JAMES BEATTIE has become the latest member of the Marian Pahars fan club.

The livewire Latvian striker was the toast of St Mary's on Saturday after his stunning second-half strike in the 2-0 win over Sunderland.

It was Pahars' ninth goal of the season and Beattie, who is the club's second top scorer with six, is delighted with the way their partnership is working.

"As soon as Marian came to the club we got on well that first season," he recalled. "We had a good run up until the end of the season, and this season we have been playing well together.

"A lot of people believe you need one big striker up front, and one smaller, quicker player. We are creating chances for each other and we are both scoring.

"From a team point of view, we are playing some great stuff. I said the results would come and that's happened."

Watching Pahars in training at Staplewood yesterday was long-term friend Igor Zaicevs, who returns to Riga on Wednesday after staying on the south coast for the past two weeks.

He said: "Marian is playing well at the moment and it was great to see him score that fantastic goal against Sunderland. He is enjoying life at the moment. He is even beating me at snooker!"

The competition for places up front is fierce. Agustin Delgado is on the road to fitness, and in his seven minutes on Saturday when coming on as a late substitute, £1.75million signing Brett Ormerod showed some neat touches.

But Beattie is not worried about the competition. He is intent on concentrating on his own form and keeping his place in the team.

He said: "As long as I am working hard and producing the goods, then I will keep my place in the side.

"We will see what happens when the Tin Man (Delgado) gets fit. I think competition for places is healthy for the club."

Saints have won three of their last four games, two of them at St Mary's to bury the home jinx. It's a run of form which has seen Gordon Strachan's side rise out of the bottom three ahead of a critical campaign of matches over Christmas and New Year.

That begins with a clash at Old Trafford on Saturday against Manchester United.