Late Saints goals earn share of the spoils

Southampton 3 Everton 3

Southampton showed there is life after Gordon Strachan today as they bounced back to bag a last-minute leveller against Everton in a 3-3 thriller at St Mary’s.

Strachan departed last week, and the players he left behind looked lost without him as they served up a spineless first half.

Everton should have been out of sight by the break but had only Wayne Rooney’s deflected drive in the seventh minute and Duncan Ferguson’s deft 32nd-minute header to show for a hatful of chances.

Saints were booed by their own crowd – when their supporters were not chanting against the return of Glenn Hoddle – and trudged into the dressing room at the break looking a beaten team.

But the interval introduction of James Beattie and Fabrice Fernandes sparked the home revival, with Kevin Phillips leathering home a loose ball just before the hour to reduce the deficit.

Rooney smacked home his second after 77 minutes.

But Saints hit back again, and Beattie swept home from the penalty spot after Tobias Linderoth’s foul on David Prutton, reducing the deficit to 3-2.

Then Fernandes tied the scores at 3-3 as the game ticked into stoppage time.

The French winger jinked inside from the right flank and beat Nigel Martyn with a brilliant 20-yard curler into the far corner.

Everton therefore missed out on a south-coast double – their only other away success this season was against Saints’ neighbours Portsmouth – and Southampton showed they could cope without the fiery Strachan who took them to the FA Cup final last season.

Under-fire Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe hit back at his critics in his programme notes, insisting he will not be rushed over the appointment of Strachan’s successor as manager.

Everton’s Nigerian centre-back Joseph Yobo started his first game since returning from the African Nations’ Cup with a bronze medal.

Rooney fired a foot wide from a loose ball with four minutes gone.

But he got his shot inside the post three minutes later to give the Merseysiders the lead.

The striker advanced on goal from midway inside the Saints half as Michael Svensson backed off.

Rooney then unleashed a strike which span wickedly off Svensson’s heels and beyond Antti Niemi’s dive.

Steve Wigley’s side lacked passion and direction, and it seemed it would be only a matter of time until the Toffees doubled their lead.

Rooney thundered over and was then put clean through by Alessandro Pistone’s raking pass but produced an incredibly tame finish, rolling the ball past the far post.

Ferguson was on target after 32 minutes, meeting Thomas Gravesen’s left-wing cross with a deft header to divert the ball into the far corner.

Saints had a lucky escape when Claus Lundekvam appeared to handle a loose ball in the penalty area.

Referee Phil Dowd adjudged he had been pushed and awarded a free-kick to the home team.

Ferguson should have put the visitors 3-0 up but was guilty of a horror miss after being teed up by Rooney.

Phillips got the Saints comeback under way. Rory Delap glanced on Prutton’s cross, and the little striker pounced to smash home the bouncing ball from six yards.

Graeme Le Saux fired wide for Southampton – but his error at the other end in the 77th minute set up the goal which put Everton 3-1 up.

Rooney lost control as he charged goalwards, but Le Saux only prodded the ball to Steve Watson who tapped it back to Rooney – and he powered it into the net.

However, Saints made it 3-2 just five minutes later when Linderoth was adjudged to have brought down Prutton just inside the box. Beattie swept home from the penalty spot.

The late drama came courtesy of Fernandes, who dribbled inside from the right flank and beat Martyn with a brilliant 20-yard curler into the far corner.