Only Manchester City could mess up their own Maine Road farewell party, but
you expect nothing else from football's great unpredictables.
As the stadium prepared for its party after the final game in Moss Side, the
tannoy played Singing the Blues, which just about summed up the club which has
has turned triumph into disaster too often in the past.
They bombarded Saints' goalkeeper Paul Jones throughout, but the Welsh
international produced a stunning display with a string of fine saves, mainly
from Nicolas Anelka.
Michael Svensson headed Saints ahead in the first half, virtually their only
effort on target, and from then on the FA Cup finalists produced the sort of
dogged defence they will surely need against Arsenal in the Millennium
Stadium.
City toiled, dominated long spells of the game, but could not grab the point
that would have kept them above Southampton in the Premiership, dropping to
ninth.
Saints rose three places and increased their prize money by a cool £1.5million
thanks to that one goal.
But this was the day, City's last at Maine Road after 80 years and 1,700
games, when the match took second place to the history and the tears.
City rolled out the heroes of the past, from Denis Law to Colin Bell to Georgi
Kinkladze, to mark the occasion.
But of the current crop, Shaun Goater captained the side on his last
appearance and got the greatest reception after his 103 priceless goals in five
years have dragged City back from despair to their best season in a decade.
Peter Schmeichel too ended his wonderful career, and after his stunning
display at Liverpool last weekend, he has certainly won over the City fans,
although there was to be no clean sheet for the Great Dane.
Southampton rested Paul Williams, Fabrice Fernandes and Jo Tessem from the
side which was thumped 6-1 at Highbury in midweek.
Joe Mercer's widow Norah was introduced to the sides before the game, escorted
by Bell and Malcolm Allison, but still Goater got the acclaim as "Feed the
Goat" rang round an appreciative old stadium.
The festivities over, City slowly got into their stride but found Welsh
international Jones in stunning form.
Marc-Vivien Foe, who could also be leaving the club now his loan is up and
Lyon want £7million for him, arrived on the edge of the box to unleash a low
drive that Jones beat away.
Goater got in on the act when he chested down a Benarbia ball and spun to fire
over the angle, but it was strike partner Nicolas Anelka who kept Jones fully
occupied.
Twice in a minute the goalkeeper flung himself to his left to beat out fierce
Anelka drives, and then produced a similar feat to somehow deflect away another
30-yarder from the Frenchman.
During all this Southampton had barely troubled City but on 34 minutes Matt
Oakley lifted a free-kick in from the right and Michael Svensson arrived totally
unmarked eight yards out for a free header past Schmeichel.
Beattie was booked for diving in the box on 63 minutes and seconds later
Goater was taken off to give him the chance of a standing ovation from the
34,000 plus crowd, Robbie Fowler taking over.
Jones was still Saints' hero though, blocking Foe and Anelka twice more before
bookings for Richard Dunne and Sylvain Distin which will do nothing to help the
fair play ratings.
Jones continued to defy City at the death, twice stopping Fowler as Saints dug
in for their hard earned victory.
Teams:
Man City: Schmeichel, Dunne (Horlock 83), Sommeil, Distin,
Jensen, Wright-Phillips, Barton (Belmadi 70), Foe, Benarbia,
Goater (Fowler 63), Anelka.
Subs Not Used: Nash, Wiekens.
Booked: Barton, Dunne, Distin.
Southampton: Jones, Telfer, Lundekvam, Michael Svensson,
Bridge, Baird, Oakley, Anders Svensson (Tessem 65),
Prutton (Higginbotham 80), Ormerod (Fernandes 90), Beattie.
Subs Not Used: Williams, Blayney.
Booked: Prutton, Baird, Beattie, Ormerod.
Goals: Michael Svensson 34.
Att: 34,957
Ref: M Dean (Wirral).
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