7:35pm Saturday 8th November 2008
Saints still have just one home league win this season after a disappointing 1-0 defeat against Bristol City.
Much was expected of Jan Poortvliet’s team after the incredible turnaround at Preston the week before but Saints were flat until they deservedly fell behind.
From there they were unable to rescue the situation and the home record of just one league win from eight attempts made pretty grim reading.
The game started at a lively pace with both sides showing their ambition to keep the ball on the ground and get players quickly up to support their lone strikers.
Despite the attractive passing football chances were proving hard to come by and it took until 12 minutes before a glimmer of a an opening when Andrew Surman’s right wing corner picked out Ollie Lancashire at the far post but he headed wide.
With Dele Adeobla off the pitch having his headed bandaged after receiving a nasty cut, Saints created a better chance five minutes later.
Jake Thomson got down to the right by-line and crossed low for David McGoldrick at the near post but it was a tough finish from where he was and he couldn’t quite steer it on target.
Saints had a massive let off on 19 minutes when they should have fallen behind.
Bristol City worked a short corner put in by Lee Johnson that went deep where Alex Pearce was adjudged to have handled the ball in trying to defend it.
Referee Andy Penn awarded a penalty and Michael McIndoe stepped up to take it.
It was well struck but fairly central and Kelvin Davis guessed correctly and diving low to his left saved it and Saints got it clear.
Rudi Skacel decided to try his luck from a 40 yard free kick laid off to him by Surman but his drive was deflected wide by a City defender.
As the rain started to pour down at St Mary’s it was City who were in the ascendancy but Saints looked as though they could create if they could keep the ball a little better.
Jack Cork was the first man in the book for holding back McIndoe as he tried to break but the City player was lucky to escape without a warning after reacting to the foul by shoving him back.
Johnson had a chance for City on 40 minutes after Davis had raced out of his goal to stop David Noble’s clear run. He slid to meet the ball but it fell to Johnson who had the empty net to aim at from 35 yards out but under pressure to take it early put it well wide.
City continued to be on top and Davis had two saves to make in quick succession.
The first was fairly routine as Gavin Williams’ header from McIndoe’s cross went straight at him.
But the second from McIndoe’s low drive was a tougher stop which the Saints keeper made diving to his left.
As the half time whistle went it was to Saints’ relief that the game was still goalless giving them a chance to shake off their subdued performance in the second period.
Poortvliet made a predictable half time change to try and do exactly that with Bradley Wright-Phillips coming on for Thomson. Wright-Phillips went to the left sided attacking midfield role with Surman in the hole and Adam Lallana on the right while Oscar Gobern dropped to a holding position alongside Paul Wotton.
But it was City who had the first chance of the half as Williams met a high cross but headed over the bar.
Lallana responded with Saints’ first shot on target but his low effort from 20 yards was saved by Adriano Basso.
City did have the ball in the net on 50 minutes but the whistle had already long gone for a foul.
But the inevitable did happen and City took the lead two minutes later.
Adebola had held off the challenge of Lancashire and thundered a shot from eight yards out past Davis but saw it smash against the post and come out.
David Noble showed great composure to control the ball on the edge of the area and immediately feed it into Johnson who curled an effort into the top corner for 1-0.
Davis had another save to make from Adebola as Saints struggled to defend a drilled McIndoe corner but the keeper had covering defenders as well if anything went wrong.
Saints made another changed on the hour mark as Jason Euell came on for Wotton. Euell went ion the hole with Surman now back alongside Gobern.
City threatened again and Marvin Elliott dragged a volley wide from the edge of the area.
Euell almost made an instant impact as Saints went down the other end and got him in on goal but from eight yards out under pressure he failed to hit the target.
Lallana did on 65 minutes but it was a weak header and easy for Basso while Gobern’s effort from 20 yards was likewise.
Gobern hit his shot from the edge of the area much better on 73 minutes but it was just wide That proved to be Gobern’s last touch as Saints made their final change moments later with Tomas Pekhart on for him alongside McGoldrick up front.
Williams was the second man in the book for a trip on McGoldrick on 76 minutes.
The Saints striker had a glorious opportunity to level the scores a minute later when through but from six yards out he went across the keeper but wide of the far post.
City made their first change with nine minutes remaining as Ivan Sproule replaced Williams who Saints felt should have received a second yellow card after a challenge on Skacel. That was followed six minutes later as James Wilson was on for Noble.
Sproule fired a shot in on 90 minutes but it struck Cork and went behind as Saints got caught on the break.
Nicky Maynard came on for Adebola as City tried to run down the four minutes of stoppage time which they did with few late dramas to seal the win.
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