GATHERED by the players' tunnel an hour after the final whistle, Gordon Strachan was holding court with the guys and gals from the media.

"So, assuming you achieve safety in the next couple of games, what will your aims be for the rest of the season?" the Southampton manager was asked.

"To not watch anything like that again this season," the Scotsman replied acidly.

Judging by his antics on the touchline, clutching match notes in one hand, and gesturing wildly with the other, Strachan was certainly not a happy Easter bunny.

This was a match riddled with mistakes from both teams, but from Southampton in particular, and if Fulham had harboured any gumption or guile about their play, particularly with their finishing, they should have cashed in big-time.

"They were better than us, they had the better chances and I picked the wrong side," Strachan admitted candidly afterwards. "We had a wee bit of luck today, and individually we were all over the place in the first half."

The first half was a shocker.

Only Paul Jones will know what was going through his mind when Sylvan Legwinski fired the ball upfield after just six minutes, seemingly too ambitious a ball for Steve Marlet. Jones came to the edge of the 18 yard box, spread himself and went down for the ball and what should have been an easy take, only to spill it, and for the £11.5m Frenchman to score into an empty net.

After the ricket against Leicester a fortnight earlier, Jones in fast becoming public enemy number one.

But fans with extremely short memories should remember how often the Welshman has come to Saints' call with some breathtaking and world class saves. He has saved his team more points this season that lost them.

Jones was quickly able to redeem himself after Barry Hayles had muscled Wayne Bridge off the ball, saving with his legs a stinging effort from the Fulham striker.

Then when Paul Williams, who had one of his worst games of the season, inexplicably gave the ball away to Hayles on 26 minutes, Jones stood his ground and the ex-carpenter's attempt to round the Saints goalkeeper was wooden in the extreme.

"Without Jonah we could have been well down," pointed out goalscorer, Rory Delap. "Jonah did well for us on a couple of occasions. A lot of keepers go down on one-on-one situations, but he pulled us out from there, and we were able to go on, battle well and scrap for a point.

"Jonah has been getting some stick lately, but he made some good saves today and Fulham could have been four-up at half-time. He has pulled us out of a lot of games this season."

The number of times Saints squandered possession was unbelievable. When Strachan talks about picking the wrong team you feel it was in midfield where Saints were caught short. They sorely missed the attacking adventure and defensive qualities of the injured Chris Marsden down the left. Anders Svensson never looked entirely convincing out wide, you sense he prefers a more central midfield where he provides the fulcrum to Saints' passing game.

"It was a very scrappy game to play in," said Rory Delap. "I thought Fulham did well. They kept the ball down and played it around.

"We tried to adapt to play the same way they did, and it didn't work. We then tried to go back to the way we play it, which is trying to get the ball to the front men as quick as we can, but the balls just weren't good enough today."

It was Delap who hauled Saints back into the game with a crisp finish after 21 minutes. Jason Dodd provided the ball, and delightful chip over the Fulham defence into the penalty area, and the Republic of Ireland international finished clinically.

But home chances were few. Marian Pahars, who drifted out of the game for long periods, flashed an effort into the sidenetting in the first half.

And then 12 minutes from time, substitutes Jo Tessem and Kevin Davies split the Fulham defence. Tessem provided the through ball, Davies ran on and his left-foot effort crashed against the foot of the Fulham post, with Brett Ormerod finding the back of the Northam Stand.

"We got a point, and I guess that is the one good thing," reflected Strachan.

"Football is about standards and consistency and enjoying the game. Last week at Sunderland I enjoyed the game, this week I didn't."