Football: Saintly Le Tissier

Southampton 2

Le Tissier 23, Ostenstad 44

Coventry 1

Dublin 60

Attendance: 15,152

SOUTHAMPTON chose the obvious occasion to record their first win of the season. The clocks were about to go back, the nights would get longer, so they duly seized the chance to narrow the daylight between them and the rest of the Premiership.

If the timing was natural the victory was ultimately nerve-wracking. Two goals up at the interval, Southampton must have been confused by such unprecedented riches and spent much of the second half in a state of anxious defence.

Coventry pulled one back, created sufficient other chances to equalise but must have been well aware that their frail back play earlier in the match deserved to be punished.

The match was fortunate to take place. The driving rain relented just in time to coincide with a final pitch inspection at 2pm. Had the inspectors known it was to resume with a vengeance later they might have called off the proceedings but fortunately The Dell drains well. This is one of its few virtues and Southampton are desperate to build a new stadium. They are now looking at a second site after finally running into insurmountable planning obstacles with their first choice.

Insurmountable planning obstacles might well have applied to their play this season so far. They have been shipping goals at one end and failing to score them at the other with not much happening in between. Coventry, residing in penultimate position before the game, have been similarly, if less dramatically afflicted.

Here lay the immediate conundrum of the match. It might yield a goals feast but would strikers be able to take advantage of defensive errors?

Southampton took the lead in the 24th minute when Stuart Ripley produced an impeccably floated cross which reached Matthew Le Tissier beyond the far post. His precise header made nonsense of the acute angle.

Thus invigorated, Southampton advanced with hitherto unseen freedom. On the stroke of half-time, Le Tissier sent in a fast, low, accurate cross from the left and Egil Ostenstad volleyed it high into the net.

Which was as far as Southampton progressed. Coventry decided to express themselves. Darren Huckerby, returning after six matches, should have scored, Dion Dublin did with a powerful header. There were 30 minutes left, time enough to equalise but Southampton, defending manfully, hung on. They deserve their extra hour in bed.