SAINTS were given a taste of the future on Saturday, but it is the present which will concern them most.

Eighteen-year-olds Dexter Blackstock and Leon Best acquitted themselves well making their first Premiership starts at Goodison Park.

They both held the ball up strongly, produced some nice touches and showed an understanding that was developed while scoring more than 40 goals between them in academy and reserve-team football last season.

They always looked a threat, although the guile of Everton's backline ensured they rarely posed serious danger to Nigel Martyn.

There were also other positives for Saints. What was largely a makeshift team certainly matched high-flying Everton for commitment and competed well enough to feel with some justification that they deserved a point. After holding out for 88 minutes, the ending was cruel.

Of course all teams have injuries, but few could prosper without an entire first-choice back-four (Jason Dodd, Michael Svensson, Claus Lundekvam, Graeme Le Saux), their best midfielder of recent years (Matthew Oakley) and the unavailability of their five most senior strikers in James Beattie, Kevin Phillips, Peter Crouch, Marian Pahars and Brett Ormerod.

Having said all that, just as against Manchester City, the team which always looked most likely to score was in blue, for whom Thomas Gravesen was a class above.

Saints were unlucky in this match, but the players cannot afford to waste any energy on thinking the world is against them.

The coaching/management structure for the season is now settled and they have a squad still strong enough to move away from the bottom three even with injuries.

They simply must get better.

Saints have played virtually a quarter of the season now and are averaging just 0.55 points per game.

If 40 points is generally considered to be the benchmark for safety, it is pretty alarming to think the current ratio will mean just 21.

What's more, while there have been endless mitigating circumstances off the pitch, no-one can really argue that the performances on the pitch have so far merited significantly more.

Saints were second best against Aston Villa, Bolton, Chelsea and Newcastle.

And although they perhaps deserved more against Charlton, Fulham and Everton, they rode their luck to beat Blackburn and hold Manchester City to a goalless draw.

Of all the statistics, the most worrying is a failure to score in five out of nine matches.

On the bright side, the table remains fairly tight and two wins in quick succession could transform everything.

On Saturday, injured club captain Jason Dodd issued a call for unity from fans.

It was timely following the resolution this week of how the club will be taken forward post Gordon Strachan and Paul Sturrock.

Dodd has seen it all in 15 years at the club and is right to say that the moment has arrived for everyone to support the team.

Arguments can rage forever about what has happened since Christmas, but it is important now to focus on the present and the future.

Steve Wigley has certainly had choppy waters forced upon him since taking over as head coach two games into the season.

But the tide of luck will turn eventually.

For now, Saints must give everything to make sure they are buoyant when that day arrives.