BOTH Leon Best and Dexter Blackstock will have felt less pressure making their full Premiership debut at Goodison Park by the fact their strike partner was also playing.

That's the view of Saints Under-21 and reserve team manager Stewart Henderson in the wake of the 18-year-old pair's top flight baptisms on Merseyside.

Best was the youngest striker to make his first league start for Saints since Alan Shearer grabbed a hat-trick against Arsenal as a 17-year-old in April 1988 - and Blackstock was the second youngest!

Henderson said: "It was nice for them to get their opportunities - they will be better players for having had the experience and that can only help the club.

"Obviously they got their chance earlier than anyone would have thought - nobody would ever have thought all the senior strikers would be unavailable at the same time.

"You could have played either Leon or Dexter with one of the senior strikers - I would say they were both ready to play in the first team - but it probably helped them by the fact they were both making their debuts.

"I was pleased to hear they acquitted themselves well and didn't let anybody down.

"They obviously know each other's game well, and that would have been in Steve Wigley's mind."

While many fans expected Best to start at Goodison, some thought Anders Svensson or even Neil McCann would have been pushed up front if, as turned out, Kevin Phillips' calf strain kept him out.

So Blackstock's inclusion was more of a surprise, but not to Henderson.

After Phillips was injured in training last Tuesday, the decision was quickly taken to leave Blackstock out of the reserves, who Henderson managed at Crystal Palace on the same day in the evening.

"There was no point risking someone like Dexter who could have picked up an injury," said Henderson.

Best and Blackstock were the central striking partnership whose goals fired Henderson's Under-19s to the FA Academy League's championship last season.

Both were playing their first season at the club - Best having been signed for £50,000 from Notts County in March 2003 and Blackstock from Oxford United a few months later.

"They did exceptionally well last season," said Henderson. "But don't forget they are just young lads. I don't want anybody to get carried away. Leon is still eligible to play Under-18 football, but that would be a waste of time.

"They've both got to keep working hard and beavering away, like they have done.

"Leon's been really flying this season and Dexter, having missed a lot of pre-season through a minor groin operation, has also come back strongly."

Asked to describe what each brings to their partnership, Henderson said: "Dexter is very useful in the air, and he's good in and around the box. He will be a good finisher.

"Leon's a good finisher as well, and he gives you strength.

"Whether they are ideally suited to partnering each other up front remains to be seen, but they have played well together so far."