FOR so long it had looked like being a dream night for Rickie Lambert, but in the end his old club had the last laugh.

Saints were set to finally wipe out their ten-point deduction before substitute Andy Williams’ sublime strike five minutes into stoppage time snatched a 3-2 win for Bristol Rovers.

Lambert, playing for the first time against his former club since moving to Saints, looked like he may prove the difference at St Mary’s.

Depending on your point of view, the 27-year-old either made one and scored one, or simply had a hand in both of Saints’ goals.

Waigo was credited with the second, although Lambert’s header against his old team appeared to be over the line moments before the on-loan Fiorentina striker slammed in the rebound.

The referee later confirmed it was Lambert's goal but, in the end, it was all for nought as Rovers ended Saints’ six-match unbeaten streak, sending the home supporters out of the ground feeling sick.

An impressive crowd of 19,724 had filed into St Mary’s for the game.

It wasn’t as if the home fans needed any extra incentive to get behind their team, but the pre-match announcer was quick to inform them moments before kick-off that “win this and we’ll have more points than Pompey.”

Sitting on minus points in League One perhaps isn’t the best position from which to revel in the plight of others, but a local rivalry is a local rivalry.

The Rovers supporters were respectful of Lambert as the game got underway, with no boos serenading his first touch.

Before kick-off, he admitted he was unsure how they would greet him and he was certainly hopeful of a good reception.

However, the Pirates fans couldn’t resist a few ironic cheers when the Liverpool-born forward hit a misplaced pass out of play in the sixth minute.

Alan Pardew went ballistic on the touchline in the 25th minute, after Dean Hammond was on the end of a nasty looking challenge from Jeff Hughes.

Despite the baying crowd’s chants of “off, off, off” only a yellow card was produced, much to the Saints manager’s disgust.

But, if nothing else, the incident certainly spiced up the atmosphere in the ground.

Lambert, like most others on the pitch early on, hadn’t looked like scoring, but he almost bagged one against his former club on the half-hour mark, steaming in to meet Lloyd James’ brilliant cross from the right.

Thankfully for the Rovers faithful, they didn’t have to suffer through their old hero scoring against them, as his bullet header flew just over.

However, they were no doubt ruing his loss three minutes later as his clever pass set up Adam Lallana for the opener – a touch of class from Lambert that the game desperately needed.

It was the Saints fans’ turn to feel deflated in the 41st minute, as Chris Dickson – the man ironically brought in on loan from Pardew’s former club Charlton to help fill the void left at the Memorial Stadium by Lambert – levelled.

However, Lambert’s big moment arrived just seconds after the break, although the PA announcer undermined the chances of him being credited the goal he craved.

His thunderous header from James’ cross cannoned off the underside of the bar and appeared to cross the line.

The linesman flagged but Waigo tapped in the rebound and it was announced as his goal.

He certainly claimed it, performing his trademark Papa dance in celebration, however the referee confirmed after the match it was Lambert’s goal.

The topsy-turvy nature of the game continued, as Jo Kuffour brought the visitors level in the 65th minute.

Waigo got a standing ovation in the 80th minute, as he was substituted for Marek Saganowski.

But it was the Rovers fans that left in celebration, as Williams curled in a stunner to seal it at the death.

Full reaction in tomorrow's Daily Echo