Second-half strikes from Jo Tessem and Matthew Oakley eased the pressure on
boss Dave Jones and lifted the relegation gloom at The Dell.
Saints, after a promising start to the season, have slipped into familiar
dogfight territory and the manager has taken the flak from disgruntled fans.
But Jones was bailed out against his former club by ex-policeman Tessem.
It was the versatile Norwegian's first goal for his new club, two minutes into
the second half, which gave Southampton the base for a crucial victory.
Oakley bagged his fifth of the season in the 56th minute and Paul Jones
produced two fine saves to protect the lead.
Everton had travelled south boasting an eight-game unbeaten run.
The Saints,
meanwhile, were enduring a difficult start to the New Year.
Pressure has been heaped on boss Jones, despite a 1-0 win against
fellow-strugglers Bradford on their last home outing.
Three points had failed to turn things round for the under-fire Saints manager
and a 5-0 thrashing at Newcastle last weekend handed more ammunition to the
anti-Jones lobby.
Southampton supporters grumbled their way through a scrappy first half but the
mood was transformed as Tessem and Oakley put the home 2-0 up within 111
minutes of the restart.
Beleaguered Saints fans caught a glimpse of Lady Luck when Everton lost Paul
Gerrard in the seventh minute.
The keeper limped out of action on his 27th birthday after colliding with
Kevin Davies as the pair competed for a high cross.
England Under-21 international Steve Simonsen came off the bench for his first
Premiership appearance for the Merseysiders but Saints failed to test him during
the first half.
The former Tranmere keeper gathered a weak shot from Marian Pahars and looked
on as Oakley and Kevin Davies both shot harmlessly wide from good positions.
His most decisive work came when he rushed off his line to beat pacy winger
Luis Boa Morte to an Oakley pass.
Everton enjoyed the best chances of an unspectacular first half.
Richard Gough
planted a free header wide from Nick Barmby's corner and Jones saved a Jeffers
shot on the turn.
Don Hutchison lashed a fierce drive over the bar from 20 yards and Francis
Benali almost beat his own goalkeeper when he turned a John Collins cross inches
wide at full stretch.
Saints fans showed their discontent at half-time.
They jeered the team off and
started the "Jones Out" chants, but they didn't really catch on.
Tessem's first goal in Southampton colours, two minutes after the break,
quickly changed the atmosphere.
The Norwegian, signed from Molde in November, lashed his shot past Simonsen
from 20 yards after being found on the right by Davies.
And Oakley, back after missing three games with a knee injury, crowned his
return nine minutes later with a wonderful solo effort.
The midfielder collected the ball midway inside the Everton half and drove at
the heart of their defence.
He rode two tackles before curling a precise shot
beyond the dive of Simonsen into the same bottom corner where Tessem had earlier
planted the ball.
Jones preserved the two-goal cushion with a fine reflex save from a Kevin
Campbell header, a low stop from a Hutchison drive and a save from Collins'
deflected shot.
Pahars could have made it 3-0 after being released by Oakley but dragged his shot
wide.
Teams
Southampton: Jones, Monk, Richards, Lundekvam, Benali, Tessem,
Oakley (Soltvedt 72), Marsden, Boa Morte (Beresford 81),
Pahars, Davies (Beattie 88).
Subs Not Used: Hughes, Moss.
Booked: Lundekvam, Marsden, Boa Morte, Pahars.
Goals: Tessem 47, Oakley 56.
Everton: Gerrard (Simonsen 6), Dunne (Moore 78), Gough, Weir,
Unsworth (Ball 63), Collins, Hutchison, Pembridge, Barmby, Jeffers, Campbell.
Subs Not Used: Watson, Cadamarteri.
Booked: Unsworth, Weir, Barmby.
Att: 15,232
Ref: A D'Urso (Billericay).
E-mail Article 
Print-Friendly
Subscribe to RSS Feed 
Post to del.icio.us
Facebook