Matthew Le Tissier celebrated his recall to the England fold with a stunning
20-yard volley but even his latest contender for goal of the month was not
enough to halt Aston Villa's amazing march on Europe.
Villa boss John Gregory set his side the highly improbable target of winning
all their remaining matches when he took charge at the end of February.
They have now won seven out of their eight Premiership games since then and
have turned a relegation struggle into an outside hope of a UEFA Cup spot next
season, especially if Chelsea can win the Cup Winners' Cup.
Their well-deserved victory at The Dell was set up by Lee Hendrie's impressive
sixth-minute solo effort and was completed with the coolest possible finish from
leading scorer Dwight Yorke with half an hour left.
In between those two strikes came Le Tissier's cameo performance, which is
sure to make headlines but still unlikely to win him a place on the plane to the
World Cup in France.
The Channel Islander will report for duty with the England B squad next week
and the friendly against Russia will no doubt be his last chance to impress
Glenn Hoddle before the summer tournament.
Hoddle has already revealed that Le Tissier will only be travelling with him
to France if he "ends up getting four or five players in a similar mould
getting injured".
Yet Hoddle cannot fail to be impressed by the television replays of Le
Tissier's 20th-minute equaliser.
He started the move by setting Francis Benali away down the left and was there
to meet Steve Staunton's weak headed clearance from the full-back's cross on the
edge of the penalty area.
Le Tissier hardly broke stride or paused for thought as he sweetly struck his
shot into the far corner of the net - and three minutes later he could have had
a second when he narrowly glanced a header wide from Carlton Palmer's cross.
Yet despite having several more good touches, a few incisive passes and even
the odd display of tackling back, it was Villa who ran the midfield.
And no-one was more impressive than 20-year-old Hendrie, their own England B
candidate, while Julian Joachim and Yorke were always a danger with their pace
up front.
Hendrie gave the visitors the lead when he picked up the ball 25 yards out on
the right wing and advanced into the penalty area before turning defender
Richard Dryden inside and out and then placing his shot inside the near post.
He almost created another five minutes later by putting Joachim clear and
although the striker chipped goalkeeper Paul Jones his shot was too weak and
Dryden recovered to clear.
Villa, with Mark Draper back for Savo Milosevic, continued to dominate after
the break, with Hendrie side-footing a first-time shot wide and Jones saving
well from Joachim.
But they needed Yorke's coolness to give them their winner when he
nonchalantly steered his right-foot volley from Wright's pinpoint cross wide of
keeper Jones and into the far corner.
Southampton survived another scare shortly afterwards as Yorke miscontrolled
inside the area and the ball somehow rolled past Jones yet Benali cleared off
the line, but only with the help of the post.
Le Tissier had a shot at Bosnich, substitute Duncan Spedding fired just over,
another replacement, Steve Basham, saw his goalbound effort deflected just wide
with seven minutes left and Bosnich saving from Egil Ostenstad.
But for all their gallant attempts at an equaliser as Le Tissier faded, it was
Villa who deserved the victory and they came the closest to scoring late on with
Hendrie firing inches wide and Yorke almost meeting a Joachim cross.
Teams:
Southampton: Jones, Dodd, Benali, Palmer, Monkou,
Dryden (Spedding 49), Le Tissier, Oakley, Hirst (Basham 73),
Ostenstad, Beresford.
Subs Not Used: Richardson, Johansen, Moss.
Goals: Le Tissier 19.
Aston Villa: Bosnich, Grayson (Charles 59), Wright, Southgate,
Ehiogu, Staunton, Hendrie, Taylor, Yorke, Draper, Joachim.
Subs Not Used: Milosevic, Scimeca, Bassell, Oakes.
Goals: Hendrie 6, Yorke 60.
Att: 15,238
Ref: A B Wilkie (Chester-le-Street).
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