SAINTS ALIVE!

MUCH has been made of Walsall's position in the table in recent weeks – and whether it is a false one.

It isn't – as the old cliche goes, the table never lies and 11th position of 11th is pretty much where they deserve to be.

That's not necessarily a positive reflection, though – more an indication of the standard of League One as a whole.

While admittedly, the upper echelons of the division has arguably never been so stacked with quality, the same cannot be said throughout.

It's no surprise there's a nine-point gap between seventh and eighth place.

Because once you go below Millwall in seventh place, the League One standard is at one of its lowest ebbs.

The one exception to this, of course, is Southampton – who began the season with a ten-point deduction for going into administration.

Add those ten points back on and factor in their games in hand and the Saints would be right in the play-off mix.

The Saddlers have shown this season they can compete with the big boys, taking points off many of them and getting into plenty of winning positions, although they have admittedly squandered several.

Again, Southampton are the exception – they are the only side to have truly outclassed Walsall and they've done it twice.

Even when Matt Richards' sublime 30-yard free kick gave the visitors a third minute lead in their first trip to St Mary's, you sensed it wouldn't last.

So it proved as Jason Puncheon fired in off the post past the recalled Rene Gilmartin five minutes later.

They went in front with a smart Lee Barnard finish and he tucked home a Jon Otsemobor cross to make it 3-1.

Richards cleared a Dean Hammond shot off the line after the break but there was no stopping the Southampton juggernaut as Lambert was given too much space to beat Gilmartin and Adam Lallana slotted home a late fifth.

Before the game, these were two sides still professing play-off hopes but with much to do to make it – the Saints clinically showed which one has a chance, albeit a slight one.

And Walsall will be hoping they make it – so they avoid meeting their new bogey team again next season...

Coca Cola League One

Southampton 5

Walsall 1

WALSALL: Gilmartin, Westlake (Weston 68), McDonald, Vincent, Richards, Nicholls, Taundry, O'Keefe, Gray, Deeney, Byfield (Jones 68). Subs (not used): Ince, Sansara, Hughes, Bradley, Adkins. ATTENDANCE: 20,461.