15:54Yet another prodigious league to Harris.
15:58The first ever Latvian to score a goal in English football
16:05Five foot nothing, almost invisible
16:08And he nipped in to equalise for Southampton
16:11On his first appearance at the Dell
16:14Beattie with a wonderful leap
16:16And a decisive downward header
16:20Maybe there's something in this tank that he's Latvia's Michael Owen
16:25At this moment, he's Mick Shannon
16:27Matthew Letizia, Terry Payne and sundry others from down the years
16:32All rolled into one to the Southampton Faithful
16:36Marsden was caught by Wilcox
16:38And that's why the free kick has been given
16:41Bodies hurling themselves in the way of the ball
16:46And Letizia only denied by a heroic piece of defending from Lee Carsley
16:51James Beattie another to see a shot blocked on the line
16:56What's going to happen next in what's becoming a real maelstrom of a game
17:05Beattie had the first chance which Peacock repelled
17:08And then Letizia had just as good an opportunity
17:15Now Cash Lowell
17:19Ball spending so much time in the air
17:22Letizia
17:23Here's Pahaz with a chance
17:25Oh and Cash Lowell
17:28Away by McAteer
17:31And then much more firmly
17:34By Keith Gillespie
17:38Southampton so close to
17:40What would be the most dramatic of winning goals
17:42Cash Lowell
17:48Foul given
17:50Jason Wilcox with an unwelcome word or two in the air of Cash Lowell
18:03Letizia to take
18:04Eight forward for Southampton
18:10Mark Hughes got his head to the ball but
18:11Couldn't keep it down
18:22Sides
18:23Blackburn
18:24Will be the more relieved to hear the final whistle
18:28Brian Kidd
18:28Rather like the man for whom he worked for so long
18:31Checking his watch to make sure that the amount of added time was correct
18:35But what a game
18:37It's the sort of contest that makes you yearn for a darkened room in which to lie down
18:412-1 to Blackburn at half time
18:44Jason Wilcox stretched it to what should have been a match winning lead
18:48Mark Hughes finally found the net for the Saints
18:50In his 32nd appearance for them to give them hope
18:53And four minutes from time
18:55The tiny Latvian Marion Pahaz
18:58Announced himself so dramatically in English football
19:023-3 and scarcely time to draw breath
19:07David in common with 15
Comments