Saints and salvation

Instead, Blackburn lad James Beattie might well turn out to be the man who sends the team he worshipped as a boy spiralling down into the depths of the Nationwide League.

If the 21-year-old striker does just that, the only drinking to be done back in his hometown will signal the drowning of sorrows.

Blackburn Rovers were nudged into the Premiership relegation places last Saturday by an outrageous Van Basten-style goal for Southampton by Beattie, who moved to The Dell last summer for £1 million.

At the same time, it took Saints out of the drop zone for the first time this season.

And Beattie firmly believes his current club can maintain that safety margin - at the expense of his former team-mates.

"It's fantastic to be out of the bottom three for the first time," he said.

"Now we have to make sure we stay there.

"If Blackburn lose their game in hand at home to Manchester United and we win our last two games then we will stay up.

"That might not make me very popular back home in Blackburn. I have a lot of family and friends there who are all Rovers fans." While Rovers take on Nottingham Forest at Ewood on Saturday, Southampton travel to Selhurst Park to face an unpredictable Wimbledon side who have been in freefall since manager Joe Kinnear's unfortunate illness.

Southampton's away record is the worst in the Premiership but, after remaining unbeaten for the past three matches, there is a growing feeling around The Dell that they can pull off a great escape.

They have the bit between their teeth after last Saturday and will take around 10,000 supporters to Selhurst, all hoping to see them claim the win that will pile the pressure even more heavily on Rovers.

"There is immense spirit and belief in this side," said Beattie.

"And we now have a great chance of staying up.

"It will be a great boost to have so many fans behind us at Wimbledon.

"If we can get a result there, then I think we will do it."

Beattie rates the spectacular and so-valuable winner against Leicester last Saturday as the finest he has scored in his senior career.

Though it still rates second best to one he scored in Rovers colours, in a youth game prior to the Charity Shield match against Everton.

"People keep asking me if I meant it, but I did," he claimed.

"Francis Benali hit a great free kick and Frank Sinclair did not come for it. So I tried to steer it over the keeper. You could call it a goalscorer's instinct. "It was the best goal I have scored as a professional, although I hit a 25-yard volley into the top corner at Wembley in a youth match for Blackburn before the Charity Shield.

"I have spent a long time fishing around to try to get it on tape but no-one seems to have it.

"But Saturday's was the best apart from that one."

Who could have guessed how things would have turned out when Beattie went one way and Kevin Davies the other last summer.

Only one of them will be able to experience the sheer relief of staying up next week - and it's still possible for both clubs to go down.

But Beattie's season seems to be building to a grand finale after he inspired a Saints comeback against Rovers and then grabbed the winner over Leicester.

"It was a good week for me," he added.

"I got my first goal for the England under-21 side and then that one.

"It was an unusual goal, a gamble. "But in our position you have to gamble and I thought we deserved to win after the way we fought and battled."

Football sees so many twists and turns that there could yet be one or two more before this relegation scrap is decided.

And, if Rovers were to scramble to safety, maybe someone could dig out a tape of that Wembley goal as a consolation prize for the Blackburn boy who, understandably, cannot afford to spare any sentiments for the folks back home.

When Beattie scores, Southampton do not lose. His four Premiership goals this season have seen three wins and a draw, all at home.

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