Verdict: Saints 1 Derby 1

Derby lined up in an unimaginative 4-1-4-1 providing every indication that they considered a point to be an adequate return on their night's efforts.

The first forty five minutes were a case study in the sort of lackadaisical, half-hearted football that might just about pass as acceptable for a club with no realistic chance of the play-offs and no serious threat of relegation (viz. Derby County).

But for a team fighting for survival on the back of a run of form that should lead to confidence coursing through the veins (viz. Southampton), this was an anaemic display indeed.

Although Skacel's lack of pace was exposed on a couple of occasions, Saints' backline looks composed and relatively secure. The weakness remains the same as it has all season long, Southampton simply do not create enough goal scoring opportunities, meaning that unless half chances are gobbled up by our starved strikeforce, points are hard to come by.

The Dutch obsession with playing any formation other than a straightforward, traditional English 4-4-2 looked like it might be refreshing and imaginative back in August. Now it just looks dogmatic.

I am not persuaded that David McGoldrick is a Championship-quality centre-forward, but I am wholly convinced he is NOT a central midfielder. His lack of bite against a packed Derby midfield, which included the unflappable Robbie Savage, placed an obscene defensive burden on the shoulders of the diminutive Gillett. Fortunately, the latter discharged his responsibilities superbly.

If Poortvliet's unorthodox 4-2-1-2-1 formation provided width but little bite up front, Wotte's 4-1-2-1-2 risks Saints playing so narrowly that the a half-competent team can snuff out most of our advances long before we reach the penalty box.

And so it was that Southampton took forty minutes to register a shot on target and even then it was a scuffed shot from Saganowski that would not have troubled even a pub league goalkeeper.

Half-time: Saints 0 Derby 0

Schneiderlin made way for Lallana at the start of the second period, injecting some much needed pace and urgency into the Saints' attack and the home side began to dominate while still failing to make goalkeeper Bywater do anything difficult to earn his wages.

But the pressure finally told just before the hour, when an alert Perry had a simple finish following a goalmouth melee. With our relegation rivals making little headway in the other fixtures, the nirvana of finishing the night outside of the drop zone was within reach.

A second goal would have wrapped up the points and Drew Surman displayed criminal negligence mere moments later in failing to double the lead. With the goal gaping at his mercy from barely ten yards out, he unforgiveable failed to hit the target. It capped a night of unusual, but unrelenting, haplessness on the part of the England U-21. He was put out of his misery with twenty minutes to go when he was replaced by Paul Wotton in an attempt to hold on to the one goal lead. McGoldrick switched to the left flank and - finally - we were playing 4-4-2.

But Southampton couldn't see out the game. Defending too deeply and desperately, Steve Davies finished off an easy chance shortly after replacing Hulse, with just six minutes left on the clock.

It could have been worse too. Derby - scenting blood - had a very strong penalty shout turned down in the dying seconds.

Full-time: Saints 1 Derby 1

Although dropping a place in the table, and still firmly entrenched in the drop zone, Saints might yet contrive a way out of their predicament. With nine games remaining, four or five wins are required. Not an impossible ask, but still a substantial one.

A strong case has to be made for playing Morgan Schneiderlin alongside Gillett in a flat middle four and shifting McGoldrick to the wing, if we play him at all.

Saturday's clash against a rapidly collapsing QPR now assumes monumental significance. As a betting man, I'd venture that three points would probably see Saints end up getting out of this mess. But any less and we're going to be welcoming Walsall, Hartlepool and Leyton Orient to a practically deserted St. Mary's stadium next season.

Man of the match: Simon Gillett