x

Valentine's Day Massacre 1994 Style

Who was at the Dell on February 14th 1994 when Liverpool visited and Saints ent them home with their tail between their legs.

When Liverpool arrived at the Dell on Valentine's Day 1994 they were a team who were still considered one of the best in England, they had last won the title only four years earlier and it was not expected to be too long before they won another their first Premier League title.

Saints for their part were 19th in the Premier League and relegation was looking a certainty, the hated Ian Branfoot had gone a month previously and Alan Ball was now in charge, his first game had seen a win at Newcastle United, but his second at Oldham had resulted in a 2-1 defeat to relegation rivals Oldham Athletic, so Ball walked along the track towards the dugout for his first game in charge with a big task on his hands.

The game was a Monday evening and on Sky TV and it opened in explosive style Mathew Le Tissier smashed in a 20 yard screamer after only 28 seconds and then on 8 Minutes new signing the returning old boy Craig Maskell made it two.

Just before the break Maskell was fouled and Le Tiss fired home the penalty to make it a 3-0 home lead.

But if Saints fans thought that was great, within four minutes of the restart Le Tissier struck again from the spot for his hat trick after ex Saint Mark Wright had handled.

BUt if Saints fans thought that it would not be plain sailing they were wrong, as the snow got heavier Julian Dicks scored the third penalty of the game to reduce the arrears with 20 minutes left and when Rush brought the score to 4-2 with five minutes left it was all lined up for a shock with Saints reeling.

But they hung on for a famous victory that lifted them out of the bottom three.

Things would get a little beter for Saints when they beat Wimbledon in their next game, but then that was followed by 7 winless games that dragged us back into the relegation dog fight, before a couple of grandstand wins against first Norwich away 5-4 and then title chasers Blackburn 3-1.

It would still go to the last day, but Saints just about did enough to stay up by 1 point.

An epic Valentines Day victory that is still remembered by all that were there, ironically neither side is yet to win the Premier League still.

What to read next:

Southampton At Leeds United The Verdict
Saints finished the season with a flourish, to give hope that they can go into the play offs with discipline & organisation as well as the confidence that they can beat anyone that they meet.
Leeds United 1 - 2 Southampton - Player Ratings and Reports
If you saw the match, please give us your player ratings and a mini match report.
Saints Announce Ticket Pricing Information For Play Off Semi Final
The opponents won't be known until Saturday afternoon, but Southampton FC have announced their ticket pricing structure and how the tickets will be sold to give supporters plenty of time to sort their tickets out.
Time For The Spirit Of Southampton Football Club
Recent months have seen a number of events and issues divide opinion and split the supporter base but as we head towards the play offs it is time for everyone at Saints to kick in the same direction.
Should Russell Martin Put Out Another Reserve Side For Leeds United Trip
Against Stoke City Russell martin selected a side that was very much a second string line up, with the play offs looming should the manager repeat this for the trip to take on Leeds on Saturday.
A Rough Guide To Leeds United
A big big game for just Leeds now, although by Saturday the odds on them going up automatically might have changed slightly so here is all the info for those travelling Saints fans who are still going,
Southampton Should Not Fear Anyone In The Play Offs.
The hope of getting back into the Premier League automatically has long gone, but the season is not yet over and we now have a good chance of getting to Wembley and going up through the play offs, here we look at who we could meet.
Southampton V Stoke City The Verdict
This should have been a celebratory day for Saints fans, there should have been a feeling of positivity, but the truth is that the fight has been knocked out of the supporter base and we go into the play offs with confidence both on and off the pitch at a low ebb.
Southampton 0 - 1 Stoke City - Player Ratings and Reports
If you saw the match, please give us your player ratings and a mini match report.
Saints V Stoke City A Look Back In Pictures 2
In the second part of our pictorial look back at some of our games against Stoke City from the past, here we look back at more recent games, so most of you would have been at them.