Saints Snapshots - Bolton

Last updated : 29 September 2002 By Christian Kelly

Probably the best moment of the match for Saints was the look on Wayne Bridge's face when he got the opening goal. Bridge is only too well aware of the side's problems and showed his class by getting forward and scoring while the others struggled to create.

Although he's a local lad and loves the club, the longer the club struggle the more difficult it is to see him staying in the long run. It's a hard thing to admit that the club's ambitions are simply insufficient to keep a player of his calibre.

Bridge will want to establish himself in the England team as first choice left back. To do that he really must be at a side which can expect European football. Currently Saints are one of a dozen clubs who will finish from midtabledown to the relegation zone, and that's just not good enough to keep the likes of Wayne.

As has happened so often in the past, Saints fail to keep hold of a lead and concede within the last ten minutes. The defence were caught completely asleep from Bolton's long throw and Youri Djorkaeff was unmarked to put the ball past the impressive Niemi. While a draw would have been a good result for Saints yesterday, it was still bitterly disapointing to concede so late on. Bolton looked by far the more dangerous side going forward with Djorkaeff and Ricketts looking far better than their Saints counterparts. The French internationals equaliser was a reward for a lot of hard work and determination to get something from the game. If only some of the Saints players shared that will to win.

The best of the rest of the action....

Paul Telfer tries to block a shot from Bolton Wanderers' Michael Ricketts. As solid as Telfer is in midfield, I have to say I don't trate him as a full back. I look forward to the return of Jason Dodd, while I regret we didn't get Matthew Piper.


Another look at Bridge celebrating a rare Saints goal from free play. Brett Ormerod is trying to catch up to ask how it's done.

Fabrice Fernandes looked lively again yesterday. Like so many players on the flanks before him though, he lacks a quality finish. Hassan Kachloul and Louis Boa Morte always looked exciting on the run, but both were soon found out to be headless chickens. Hopefully Fabrice will prove to be a bit better, but he has some work to do.

Saints were reasonably solid at the back yesterday and yet Niemi still had to keep them in the game, showing that there are improvements to be made. The marking for the equaliser was non existant and there would seem to be a big gap between a Lundekvam/Williams partnership and the next best option should that include Tahar or Svensson.