The Moore Verdict: Reading 1 Saints 2

Line-ups

Southampton lined up with their usual 4-2-1-3 - Robertson restored in attack, Wright-Philips too, having earned his place with an energetic performance from the bench last week, Lallana the third man. You'll ask who lined up at left flank, and who right, and for a while I could have told you. But such was the movement and fluidity from the very first kick in this majestic display, that suffice to say, they were your front-line.

In midfield, too, we had Surman roving ahead of the imperious Schneiderlin - both appearing at home - and sprightly McGoldrick sitting off the front three, in the hole perhaps, who really knows? For today, there was total movement, total football, but more of that anon.

Our weak link, not so much a leaky defence as colander-like, was bolstered by the return of the wise-old Chris Perry to partner the irrepressible Jack Cork. Skacel occupied his now usual berth on the left and James, the right. Kelvin Davis took his immovable place between the sticks.

Reading? Well they lined up with a formation but you didn't come here for trivialities like names and positions of opponents. For your £139.50 per annum, the BBC can furnish you with such objective information. For free, let me reprise the game as you want to hear it!

First half - well on top

From the very first kick, Southampton began a dominant display that would last for all but fleeting moments of this fast-paced, open encounter. Forays from Wright-Phillips on the left and Lallana on the right offered early hope as Armstrong and Bikey were pulled apart like a pair of crotch-less tights, unable to guess which way their opponents would thread the ball, reacting all too slowly to a confident Southampton forward line.

Robertson held the ball up well and proved the perfect foil for McGoldrick who worked hard to play in his wide-men as Saints really stretched the Royals' defence.

But in age-old fashion, it was Southampton who surrendered the first shot on goal, Cork blocking on the line and Perry clearing the loose ball from a Hunt corner on the left. In truth, it was the only significant moment of Reading possession for the entire first half and within minutes they would begin to watch their unbeaten home-record sail away on a whirlwind of red and white.

Another thrusting and incisive move allowed McGoldrick to tee up Schneiderlin to the right of goal but his shot was high and wide. Wright-Phillips then found himself back to goal from a melee in the Reading box, but an optimistic bicycle kick left Hahnemann untroubled. After fourteen minutes, however, the deserved breakthrough came.

Lloyd James has taken some flack for his performances at full-back this season and there was a serious error to come. But when he picked up the ball about thirty yards out on the right, from a probing run by Robertson, he had only one thing on his Welsh mind. Looking up, he spied Wright-Phillips stealing in at the far post and floated over a pin-point cross. Bradley rose like an Ayrshire salmon on his way to spawn, and powered the ball past a helpless Hahnemann and into the net.

A stunned home crowd showed more emotion than their side, who then sat back and meekly offered possession to the marauding Saints who were denied a clear penalty just two minutes after taking the lead. McGoldrick in the centre of the penalty area received the ball from Skacel and his clever flick was handled by the appropriately named Armstrong. The referee ruled it accidental and play continued.

Within five minutes, Saints players were again screaming for the whistle as this time the dangerous Jordan Robertson broke through on goal, speeding in and being brought down by Marcus Hahnemann, only for the referee to ignore the earnest pleas.

As stone-wallers go, this one was built by Hadrian, but Saints have become used to playing with a man disadvantage this season and for the sake of the respect campaign, we'll call the referee 'unsighted' (nothing a trip to Specsavers would not rectify).

The next twenty minutes near flew-by as wave after wave of Saints attack crashed onto the Reading box, only to be foiled by that other mistress luck (who seems to have forsaken us for less-sunny climes down the coast).

But credit too, to Hahnemann for pulling off a spectacular save to deny Lallana's diving-header from a millimetre-perfect Skacel cross. The half-time whistle signalled a thunderous round of applause from the four thousand travelling fans who had forsaken Christmas shopping to receive a gift of forty-five minutes of the most incisive, imaginative football. It should have seen them five goals clear of a tired-looking Reading who could surely only improve.

Second half - Saints seal the deal

And they did, of course and started the second half in better spirits, but within five minutes, Saints and Wright-Phillips had doubled their tally for the day.

A fine move down the right flank, sparked again by James, resulted in Lallana crossing the field and picking out Bradley on the left. His neat tap to the right opened the angle and a low shot fizzed past the Reading 'keeper and left the net bulging. Saints were now in dreamland, two goals to the good but no more than their football master-class deserved.

But of course, in every classroom come lessons and one we must quickly learn is that our full-backs do not commit themselves. Once again this proved our undoing as James slid in and missed a ball which then found Matejosky in space. His slide-rule pass from the left of the box picked out Doyle whose saved shot fell kindly to Kebe and he slotted home.

To say it was undeserved would be an understatement, but neither was it unexpected and Lloyd James needs to work harder at standing his man up and remaining goal-side.

Nevertheless, Saints withstood the expected onslaught as a renewed Reading had awoken their slumbering fans and they then pressed in search of an equaliser. That they failed owes much to the determination of Perry and Skacel who saw off the most potent threat, coming as it did down Reading's right, with Hunt thankfully quiet on the left.

Southampton were now reduced to hitting on the break and so they did, but with much less venom that the first half. Although, a delightful piece of footwork from Lallana presented him with a chance he blazed wide. And even Jack Cork was not afraid to run with the ball, finding McGoldrick in space on the right, but his shot arced high beyond the far post.

For a while at the end, the defending was Offa's Dyke (last ditch) but Reading got what they deserved from this game - a right Royal spanking - and were flattered by the score-line.

Verdict

Saints could and should have run amuck in the first half, bagging goals for fun. That they did not and still rode to victory is a testament to the fight and spirit that Jan Poortvliet had instilled in these young heroes.

And for all those who have questioned his credentials, I reserve the last observations. We played the formation we have played all season. At times it has been agonisingly close to delivering, at others it has looked more total shambles than total football.

But when a man sticks to his beliefs, against all the doubters and continues to do that which he knows is inherently right, he rises above the baying crowd and assumes the mantle of respect.

Well done Jan Poortvliet; my man of the match today.