yorkie

It's what football is all about...fantastic result for us and I'm firmly on the Adkin's bus too! If Pardew was still in the building we would have lost today... I think 2nd place is not beyond us - but I think teams in the play-offs will want to avoid Posh. Good luck for the rest of the season!

I remember the first visit to The Dell after many years when we got relegated - 4-0 from memory...but for absolute drama and atmosphere and intimidation (and in those days it really did kick off) 1984...bloody fantastic!

Held off until now to allow my emotions to stabilise having spent 2.5-hours driving back home after the match. Adkins had a game plan which was scuppered with the first attack of the game. Without the 3-in midfield what chance do we stand out fighting 5 and sometimes 6 people crowding the space? N'Guesaan and Lalanna are not combative midfield players - Lalanna is a skillfull forward that needs the ball in to his feet out wide or the second ball off the the target men. Last night both did their best in a make shift set up. I thought generally our passing was OK but we did resort to hoof when there were no other options. Our finishing was blighted by good defending to the goal line and some good stops by the keeper. The fact is we should have converted at least one chance. The communication betwen Barnard and Lambert seemed non existent at times both clattering into each other at most hoofs forward in the last 20-mins! Why do we insist on hoofing down the middle. At Oldham it worked really well hoofing it out wide to Lambert - but LAncashire seemed to cope easily with everything we threw at the Walsall defence! I thought it was a fantastic turn out and the atmosphere was generally good until frustrated with decisions and time wasting some fans took up residence on the perimeter! Inconsistent refereeing again, but I thought the pitch held up OK - so what excuse do we have? I would say for all the alleged quality and depth in the squad we are not clinical enough or creative enough now we have injuries to key players like Guly & Schneiderlin - not to mention Forte and Chamberlain. So onwards to Colchester - and I expect much of the same. If the first or second attempt goes in the confidence will return - if we miss a few opportunities and Colchester take control of the middle and make us play out from the back, I fully expect more of the same. As fans we set ourselves up for falls - our rivals call us arrogant, however even they are saying with the money etc we should be doing better! Time to listen? Nah we will still be out of this league come May 2011 - not sure how but you have to still believe!

Is the bus big enough though?

It's all in our hands - 6-points off 2nd place, 3-games in hand and a game against the team in 2nd place...surely we won't bottle it...will we? Great change when pegged back...well done Nigel Adkins. Walsall and Colchester next - let's hope for 6 more points on the board!

Bit like a Harvester or Beefeater...did meal deals 2 for £8 (or something like that) - actually had Ringwood Bitter on I think. Anyway - pub grub, beer and plenty of free parking close to the ground - what more could you want? Weather watch from York - rain overnight, dry and foggy now and +2C. Cannot see a problem tonight except for a cool breeze off the North Sea!

Football being football - SWFC could well turn over Bournemouth - this game has upset written all over it!Not worried about Huddersfield result - but could do with Colchester and Peterborough drawing or even a Colchester win! None of this matters of course as IF we win tomorrow - we did our bit!

It is true temperatures have dropped - but I don't think snow is on the cards in Hartlepool this week! I am expecting more rain - but I think snow in Hartlepool is rare as it is on the coast! Still will know more around 5pm on Tuesday night when I set off from York!

Can't have done that yet Norm - no 3pm yet! Hope you and yours all well - I look for you at SMS when I'm down, but not seen you recently...

Did Jackson's Wharf last year for food and then headed to The Causeway for one before the game. A bit of a treck but if you have all afternoon to kill worth while. The Cameron's brew of choice is Strong Arm - and as someone says on the review "the head on the Strong Arm bitter deserves a flake!". The pub is just around the corner from the old brewery (I think it's closed now). The football ground is closer to Jackson's Wharf - and there is plenty of parking, and if you are really desperate for junk food there is a MacDonalds very close by (one of two or three in Hartlepool!

I was lucky enough to be at Oldham the other week and all I can say is the team is just that - entertaining (I also went to Tranmere and saw the other side to the team!). Admittedly Lalanna came on in the second half to save Chaplow being sent off and the balance (and agression) in the side went awry. Back to full strength with Chaplow and Lalanna in the side at Rochdale and I don't think there will be much wrong. We cried out for more width and Rickie was dropping out wide - but now we have wing men he seems to more central again and our main target for the ball out from the back. I confess to not understanding starting with N'Guessan - I thought these players were bought to make an impression from the bench? We had good shape and understanding with Guly and Lambo up front, Adam, Chappers and Oxo in support - with Morgan playing the holding role. Hammond is probably a better holding player than Morgan - but the Frenchman offers us a bit more style. Apart from Charlton - no one can take 2nd spot from us providing (and that's a big providing) we win our games in hand - and don't lose to Charlton and Bournemouth! Destiny (the "P" word) is all in our hands. The players have shown a lot pride and passion wearing the sash - but just need to really focus on the job in hand. Injuries aside and the odd suspension we should be comfortably in second after we have played Bournemouth! Never mind where do we go...I know, Nigel knows and the bus driver knows and the building is being prepared for on big party come 7th May 2011.

Agree with double heqader against Charlton and games at other 2-south coast teams - but on todays result a win and a clean sheet - got to be happy! Huddersfield could only draw at home - Rochdale next week is as big as any game this season. One game at a time - Rochdale next and hope Huddersfield & Bournemouth slip up and we take advantage. Not even looking at Brighton until they start to get over confident and implode. Teams will up their game once they think Brighton are home and dry - and I can see them losing a few towards the end of the season.

Tits are like that - best in twos!

I personally don't want any of my players attending such a function when they have an important date with destiny - trying to win promotion! Such events act as a big distraction - like book signings, promtion events for the club (or personal)...the one priority this season is promotion! Imagine if (say) Rickie Lambert (not picking on him cos he's a scouser!) attended the function and through some trip/fall/slip he ended up with a broken leg? OK it happens in everyday life too - but let's just not tempt fate by attending things out of the normal routine and concentrate on winning the league!

Unlucky - never handball in my honest opinion - win some lose some...still in our hands as B'muff only drew at home!

I can't believe that this has created some many pages. I'd simply get someone else to buy a ticket in their name - and get on with it! But I suppose it's the issue about having YOUR name on the season ticket to show you are a worthy fan! What's all the fuss about being a season ticket holder anyway - never owned one or seen the necessity to have one. I certainly don't need a season ticket to demonstrate I follow Southampton Football Club!

Our support came across really well on live TV - I was impressed!

Bonuses - not risked Hammond or Lalanna, no cards and no injuries! I thought second half we were second best - but for all that United were pretty tame going forward. Onwards to Exeter - Cherries (silly name) only managed a draw today...still 4th! Promotion always No.1 priority - but a nice day at SMS against the Champions elect...still it would have been nice to win!

Has Skacel signed yet? Also see Matt Holland has finished his medical - a pundit on TV the other night. Don't you just love these drawn out transfer speculative dramas?

He takes from the Skates - BWP he takes from the Skates... End of... Not part of my club thankyou!!!

Has CA been sighted at SMS or Staplewood - apparently he's having a medical today for us!!

I thought Chaplow and Guly got absolutely zero support yesterday - no service at all. I expect Chaplow has a very stiff neck after watching the ball going backwards and forwards at altitude. Guly had one chance - and the goalie made a good save in the first half. To be honest I thought Tranmere were a big physical side that we obviously had no answer for. No one fancied putting their foot on the ball like Case used to...again Saints wanted more time on the ball than the opponents let us have. Honestly thought we had it cracked the other night at Oldham - but somehow we lost our way. It's not the Lalanna effect - we just seemed to have no confidence in passing to a team mate - perhaps there was no space? There always seemed to be 2 Tranmere players keen to win the second ball - were we just stood and watched. I guess we just played too deep inviting Tranmere to have a go? Adkins and the team need to put yesterday behind them and get back to the mindset demonstrated at Oldham & Dagenham and Redbridge. We still have to go to Brighton, Peterborough and Bournemouth...real 6-pointers if ever there was! Play again like yesterday and Promotion is just a pipe dream...but there is always the Cup!! Ha bloody ha...get it sorted!

Not sure waht the main problem was today? Lacked width, looked second to every ball - but to their due Tranmere ran out of steam in the last 15-mins and our passing game was better. Chickened out of challenges - and hoof ball was the order of the day. Midfield was non existent - Morgan not at the races as they were very combative. Passing was terrible and honestly at times looked like a team who had never played with each other. Why wasn't Puncheon available? Already summised the lads were thinking of next week. Chance to close on Brighton - a win today would see us in second with a game in hand on the teams below us (except Peterborough). Still win our game in hand and back to second - but that looks almost impossible after today. The first goal was a right cock up and the second was a very good strike - a long ball wide and the player saw Davis off his line and hit it - he meant it and it went in off the post. Ruined my birthday - but next week could be a cricket score if we don't buck up!

Where's Pilchards reports from Staplewood?

Blatant money spinning - all monies should go to charity! Is this sort of thing emdorsed by the administrators on the forum - this forum is for team related matters not a bizzar!