Saints blunted by leaders in St Mary's stalemate

Before last night’s game there was so much anticipation around the ground.

Saints were on terrific form, particularly at home, and came into the match against the league leaders on the back of a 4-1 defeat of Peterborough that was every bit as comprehensive as the scoreline suggested.

Over 26,000 fans turned out for the game, a terrific League One crowd for a midweek match, and with 3,000 Brighton fans in as well everything was set fair for an exciting game.

As it turned it out there was some good football on show but not the glut of chances, and goals, that many had predicted.

Brighton played as though they were always going to see a goalless draw as a good result, which to be fair it was for them.

Saints huffed and puffed, they worked hard, they had plenty of the ball and they probed but just couldn’t create the killer chance they needed.

In the end it was a night of frustration for Nigel Adkins’ men that ended with a respectable result yet a slight sense of deflation that the chance to narrow the gap on the top hadn’t quite been grasped.

Saints started last night in exactly the same fashion as they had left off against Peterborough.

They were in command of the match, pinning back a team used to being able to score goals and win games.

It was Saints doing all the pressing and Brighton, the side known as the division’s passing side, forced back to defend deep.

They resorted to running the clock down from early on and were rattled into trying to make passes in a few crazy areas.

In short, it was a case of Saints just trying to get the breakthrough because, for all their dominance, and the feeling the goal was coming throughout the first half, there were not many actual saves for Casper Ankergren to make.

In fact, one of the best came after only four minutes.

Rickie Lambert had a free kick on the left angle of the area, 20 yards out, that he bent right footed around the wall only for Ankergren to dive full length to his left to turn the ball just round the post.

Radhi Jaidi made a surprise break from central defence on 20 minutes, stepping out to win the ball just inside his own half before pushing forward.

He slid the ball out to Lee Barnard on the right and then continued his run into the box where he was on hand to meet Barnard’s cross with a far post header that went wide.

Saints continued to press on, Dean Hammond’s flicked header needing to be turned behind, Jose Fonte’s effort from a free kick bravely blocked.

Adam Lallana was, as per usual, a real threat.

He burst through on 28 minutes but shot over, showed great technique to volley from the edge of the area but straight at the keeper moment slater before he went down in the area on 39 minutes prompting huge penalty appeals that were waved away.

By contrast, Brighton only managed two efforts of any note in the opening period.

The first came after eight minutes when Saints stood off a short free kick allowing Elliott Bennett the chance to shoot from 20 yards out but his effort went just wide.

The other was a minute before the break when Gary Dicker’s effort from the edge of the box took a deflection and needed a reaction stop from Kelvin Davis to turn wide before Augustin Battipiedi lashed over the bar.

Brighton started the second period still looking to run down the clock and seemingly content to play for a goalless draw and hope they might snatch a lead they could defend either on the break or from a set piece.

The key for Saints was always going to be breaking the deadlock and opening things up.

They might well have done that six minutes after the restart when Frazer Richardson’s deep right wing cross picked out Lambert at the far post but he put his header wide from six yards out over the bar when he should have hit the target.

Lambert did do better with a powerful header from the edge of the area on 64 minutes which he looped over Ankergren but saw drop onto the top of the crossbar and over.

Saints got a massive let off three minutes later after the referee, who was pretty awful all night, awarded Brighton a penalty.

Glenn Murray, who had just come on as a sub, appeared to be going nowhere but went down in the area as he ran across the front of Ryan Dickson.

The linesman had a good view and flagged for a penalty which was duly awarded.

Chris Wood stepped up to take the spot kick and hit it firmly enough but it was not well placed and Davis, having guessed correctly to dive to his left, then had the relatively simple task of keeping it out.

Brighton actually rallied a little after that and did start to have a little more of the game, though they always looked as if they had squandered their big chance.

At the other end Lallana stretched Ankergren again as Saints searched for a goal they must have felt their dominance of the game, and particularly possession, had merited.

But it wasn’t to be and Saints had to be content for their big night to end in a stalemate.

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