FOOTBALL moves fast. It was a little over 13 months ago that Gordon Strachan watched from the stands as Saints lost 2-0 at Upton Park.

The next day Stuart Gray had been sacked and Strachan was in charge of a struggling Saints side, who had been roundly beaten by Glenn Roeder's men.

Strachan's first visit to Upton Park as Saints boss last night was a reminder of how far he has progressed his side, while Roeder's charges continue to skulk at the bottom of the table.

It was one of the delicious little ironies that football throws up and Strachan said: "It's been a good year to be able to work with these players.

"I think we've now got a decent squad and the the club's looking very good.

"It was hard when I first took over and this year could have been better, but I've enjoyed working with these players."

But, as both Strachan and Roeder are only too aware, football does move fast and one season's hero can be the next year's villain.

Roeder mused: "We didn't play as well as that in the first half last year and won - that's the mystery and beauty of the game and why we all love it.

"It's the greatest game in the world, but sometimes it is a tough game.

"Football can change quickly and sometimes you face games when you think you will struggle to take anything like when we won 1-0 at Old Trafford last year."

Comparison of the sides a season on is near impossible it's so marked.

It's made even harder that this year's 1-0 win was not the most convincing victory of the season - but the big difference lies in the fact that they got it.

Unsurprisingly, given his form at the moment, James Beattie was the man who hit the winner in injury time.

It was the big striker's ninth goal in just seven league games.

But Roeder felt a bit hard done by the result and admitted: "It didn't seem like we were going to score.

"The chances we created weren't half chances either, they were nailed on but we never took them.

"Goals change games and how you and the team feel about yourselves.

"The game should have been over at half-time.

"I didn't think there was any lack of belief. In the first half we played some excellent and entertaining football, we just never finished off the chances we created and it cost us the game."

That was a fair assessment.

Goodness only knows what the Saints team were doing at Rod Stewart's house to arrive at the ground only 25 minutes before kick-off, but I wouldn't recommend they do it again.

West Ham started by far the better and enjoyed a whole host of chances.

They dominated the midfield areas, particularly the centre, with Michael Carrick outstanding and Paolo Di Canio producing shards of genius.

In attack they had the lively Jermain Defoe and centre-half Ian Pearce.

The first good chance fell to Defoe who volleyed inches wide after Di Canio had controlled and crossed into the middle of the area.

Soon after, Carrick and Trevor Sinclair went close, Pearce's header was saved by Niemi and then, on 35 minutes, came the miss which almost started to make you believe it wasn't going to be West Ham's night.

Matt Oakley was robbed in midfield by Joe Cole who threaded a pass through to Pearce who duly showed why he is a centre-half by trade.

His shot was on target and well struck but straight at Niemi who gratefully saved.

After that moment Saints finally recovered from whatever they did at Rod 'the Mod's' house and gained a foothold in the game and created a couple of good chances including a Beattie header and an attempt from Rory Delap.

In the second half the Hammers again started the brighter and went close through Defoe on several occasions but Strachan's half-time introduction of Anders Svensson for Agustin Delgado and switch to a 4-4-1-1 formation was working slightly better.

The game really changed when the Saints boss threw on Brett Ormerod and reverted to a 4-4-2.

It was Ormerod's ball through to Beattie which led to the game's most controversial incident.

As Beattie charged through on goal he was cynically body checked by Hammers hardman Tomas Repka.

It may have been just outside the area but it was a nailed on foul and had to be a red card. The referee disagreed.

But, as Fabrice Fernandes came into the game more and more, so Saints grew stronger.

One minute into injury time their persistence paid off.

Ormerod's top-drawer low cross from the left was met by the right foot of Beattie who steered the ball home.

A fast finish to a fast year.