Beattie hits hat-trick to blow away Fulham
Southampton 4 Fulham
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Your support makes all the difference.On the day that the clocks went back an hour, Southampton, and in particular James Beattie, really wound back time. The last league match when a Saints player had scored a hat-trick was in August 1995, when Matt Le Tissier hit three in a defeat against Nottingham Forest. Fast forward seven years and 275 league games, and Beattie finally ended that hat-trick drought, which was by far the longest for any club in the Premiership.
The bustling striker scored the first three goals for his team, which meant a serious reversal of fortune for both club and player. Last month Beattie was caught drink-driving and was punished with completing 100 hours of community service. His three goals here during 90 minutes at St Mary's do not count towards that total but in inspiring his side to come from 2-0 down to win handsomely, some may say he is doing more than his fair share to help the community.
His manager, Gordon Strachan, had made plain he was unhappy about the sorry affair but he restated his faith in the striker afterwards, saying: "He is a barometer of our character and stamina. He is also our first line of defence. Scoring those goals is also the sort of response his team-mates were looking for."
A match that had several other plots ended up being dominated by Beattie, but on a different day Fulham fans would have been applauding the comeback of Lee Clark. On his 30th birthday the midfielder was given his first start in 10 months after battling back from knee and Achilles injuries, and with auspicious timing he scored the opening goal of what was an extremely open entertaining first half.
Picking the ball up from just inside Southampton's half in the 15th minute, he surged forward and, despite giving it away to Anders Svensson, retrieved it off the Swede, his subsequent shot taking a wicked deflection off Michael Svensson to leave Antti Niemi flat-footed on his goalline.
Ten minutes later and the Londoners had doubled their lead, as the Saints' nearly impeccable record at home this season was in danger of being left in tatters. This time the attack came down the right-hand side. Steve Finnan's cross caught out several Southampton defenders – among them Wayne Bridge, remarkably completing his 100th consecutive full Premiership match – and reached Steed Malbranque, who wasted no time in rifling home Fulham's second.
The visitors' efforts, however, were quickly overshadowed by those of Beattie. Both sides were guilty of sloppy play all over the pitch, possibly due to the exceptionally high winds, but the Saints possessed the more outstanding individuals. Between them, Anders Svensson, Fabrice Fernandes – facing his old side – and Beattie turned the two-goal deficit into a crucial one-goal advantage by the 52nd minute.
But first Fulham literally gave Southampton a hand back into the game. Just two minutes after Malbranque's strike, the home side were on the attack as Brett Ormerod tried to flick the ball past Alain Goma. The French defender stuck out a hand and from the ensuing penalty Beattie found the top right-hand corner.
His second of the match came just three minutes before the break and was nearly as easy as his first. Fernandes found his team-mate with a pinpoint crossfield pass, Beattie peeled away from Zat Knight and directed his header across Edwin van der Sar's despairing hand.
With the scent of a third goal firmly in his nostrils, Beattie then had his hat-trick, all completed within the space of 26 minutes, rising highest at the far post to nod a free-kick past Van der Sar for what was the best of his three strikes.
Forced to press on, Fulham naturally left spaces open in their defence which Ormerod exploited after 72 minutes. Matthew Oakley made a run at the heart of Fulham's back-line and slipped the ball to Chris Marsden. He in turn found Ormerod, who, despite suspicions of offside, kept his head to score Southampton's fourth.
Southampton 4
Beattie pen 27, 42, 53, Ormerod 72
Fulham 2
Clark 15, Malbranque 25
Half-time: 2-2 Attendance: 26,188
Southampton (4-4-2): Niemi 6; Bridge 6, Lundekvam 5, M Svensson 5, Dodd 5; Marsden 6, Oakley 6, A Svensson 7, Fernandes 7; Ormerod 6 (Delgado, 78), Beattie 7 Substitutes not used: Jones (gk), Telfer, Tessem, Williams.
Fulham (4-4-2): Van der Sar 5; Finnan 5, Knight 4 (Ouaddou 5, 59), Goma 4, Brevett 4; Legwinski 5, Malbranque 5, Clark 5, Djetou 4 (Hayles 5, 63); Boa Morte 5, Marlet 6. Substitutes not used: Taylor (gk), Melville, Stolcers
Referee: M Halsey (Welwyn Garden City) 6.
Bookings: Southampton: M Svensson. Fulham: Boa Morte, Goma.
Man of the match: Beattie.
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