SAINTS 3 - LEEDS 4

Saints put in a performance of commanding dominance, good goals, and slick moves.

To top it all off, it was watched by 30,173 - their biggest crowd of the season and the largest Championship attendance of 2005/06.

Even Marian Pahars scored on his first start since April 2004!

What a day.

At 4.25pm on Saturday afternoon, that was already written in my head. Nice, easy and positive to boot.

Not even in the most cynical frame of mind did I imagine I would have to write about a Saints defeat.

For anybody who missed the result, pour yourself a stiff drink and sit down now.

Saints led 3-0 at half-time, they led 3-0 on 70 minutes.

They lost the game 4-3.

What!?

They've probably already started printing the 'I was there' t-shirts, such was the monumental nature of Leeds' comeback and Saints' collapse.

Even now, having had plenty of time to reflect, it's hard to actually describe what went wrong.

It was like a blur. A horrible, mishaped, whizzing, whirling, disastrous blur.

Even last season, when Saints threw leads away, they never managed anything quite as spectacular as this.

It was unreal, surreal even.

Although it is hard to get too angry about it, such was the bizarre nature of what happened, it is a hammer blow.

Not only because it was a win that went begging and not only because it leaves Saints much closer to relegation than automatic promotion.

But also because it shows that that mental fragility that we all thought went with relegation and a few games this season is still there.

Saints can be got at - they can be rattled. Opposition managers will be telling their teams 'get at them and let's see if Saints have got the bottle for it.' The first half Saints were in total control.

The new strike partnership of Theo Walcott and Brett Ormerod was looking good. They were developing an understanding.

Even Pahars was fit to start for the first time in 19 months.

And, even better than that, he scored his first goal for 19 months.

With 28 minutes gone, Michael Svensson got a header from Nigel Quashie's far post corner back across goal and Pahars stole in to head home from close range.

Saints doubled their lead on 35 minutes with a brilliant goal.

Walcott got away down the right and produced a superb low cross for Quashie to come in and side-foot home first time into the bottom corner.

By half-time, it was 3-0. Dan Harding handled Matt Oakley's header in the box and Quashie comprehensively buried the penalty into the top left-hand corner.

Three-nil up against Leeds at half-time in front of all these fans - what could possibly spoil such a great afternoon?

For a start, Pahars, Claus Lundekvam and Dennis Wise all came off injured.

Tomasz Hajto replaced Lundek-vam at centre-half, which was fairly self-explanatory, as was Neil McCann replacing Pahars on the left of midfield.

The one change that was not so self-explanatory was Ricardo Fuller replacing Wise.

Walcott, who looked effective with Ormerod, was moved to the right of midfield, where he has so far not been so hot.

It was an attacking move but, at 3-0 up and with Djamel Belmadi on the bench, it was brave.

Saints played within themselves and looked comfortable. With 20 minutes to go, Antti Niemi still hadn't had a save to make.

But then it all changed.

On 71 minutes, Paul Butler outjumped Rory Delap and headed home a corner.

3-1.

On 77 minutes, sub David Healy squared for Robbie Blake to stab home.

3-2.

On 82 minutes, Healy slammed home a penalty after Danny Higginbotham had handled in the area.

3-3.

On 85 minutes, Rob Hulse pulled the ball back to Liam Miller, who fired it low into the bottom corner.

4-3.

St Mary's was stunned.

This was a comeback - or a capitulation - of staggering proportions.

On an afternoon when it seemed Saints' season might finally have turned the way we all hoped it would, it might just have turned back the way we all hoped it wouldn't.