Points shared in six-goal thriller

Southampton 3 Fulham 3

Saints manager Harry Redknapp was left frustrated after an entertaining match finished all-square at St Mary’s.

Southampton are still searching for his first win since Redknapp took over from Steve Wigley and it was only a spectacular own goal by 20-year-old defender Liam Rosenior which saved him from another defeat in a rollercoaster clash.

Senegalese giant Papa Bouba Diop headed Fulham in front after a dull opening. Kevin Phillips replied almost immediately and then grabbed the lead for Saints with a superb effort on 28 minutes.

But Fulham notched an equaliser just before the break when Steed Malbranque capitalised on good fortune and sloppy home defending and Tomasz Radzinski knocked in a fine ball by Mark Pembridge five minutes after the break for 3-2 before Rosenior’s aberration.

With Liverpool, Arsenal, Everton and Chelsea still to visit St Mary’s Redknapp knows he will need a massive improvement if they are to cheat relegation.

He will need a lot more, too, from son Jamie, signed from Tottenham for the rest of the season, although centre-back Calum Davenport’s debut, having also been recruited from Spurs, was highly promising.

For nearly 20 minutes, the St Mary’s fans wondered whether the game would ever start. Then suddenly, three goals in eight minutes had pulses racing.

Southampton, with six players dropped and the two new signings on board, made a weak start and Fulham easily had the better of the opening minutes in which Diop whistled a 30-yard shot just wide of Antti Niemi’s left-hand post.

Jamie Redknapp was involved in a smart passing move in the 16th minute which ended with a Danny Higginbotham cross that Crouch headed straight at goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

A minute later, Diop was fortunate to see the ball clear his own crossbar after taking a wild swing at another Higginbotham centre.

But the hulking Diop’s next contribution was much more impressive – a scoring header from a Mark Pembridge free-kick to give Fulham a deserved lead after 19 minutes. Poor marking allowed him to pick his spot as the ball came in.

Southampton, however, had an equaliser within a minute, Phillips grabbing his seventh goal of the season. Again it looked simplicity itself with the little striker escaping the marking to head in a Fabrice Fernandes cross.

Even better was to come though. When Crouch pressed forward, Phillips’ run demanded a pass and he executed a splendid turn which took out Zesh Rehman. Another swivel confounded Zat Knight and his low drive left van der Sar helpless.

Saints had their tails up but before the break Malbranque had conjured a Fulham equaliser. Niemi could only palm out Luis Boa Morte’s cross following a poor clearance by Rory Delap.

Five minutes into the second half, Pembridge played a beautiful pass in behind the scattered Saints defence for Tomasz Radzinski to coolly steer home his ninth goal of the season.

Andy Cole had the chance to put the home side out of their agony but shot just wide three minutes later.

A near-miss by Anders Svensson, shooting narrowly over, roused Saints again and Jamie Redknapp’s ricochet shot through a crowd of players but safely through to van der Sar.

But he had no chance with the most powerful strike of the match – when young full-back Rosenior swung a foot at Svensson’s cross in the 70th minute and bulleted it into the corner.