Saints turned in a performance of utter dominance as a brace from Lee Barnard and goals from Jason Puncheon, Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana gave them a 5-1 win over Walsall.

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Goals from Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana as well as a freak Dan Woodards own goal saw Saints book a trip to Wembley against Carlisle United for the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final at the end of March.

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Saints dropped two more points in Sunday League conditions at St James’ Park as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Exeter City.

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Saints booked their place in the draw for the third round of the FA Cup with an unconvincing yet fairly comfortable victory at Northampton. Goals from Papa Waigo, Adam Lallana and Dean Hammond gave the visitors an unassailable 3-0 lead before a Hammond own goal and a last-gasp Ryan Gilligan penalty narrowed the deficit.

Alan Pardew was forced into two changes from the side that won at Hartlepool on Tuesday. Kelvin Davis is likely to be out until the New Year with a groin injury so Bartosz Bialkowski gets a chance in goal. David Connolly also reported a knee injury after Tuesday’s game, so Papa Waigo came in for him. Chris Perry also earned a recall at the expense of Neal Trotman and Lloyd James was given a well-earned rest with Paul Wotton taking up the holding role in midfield. With Connolly out, Saints reverted to a 4-5-1/4-3-3 formation.

The home side started the brighter with Guinan striking the foot of the post in the second minute after a free-kick hit the wall, and they forced a number of corners that were comfortably dealt with by the experienced defensive pairing of Perry and Rahdi Jaidi.

Saints were enjoying lots of possession in the first half without really creating much, but Chris Bunn had to be alert to tip over a dipping shot from Adam Lallana. Overall, Northampton were doing well to frustrate the likes of Lallana and Papa Waigo, both of whom were doing their best to stretch the play and unlock the defence.

The home side enjoyed a good spell of possession themselves later in the half, but were then hit by a double blow. Rickie Lambert worked himself some space on the bye-line and crossed to the far post where Papa Waigo met it with a diving header to make it 1-0. Two minutes later, Papa Waigo was the man in a wide position, crossing for Adam Lallana to head into the same corner for 2-0.

The scoreline certainly wasn’t a reflection on the overall play - Saints had had the majority of the possession and territory, but created very little with it - but it’s all about taking your chances and Papa Waigo and Lallana had certainly done that.

Half-Time: Northampton 0-2 Saints

There was a marked difference between the start of the second half and the start of the first half as Saints looked much brighter, with Lallana being aided by Dan Harding on the left and Graeme Murty overlapping to good effect on the right.

Lambert had had very little support for most of the afternoon, so decided to take matters into his own hands and try to make something happen himself, and he beat the offside trap to collect the ball in the corner. He laid the ball back for Lallana and his cross was met by Dean Hammond whose header was fumbled by the keeper and - according to the assistant referee - over the line. Just as well it was given, as Hammond’s attempt from the rebound came back off the post when it seemed easier to score!

At 3-0 up, Saints then took their foot off the pedal, looking to conserve energy and particularly to keep a clean sheet, something not achieved since the 2-0 win against Yeovil in September. However, that attempt didn’t last too long as Northampton were gifted a way back into the game. Akinfenwa’s header back across goal was going wide but in an attempt to make sure the ball went away from goal, Hammond only succeeded in toe-poking it into his own net off the post.

The remaining twenty minutes offered very little entertainment at either end of the pitch until Hammond’s indifferent game took another twist in the 4th minute of injury time when a long throw missed everyone, surprising him and hitting his arm, with the referee pointing for a penalty. Ryan Gilligan stepped up to send Bialkowski the wrong way to make it 3-2 and give an air of respectability to the scoreline, and it would be hard to argue that a one-goal margin was probably a fair result in the end.

Full-Time: Northampton 2-3 Saints

It certainly wasn’t a classic performance, but as the saying goes, it’s a results business, particularly in cup football, and we did enough to ensure we’re in the hat for the draw for the Third Round.

An Adam Lallana brace and a Rickie Lambert strike saw Saints come from a goal down to win in the howling wind at Hartlepool.

A long old poke!

Saints went into the game at Victoria Park making one change from the side that drew at home to Norwich, with Graeme Murty replacing Michail Antonio, meaning Lloyd James moved further forward to the right of midfield.

Conditions for the game were tough for both sides with very windy weather and the opening stages were tentative as players tried to anticipate how best to combat the strong gusts of wind. David Connolly had scored a superb goal on Saturday and with the first attack of the game tried a similar effort from the edge of the box, only for the ball to hold up slightly in the wind and give Pool’s keeper Scott Flinders a comfortable save.

An attack down the left hand flank for the hosts resulted in a decent opportunity for Andy Monkhouse in the box, but the winger snatched at his shot and it went well over. But Hartlepool did make the breakthrough on 17 minutes when Monkhouse made a good run down the left and switched the ball to James Brown on the right, who sent in a high, wind assisted cross that MONKHOUSE met with a firm header, which nestled into the top left hand corner of the net.

Saints lined up with Morgan Schneiderlin and Dean Hammond in the centre of midfield and while the Frenchman was struggling to cope with the blustery weather, new first team captain Hammond was relishing stifling any play from United’s centre midfield pairing of two Ritchie’s, Humphreys and Jones.

This meant the home side were resorting to play down the wings and with the gales, this made crossing unpredictable. It almost paid off though when Neil Austin got forward from right back and crossed for Adam Boyd, who glanced a header just wide.

Moments later, Austin pushed forward again and played in Brown, who shaped to cross, but instead pulled back for Monkhouse who saw his weak effort saved with ease by Kelvin Davis.

Saints started to get their passing game going as the game approached the half hour mark, with Hammond often breaking up play and Lambert holding up well to bring in either Connolly or Lallana, who were both making decent runs to allow space for each other.

There seemed to be more purpose about the away side’s play now and the scores should have been levelled up, when Lloyd James crossed well from the right hand side and Lallana met the ball with a great diving header that Flinders did well to parry at full stretch - the ball fell loose though and Lambert sliced over when he should have done much better.

It didn’t take long for Lambert to make amends for his miss though, the forward playing an inch perfect through ball to LALLANA who raced clear through on goal and coolly slotted the ball under Flinders to equalise.

As half time was nearing there was almost a scare for Saints, when Brown beat Harding down the right and saw his cross misjudged by Jaidi who headed behind for a corner, but only just, as the ball missed the post by a matter of inches.

There was time for one more chance, when Murty’s long throw was nodded on by Lallana, and Connolly shuffled well, but saw his shot on the turn well saved.

Half time: Hartlepool United 1-1 Southampton

With a change of ends at half time, both teams now had to get used to kicking into a different direction of wind, which was often changing as it swirled around the ground.  Brown tried his luck from distance for the hosts, but shot well over and was soon shown how it was done, when LALLANA went down the other end and curled home a beauty, which caught the wind perfectly and flew into the top corner; giving Flinders no chance whatsoever.

Hartlepool almost hauled the game back to 2-2 though when Denis Behan lined up a 40 yard free kick. The striker took a long run up and hit a low powerful drive, which Davis did excellently to tip the ball wide.

The resulting corner created an even better opportunity for the hosts, when Sam Collins met the set piece with a towering free header, but it was an even better save from Davis who tipped the ball over at full stretch and seemed to injure himself in the process.

The game was then held up for quite a while, with Bialkowski coming on in goal to replace Davis, and then Behan picking up an injury which saw him stretchered off and replaced by Billy Greulich.

The hold up in play seemed to knock the wind out of Hartlepool’s sails, but not in terms of weather as the conditions got tougher. And it was a combination of the two that left Saints hanging onto a comfortable lead, with little chances being created and the ball often out of play; the wind blowing every goal kick and cross into the stands.

There was hope for the Pool’s when Jaidi appeared to under hit a back pass, but Bialkowski was alert and it was cleared to safety. While it was a clanger down the other end of the pitch that sealed all three points for Saints…

Flinders went to clear the ball and kicked it straight against the on-rushing LAMBERT, who managed to steer the ball away from the goalkeeper’s desperate grasp and gratefully walk the ball into the empty net.

There was a brief flare up at the end of the game, when Ritchie Jones was sent off in a big brawl, but it was a hard fought win for the Saints, who scored their goals at the right time and got stuck in to hold onto the lead.

Full Time: Hartlepool United 1-3 Southampton

Goals from Adam Lallana and David Connolly weren’t enough to claim all three points in an entertaining draw with Norwich in difficult weather conditions.

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A brace from Adam Lallana and Neal Trotman’s first goal for the club gave Saints a deserved and ultimately comortable victory at Roots Hall.

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Saints moved into positive points in style with a 4-1 demolition of Gillingham. Two goals from Adam Lallana and further strikes from Rickie Lambert and Papa Waigo N’Diaye completed the rout.

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Saints threw away their 9th point when leading in games this season after taking the lead twice through Adam Lallana and Papa Waigo N’Diaye only for Bristol Rovers to fight back and snatch a 96th minute winner from Andy Williams in an entertaining game.

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A sunny afternoon in London

Saints held table-topping Charlton to a 1-1 draw at The Valley this afternoon, although it’s now the fourth time Saints have failed to keep hold of a lead this season. Adam Lallana gave the visitors the lead just before half-time but Deon Burton equalised for the Addicks.

Saints had the better of the first half and could have had the lead as early as the fifth minute. The Charlton defence could only clear as far to Schneiderlin on the edge of the box, and the Frenchman’s perfectly weighted chipped through ball found Mills in space and unmarked, but the youngster saw his shot smothered superbly at close range by Addicks number one, Rob Elliot.

Wayne Thomas continued to fill in at right back in the absence of the injured Murty and seemed to be enjoying the role; getting forward often. The first occasion in which he raced down the right hand side saw his cross only half cleared to Schneiderlin, who struck cleanly, but straight at the keeper.

While the away side seemed to be having the better of the action, there was no denying that when Charlton got the ball, they played with the swagger that had seen them amass maximum points from their opening six games. Racon and Semedo offered bite in the middle of the park, while Bailey and Shelvey added quality on the ball and it was the latter that assisted one of the home side’s few chances of the half, his corner finding Semedo who volleyed over the bar.

The height of Hammond and Schneiderlin in midfield, likewise with Lambert upfront for the Saints, was proving to be key in the Saints having the better of the action; the trio regularly winning balls in the air and laying off to Lallana and Mills on the wing who could create chances.

Infact, it was a cross from the energetic Mills on the left that almost created a goal opportunity, though ex-Saint’s loanee Christian Dailly beat the Lurking Lambert to the ball to turn behind.

Moments later, Lambert held the ball up well for Lallana, who dribbled well, but skewed his shot well wide. Bailey was also missing shooting boots, when he curled over for the hosts.

Saints continued to press though, and were unlucky in their pursuit to open the scoring, when James latched onto a series of head tennis to fire a shot in from 25 yards that Eliot tipped wide.

The breakthrough finally came for Southampton, who earned a deserved lead just before the half time interval. Thomas got forward well and his low cross was met by ADAM LALLANA, who ran diagonally across his marker and swept the ball into the bottom left hand corner, for a cool finish.

Half time: Charlton Athletic 0-1 Southampton

Charlton came out for the second half raring to go and equalised not long after the restart. A move which started from the back, found Shelvey on the left side and the youngster who reportedly turned down an offer from Chelsea in the summer, turned Perry inside out, before crossing from the byline for DEON BURTON to bundle home from close range. Davis was led on the floor claiming a foul by Lloyd Sam as he went to catch the cross, but the goal stood.

The equaliser appeared to spur on the home side, who started to push for a winner. Shelvey seemed to be playing in a free role behind Burton and his direct running was a menace for the Saints rearguard, who just about managed to force him wide, as his shot at the near post was parried by Davis.

Controversy surrounded the game, when the home side had two goals ruled out for offside in quick succession. First, Shelvey latched onto Bailey’s free kick to slot home, before Burton Stole in at the back post to fire in Shelvey’s set piece delivery. It was unclear from my seat to give a judgement, but we’ll thank the referee’s assistant  this time around.

Saints had begun to lose shape and were lacking in discipline, as they allowed Charlton to control the game. However, fortunately enough for the away side, Perry and Trotman were solid enough at the back to repel attacks and Harding at left back had a great game in keeping League One player of the month Lloyd Sam quiet.

There was little the Saints defence could do about Kelly Youga’s run and shot towards the end of the game though, as the left back went on a mazy run, which deserved a goal, but could only find the base of Davis’ post.

The away side slowly got back into the game in the last fifteen minutes and although a clear cut chance was hard to come by, the substitution of debutant Jaidi on for Perry ensured the Saints could close out the game with relative ease. While, there was even time at the end for Papa Waigo to be introduced to English football. His pace will surely aid Saints’ push up the table, as the team looks to be falling into place slowly but surely, in what was a deserved point against the league leaders.

Full Time: Charlton Athletic 1-1 Southampton