MATTHEW OAKLEY and goalscoring have not exactly been the snuggest of bedfellows this season.

"I've been getting a bit of stick about it from the lads," admitted the midfielder who, before Saturday's match, has failed to find the back of the net in 28 appearances this term.

"The lads did a bit of extra shooting practise in training last week, but the manager wouldn't let me. He said no because I haven't scored this season."

Oakley hopes he might now get an invite to sharpen his shooting skills at Staplewood this week after the most clinical of strikes sent Saints careering along the path to victory.

Twenty eight minutes had gone when Jason Dodd spotted Oakley's run into the Derby penalty area, the skipper clipped the ball into the box and the midfielder volleyed home past Andy Oakes.

"Jason picked me out quite a few times with the ball," explained Oakley. "We have quite a good understanding. He put the ball in and it seemed to sit up - the pitch was a bit drier today.

"I knew where the goal was and just hit it, and it came off the middle of my foot and I knew it was going in.

"Someone was saying to me I don't score tap-ins but that's because I don't get close enough to the goal."

His manager, Gordon Strachan, was delighted to see Oakley on the scoresheet. "Matthew has been a big player for us," he insisted. "While other people get the plaudits, he goes about doing his job and, as far as I am concerned, he has got a big heart and he plays his football the way I like it.

"He is brave on the ball - it is easy to jump into tackles and kick people in the air but he likes to receive the ball and pass. Every week he gets better and that is a fantastic attribute."

Oakley's goal was a huge nerve-settler for Saints in a match where the stakes were high.

Sure, if Southampton had drawn, or even lost, it wouldn't have been a total disaster.

But, with four matches left, and Strachan's men still hovering below the psychologically important 40-point mark, the seeds of doubt would have been sewn.

Suddenly games against Charlton and Aston Villa away, sandwiched between Everton and Newcastle at home would not exactly have been trips down Easy Street.

Derby were not much to write home about and if we're being harsh here, Southampton really should have won by a bigger margin.

Chris Marsden had a point-blank shot saved by Oakes after just six minutes, with Warren Barton then clearing James Beattie's half-hit effort off the line.

Then, in the second half, substitute Brett Ormerod seemed to take his eye off the ball as Dodd crossed invitingly for him on the six-yard line. That was after 70 minutes.

Twelve minutes later, Ormerod created some space for himself, struck an angled shot across the face of goal, the ball cannoned off the foot of the post where Beattie was unable to force home the rebound.

By then, though, Saints were two-up, and it took another piece of blinding finishing. Rory Delap's quick long-throw after 53 minutes was latched onto by Pahars, who strode forward and buried the ball past Oakes.

Taken in isolation, the game could have been so different had Derby taken their chances, the best of which saw Chris Riggott's right-foot shot crash against the Saints crossbar four minutes from half-time, and Malcolm Christie couldn't take advantage of the loose ball.

But Saints were worthy winners. The lacklustre and lethargic performances which had marked the last two displays against Fulham and Blackburn, were replaced by a far more purposeful and crisper performance.

The passing was a lot sharper, the front men of James Beattie - a surprise return after injury robbed him of starting the last 11 games - and Marian Pahars saw much more of the ball, and chances were created.

Skipper Dodd was at a loss to explain why the team were able to turn it on against Derby and not in the previous two games.

"In those games against Fulham and Blackburn we had a lot of the ball but we didn't create. Today we created a lot more chances.

"I don't know why, if we did we would be doing that every week. We prepare exactly the same for every game, but sometimes it just hasn't happened."

Manager Gordon Strachan agreed. "I thought they played better. I think they did enough to win the game and they created enough chances.

"Because of the last couple of results they have put themselves under a wee bit of pressure. We showed today that we can handle pressure by scoring goals against teams battling to stay in the Premiership."

Oakley's chat with Strachan on Monday discussing his merits of adding another striking dimension to Saints' line-up promises to be an interesting one.

"I didn't say anything to the manager at half-time, but maybe I will speak to him on Monday!" added the player.