Southampton 3 Blackburn Rovers 3 - Peter White's big match verdict

FOR those able to ignore the passion and sheer heart-pounding drama and still see the bigger picture with the same cold-eyed judgment they had shown before kick off, the point gained by Blackburn Rovers could still be more valuable than the one collected by Southampton

But, at the same time, there is no doubt that virtually every Blackburn visitor to Southampton's ramshackle ground felt at the final whistle they had been forcibly kicked in the guts.

For it could be another 60 years before they are in with as good a chance of claiming a rare away victory over the Saints.

Once we had all had time to recover from this frenzied ding-dong at The Dell, the mood in the two camps was perhaps best summed up by the differing fortunes of two young forwards who swapped clubs last summer.

Ex-Rover James Beattie was introduced by Southampton at half-time.

With the influential Stephane Henchoz having been forced to limp out of the contest, Beattie terrorised his old club and, indeed, could easily have snatched a dramatic victory in the dying minutes as there was only one team going to win this game as time ran out. In contrast, Kevin Davies was sent on to replace the inspirational but exhausted Kevin Gallacher with Rovers still in front and a counter-attacking threat.

It was a golden opportunity to silence the critics but Davies's contribution was miniscule.

The lad has had his problems with illness and injury but it has to be better than this - much better.

It was certainly a tale of two strikers as Beattie, signed for £1million, was the man behind Southampton's dramatic revival which almost plunged his hometown club into the depths of despair.

Davies, a club record signing at £7.25 million, must not only be pondering Rovers' future but also his own, even if they do survive.

Brian Kidd will have warmed to the efforts of most of the players he sent into a crucial battle. They emerged with the point that would have been deemed satisfactory before the start, which seemed poor reward with eight minutes to go but, eventually, was gratefully received.

Yet he must also be wishing Gallacher had the youth of Davies.

The little Scot has not played a first team game since January 2 but his commitment was such that he helped put Rovers into a winning position before fatigue won.

His partnership with the excellent Ashley Ward - give me 11 like him and relegation would soon be forgotten - was a real highlight.

But, in the last half hour, Rovers disappeared as an attacking force, especially after Davies had replaced Gallacher.

Defensively, it was desperate stuff at times - for both teams - and, even when Southampton fought back from 3-1 to 3-3 with four minutes of normal time, plus four of stoppage, remaining, few would have bet that was the end of the scoring. Rovers looked to be cruising to victory but, in the end, they were hanging on by their fingertips for a draw. Whether that is good enough in the long term, only time will tell.

Avoiding defeat at Soutampton and Charlton has long seemed a key part of the survival plan. But, even given that, the worry is that games and the chance to pick up necessary wins are running out.

There was no doubt Rovers were the better side in the first half as they looked confident and positive with their 4-3-3 formation which often became 4-1-3-2 - Lee Carsley dropping back in front of the defence, Keith Gillespie making it three natural wingers in an attacking midfield and Gallacher and Ward roaming dangerously up front.

Rovers won eight corners to Saints' one in that first half and could have won the game.

Instead, they led only 2-1.

Gallacher's lovely flick put Ward on a charge in the 15th minute and, though two defenders forced him wide, the striker's tight-angle left-foot shot was so precise as to leave the opposition floundering.

Saints levelled through a catalogue of errors in the 23rd minute when first Jason Wilcox lost possession then Darren Peacock twice failed to clear, allowing Scott Hiley's cross to be headed home by Chris Marsden. Three minutes later, Rovers were back in front as the unmarked Peacock atoned by meeting Wilcox's left-wing corner eight yards out at the near post to stab home via the keeper. When Wilcox rose majestically to flick home Jason McAteer's right-wing cross in the 48th minute, it looked all over.

But Saints had drastically reshuffled their formation and Mark Hughes gave them hope from Beattie's low, driven cross.

The introduction of Marian Pahars forced Rovers to counter by sending on Christian Dailly and go 5-3-2 but Beattie sent another towering header goalwards and the Latvian nodded it home.

In the final minutes, Rovers' goal miraculously survived Southampton's Wimbledon-style pressure.

It was a day of first goals for all three Saints strikers and also Peacock. But, as someone said plaintively afterwards, it could still be 'First' Division too - for both sides.

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