Progress visible as Saints go on run

Is this a dream? After four years of unrelenting misery on the south coast, things are at last improving for Saints, who yesterday secured their third win in seven days at Southend. However, that was not before a somewhat shaky performance in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy on Tuesday, when penalties were needed to secure their passage to the next round.

Saints 2 - Torquay 2 (Saints win 5-3 on pens)

To describe this result as jammy would not so much be an understatement as an outright lie. After all Pardew's talk of wanting a Wembley final for the fans, his players had a shocker in front of 9,000 at St.Marys. Kelvin Davies was the worst offender, at fault for the two goals which gifted the seaside visitors their half time advantage. And it was not so much a fight-back as a scuff-back as new signing Papa Waigo bundled home two second half goals, neither from further out than a yard. Davies' achieved partial redemption (he really had a shocker) with the penalty save that sent us through. All in all though, a night to forget.

Southend 1 - Saints 3

Still, a win is a win however you get it and they followed up Tuesday's clanger with an assured victory in the league last night. A brace from midfield dynamo and new-found goal machine Adam Lallana added to loanee Neil Trotman's opener to lift Saints to within two points of Wycombe. This spurt of form has totally changed the complexion of the season for Pardew's men, who, after a summer of uncertainty, would be tenth if it were not for the points deduction. Play-offs may be a stretch but survival looks a far more comfortable prospect that it did a couple of weeks ago, which is testament to the work of the gaffer - bravo, Alan.