Saints got a boost this weekend before they even kicked a ball.

Saints quest for promotion got off to a good start on the Friday night when Charlton lost at Notts County 1-0, to be blunt our rivals for promotion made it three defeats in a row with a performance that was lacklustre and included possibly the tamest penalty miss you will ever see from former Saints Bradley Wright Phillips.

This loss meant that they did not move above us in the table albeit with us having a game in hand and now we can capitalise on this slip up from them by beating Swindon and going five points clear of them.

Saints now have it all in their own hands, however with a run of games themselves that has seen them notch up only nine points in the last six games and indeed thirteen in the last twelve, both points per game ratios that arent good enough to get us automatic promotion, we really need to start to find our form again, in those six games since the wonder winat Oldham we have not fired on all cylinders once and now need to do so.

The next fourteen days culminating in our trip to Bournemouth will see us play five times, two at home and three on the road, we cant keep relying on the other sides dropping points to do us favours, in those five games we need to get a minimum of ten points, quite franlky more and this run should include avoiding defeat at Bournemouth.

In this period of time Saints season will be defined, Saints supporters will walk out of Dean Court(or the Fitness First Stadium, whatever they are calling it now) knowing whether we are looking good for promotion or going to struggle, February so far has been a disaster for our hopes for automatic promotion, it has only been the poor form as well by our rivals that has meant that we havent dropped out of the play off spots, I had hoped that be the end of February that we would have been in a position where we were well clear of the seventh placed club and had our sights firmly on the top spot, that has not been the case, Charlton's defeat has meant even if we lose to Swindon we cant fall out of a play off spot, but that due to fortune and not our own exertions.

Notts County stepped up to the plate last night, now its time for Nigel Adkins and his team to do the same.  

Photo: Action Images

st_bangkok added 10:17 - Feb 26 Yep, next month see's us play some crucial games. Come end of March we will be odds on or done for.
0

Middlesbrough Polls