Southampton Blues

Southampton away - should be a Premiership game but the Saints have fallen from the heady heights of Keegan & Le Tissier and are now in League 1 with the mighty Bristol Rovers - so it was off to St Marys Stadium for my 5th consecutive Gas game - 4 wins & 1 draw - an awesome start to the 2009/10 season.

Horrid journey down - accident on A36 - Ads TomTom suggests Radstock diversion & we are 12 mins late meeting Victoria in Salisbury - SFC suggest on their website using the "away" fans Park & Ride near the Hamble. Works quite well apart from having to rush a bit & needing a pee but the bus delivered us to the magnificent St Marys Stadium before the turnstiles opened at 6.30pm.

Has a nice couple of glasses of white wine in the away "Bar" area - like every new stadium its got a concrete block area with no soul & very pricey weak beer, lager - but white wine at football - oh err missus!

It was George Brimbles 10th birthday - good one George - true Gashead in his new away shirt!

We took occasional peeks at the pitch & where we were to sit - great view just to the left of the goal about 10 rows back - perfect, decent value at £22. Out came the Gas to warm up - Mikkel Andersen & Rhys Evans right in front of us acknowledged the amazing travelling support over 2800 Gasheads, crazy for a Tuesday night 3 hours from Bristol.

Saints kicked off with purpose, we were 2nd best for long period as they passed the ball to death without really hurting us - until - the great Rickie Lambert - ex Gashead & recent £1m sale to SFC - flicked one through for Lalana to give big Miki no chance 1.0 - oh dear. Gas came back strong & Campbell found Regan (Mr President to you) with a quick freekick in our half & he stormed forward into the space in front of Saints back 4 threading Chris Dickson a brilliant pass & the Charlton Athletic loanee was quickly through past the keeper Davies & sliding an acute angled shot past defender Trotman who couldnt keep it out of the net - 1.1 & half time, a great time to equalise.

Sadly the Saints scored again inside the first 40 seconds of the 2nd half - Lamberts header looked in but Papa Waigo made sure - bother - 2.1 Saints & it could have been worse Miki made 2 great stops from Lalana & with his face point blank from Schneiderlin - fantastic keeper this lad - Denmaks No 1 very soon.

Saints looked on fire but Campbell roused his troops, slowly the Gas saw more of the ball - Regan, Lines & Hughes pushed them back & Andy Williams and Darryl Duffy on for the tiring Dicko & Wrighty started probing the Saints back 4 - Willo chased down one lost cause, 40 yards he chased the right back who put his clearance out for a corner - fresh life in the Gas hoards & "Irene" belted out for the first time since the break. Willo to The President down the right, great run by Carl Regan past one, into the box, "cross" we all screamed but Mr Cool took his time & picked out Jo Kuffour in a tiny bit of space on the 6 yard line & little Jo flicked the ball home with a cheeky back heel into the corner - que pandemonium as Jo jumps into the crowd - yellow card but now 2.2 COYB.

It was all Gas now Hughesy blasted a wicked volley over the top from 15 yards, what a goal that would have been, Colsey charging forwards crossed just too high & there was a disalowed effort due to Hughes wandering offside.

5 mins extra time the 4th officials board says - where did he get that from - Dom Blizzard on for the amazing Jo Kuffour, I`ll take a point now, but the new Rovers just dont know when to stop & they pressed again, Regan to Duffy back to Regan, to Willo wide on the right, goes wide , comes back inside, the clocks ticking, space opens up 20 yards out & the ex Hereford man burys a mighty left footed curler into the far top corner, keeper grabbing at thin air, as the clock goes to 5 mins 26 secs of injury time.

*************Explosion of noisy celebration in the away end******************

Management, subs & coaches race to celebrate by the corner flag, Trolls remembers who he is & retreats back to his proper place but Steve Elliott, Jo Kuffour and Phil Kite get involved in the "pile on" - Willo booked for his celebration, his first goal for ages - ref could have booked the whole squad & all the supporters for all we cared.

Saints hardly have time to kick off - Cambo clears downfield & the ref blows for full time. Saints 2.3 Gas - great result, away end euphoria - "Williams, Williams, Andy Williams - he hits the ball & scores a goal - Andy Williams" - on and on for 5 mins before Andy takes an embarrassed bow - urged forward by Captain marvel Stu Campbell & "The Lord" Byron Anthony - surely the most improved player in League 1 this year.

Raced to catch the Park & Ride buses, singing & celebrating all the way back.

M3 - 3 lanes closed at Winchester, bloody great planning Highways Agency, 45 minute delay. Ads Tom Tom must have know as they missed the M3 junction & went back via Salisbury - home by 1pm knackered but on Cloud 9.

What a team this is now - how quickly they have made their mark this season. Who needs Rickie Lambert - new heros - Miki Andersen, Carl Regan, Byron Anthony, Danny Coles, Arron Lescott, Mark Wright, Stuart Cambell, Chris Lines, Jeff Hughes, Jo Kuffour, Chris Dickson & subs Darryl Duffy, Dom Blizzard, Andy (Supersub) Williams, Ben Swallow, Steve Elliott, Rhys Evans........yo Gas.......we are going up & now you gotta believe us!

Another fine away win, another amazing away trip.