How ironic that after writing how I feel Kelvin Davis maybe the weak link in our leaking goals that he picks up now an injury that will keep him out until around the New Year. If memory serves last time this happened Bart stepped up to the plate very well indeed. I for one will be hoping and praying he can do the same again as it could change our season.

But the star of last nights win that turned out to be so crucial in the end with others around us picking up very good wins too, was again Adam Lallana. After going behind on 16 minutes to an Andy Monkhouse header it seemed perhaps that between the elements and a very good Hartlepool first half we would be up against it again. Lallana had different ideas and had us back on terms within 13 minutes.

Things got better and worse in the second half, when after just 7 minutes Lallana banged in his second of the night very similar to Connolly’s wonder goal on Saturday. This was followed up by the departure of David 8 minutes later with a torn groin that will almost certainly keep him out until after the New Year sometime. In stepped Bart, no more goals conceded, and a further Saints strike from Rickie Lambert and we were home and dry.

As ever a lot of our midfield and attacking play gained praise from home fans. But again at the back Jaidi and Trotman at times look a little to cavalier and exposed themselves too many times. Harding even again looked a pale imitation of his early season form, and Murty on his first game back looked in my opinion very over weight and sluggish. So there is still a lot of work to do at the back, but what is it that is wrong?

All the names mentioned are very capable players in their own right, but are not really working to well together. I actually think we look better at the back when Perry comes in to partner either Trotman or Jaidi. I also wonder if as I said in the opening paragraph, the injury to KD could change our season. I have long wondered if he is not himself the reason that time and time again no matter who we have in the back four they inevitably fail. Is this due to their continued lack of faith in the man behind them?

We are very poor on crosses and set pieces and I believe this is down to Davis’ weakness at organizing his defence and or coming from crosses, or indeed coming off his line at all. This will of course now be proven perhaps if Bart can have a good 6 or 7 game run with the same back four. I shall be watching and expecting great things in coming weeks. But then will AP do a Burley and simply say thanks for filling in Bart but Kelvin is back now? Or will he stick with the young Pole if he proves his worth with some clean sheets?

In any case Saints are now within 1 point of safety for the first time this season and indeed but for a miraculous 3-4 win for Carlisle at MK Dons they would have been 5th bottom this morning. But hats off to the Cambrians for that, just makes us have to fight harder.

A weekend off with the FA Cup in many ways comes at a good time now. It gives Bart a game to get used to the team fully, and indeed will see again if we are working better without Trotman who is not allowed to play in cup games. It also gives AP a couple of weeks and a game in between to take stock of things, maybe rest Connolly and take a look at some options, so we ensure absolutely that we take maximum points from all the games against teams at the bottom we play in December.

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