NURSE!!!

Pass the smelling salts.  I`m having an attack of the vapours.   Can it be true?

Well, it seems it is.  The Saints have actually won a game.  OK, it was only some rinky-dink League Cup game away at Everton and it was only achieved thanks to a nail-biting penalty shoot-out.  But a win`s a win.

It was all a bit odd really.  Manager Mark Hughes made a lot of changes from the team that lost against Wolves on Saturday and brought in `fringe` players who were hoping to catch the manager`s eye for a regular starting place.  And it seemed to work.   Just before half time, Danny Ings converted Nathan Redmond`s shrewd pass to put the Saints one goal up and they held on right up to the 85th minute when former Saint Theo Walcott equalised for the Toffees.  

The Everton team included two other former Saints players - midfield stalwart Morgan Schneiderlin and goalkeeper Marten Stekelenburg - and it was perhaps fitting that in the penalty shoot-out that followed the full time 1-1 scoreline, it was Walcott whose penalty was saved by Saints keeper Angus Gunn which led to Cedric Soares rifling home the winning penalty past the despairing Stekelenburg.

So, Saints won 4-3 on penalties and secured an away trip to former Saints manager Claude Puel`s Leicester City.  (Difficult place to go to. the King Power Stadium.)  But let`s hope this morale boosting win (first win at Everton in 21 years) will be the springboard for more success in the Premier League in weeks to come.  Oh, I`ve just realised it`s Chelsea on Sunday.  Oh well, put the smelling salts back in the box.