Coventry 1 - Saints 1

Jo Tessem's fourth strike of the season salvaged a vital point for Saints after they had gone behind to a soft goal on 32 minutes.

David Thompson's swinging free-kick from the left wing evaded everyone to creep in at the far post but Tessem rounded off a glowing move with a firm header on 50 minutes to secure a well-deserved point for Saints, who might well have won it late on against a Coventry side bereft of confidence and there for the taking.

Saints made four changes from the side which lost at Ipswich - two of them enforced with Matthew Oakley failing to recover from a back problem while Marian Pahars pulled out after ricking his neck yesterday. But it is not thought to be serious and he should be available for the game against Spurs on Wednesday.

He was replaced by Kevin Gibbens, making his first Premiership start since September 1998 and manager Glenn Hoddle chose to leave out skipper Jason Dodd and Kevin Davies.

Chris Marsden was recalled against his old club with Tahar El Khalej moving to right back and Hassan Kachloul was brought back to replace Davies.

After two months, almost to the day, out with a groin strain, Trond Soltvedt was back on the bench against his former side.

Coventry were without Swedish international goalkeeper Magnus Hedman, who injured an ankle in training on Tuesday. He was replaced by Chris Kirkland who had a blinder at The Dell earlier this season.

The Sky Blues left out former Pompey striker John Aloisi, who had an eye infection, going with Cedric Roussel and Moustapha Hadji up front with Craig Bellamy pulled back to midfield.

The crowd were warmed on a cold night by a pre-match concert by the Two Tone Collective playing hits from the Specials, The Beat and Selector.

There was a veil of mist swirling across the ground but not enough to put the match in danger as the teams ran out on to a heavily sanded pitch, with Saints led by Dean Richards taking the captain's armband instead of Dodd.

Coventry won a corner after just 14 seconds as Bridge knocked out a cross by Roussel but Tessem booted away the kick by Thompson.

A bad bounce saw Richards handle just outside the D of the penalty area to give the home side a free-kick in a dangerous position but Hadji curled the shot well over the bar.

El Khalej whipped in a dangerous cross from the right and the large contingent of around 1,500 Saints fans instantly appealed for a penalty as the ball appeared to strike a Coventry hand in front of goal but referee Alan Wiley waved away the claim.

Draper tried his luck with a first-time volley from 25 yards but screwed the ball wide following a header from Konjic.

Hadji, wearing gloves, saw a header diverted wide by Draper but again Thompson's corner was easily cleared.

But the ball was played back to Thompson on the right who hit a cute low pass into the near-post and Hadji just got there before Jones to prod past the keeper and inches wide of the empty net as the home fans began to claim a goal.

However, Jones kept his side in it a minute later with a superb reaction save to his right to turn behind Hadji's 22-yard shot which had deflected awkwardly off Lundekvam.

Beattie's sky high confidence saw him try an outrageous angled volley but this time he was well off target blasting high into the crowd.

Kachloul saw two corners in quick succession cleared but from the second he was given another opportunity to cross and Richards got the faintest of touches at the far post to divert it away from the unmarked Beattie as he prepared to fire in.

Saints carved out a golden opportunity on 17 minutes when Draper chipped in from the right for Marsden who was totally unmarked in front of goal but from ten yards he put the header over.

Saints again squandered a great chance on 22 minutes when Kachloul's left-wing corner was flicked on at the near post by Richards and from three yards El Khalej somehow put the stooping header wide when it seemed he must score.

As Kirkland rushed from his line there was a mix-up with Quinn who clearly got no shout and nodded past his own keeper and a foot wide of the empty net.

A long free-kick by Bridge was flicked back by Konjic but Kachloul anticipated well with a lunge forward but at full stretch could only prod into the side netting.

Somewhat against the run of play Saints fell behind on 32 minutes in bizarre fashion after El Khalej had fouled Bellamy on the Coventry left.

The free-kick was whipped in from almost on the touchline by THOMPSON and it flashed through the penalty area evading a line of bodies from both sides throwing themselves at it and it bounced just inside the far post beyond the dive of Jones who had been anticipating a contact in front of goal.

Saints should have been comfortably on top and their frustration showed on 36 minutes when Draper was booked for a bad lunge on Telfer.

A minute later Jones prevented his side from going further behind with another good reaction stop, tipping over a 12-yard header by Konjic.

Saints almost levelled two minutes before the break when a left-wing cross by Bridge ran through to the unmarked Beattie whose first-time blast was beaten out well by Kirkland.

In the final minute of the half an overhead kick by Hadji was confidently taken by Jones. Half-time:

COVENTRY 1 SAINTS 0

At the start of the second-half Coventry made a switch, bringing on Chippo for Roussel, and changed formation pushing Bellamy up front in a loan attacking role and withdrawing Hadji and Roussel to deeper positions to try and counter Saints numbers in midfield.

Hadji broke dangerously from midfield but Moroccan international team-mate El Khalej backtracked well to block the cross at the expense of a corner which was cleared by Beattie.

Saints drew level on 50 minutes with a beautifully executed goal.

Bridge made a good run down the left and played the ball to Beattie who hit a quick first-time pass to Kachloul in space on the left wing.

The Moroccan picked out TESSEM who had ghosted forward unmarked and he planted a firm header into the bottom right corner from ten yards for his fourth goal of the season.

Tessem stole forward again five minutes later to get on the end of a long diagonal pass by Draper but he had to stretch and could only turn it across goal where the keeper intercepted.

A Coventry corner was half cleared by Beattie but fell for Carsley who needed a touch to control before firing over from 20 yards.

Hadji cut in from the left and unleashed a 25-yard shot but the defenders in the way meant the effort was always going to go wide despite the reaction of the crowd.

Coventry now looked something of a spent force and with the home fans on their back Saints sensed the game was theirs for the taking.

Draper, Tessem and Gibbens combined neatly to put Beattie in space down the right but his cross was cut out by Williams.

Telfer whipped the ball in from the left to the near post trying to catch out Jones who got across to smother on 66 minutes.

Richards made a powerful break forward and put over a good cross which Beattie headed back but Coventry scrambled clear.

Both sides made a substitution on 68 minutes. Davies replaced Gibbens for Southampton with Tessem dropping to a slightly deeper role while Peruvian Interntional Zuniga came on for Bellamy.

A foul on Kachloul by Konjic gave Saints a free-kick a yard outside of the penalty area but the Moroccan's kick was easily nodded away by Telfer.

Thompson was booked on 74 minutes for a foul on Marsden. It proved his last action of the game as he was substituted for Eustace, a decision that was loudly booed by the home fans who then cheered the midfielder from the pitch before chanting: "You don't know what you're doing" at manager Gordon Strachan.

Saints had a scare 12 minutes from time when a flicked header by Eustace hit the side netting and moments later Zuniga hooked over from 18 yards.

Richards went down injured after trying to bundle his way in on goal following a free-kick by Draper and he was forced to come back on from the sideline at the wrong end of the pitch leaving Saints short at the back for a free-kick launched in by Kirkland. The ball broke for Zuniga but Jones just got a touch to somehow divert the shot on to his left-hand post.

Saints almost won it a minute from time when a diagonal ball from El Khalej on the right found Davies in space 20 yards out. He chested down, swivelled but fired just wide.

In injury time Richards nodded down for Tessem whose 15-yard shot was deflected past the post.