Southampton's combination of the sublime and the ridiculous saw off Portsmouth to ensure the red half of Hampshire will celebrate a very merry Christmas. Saints beat their fierce south coast rivals for the second time this month thanks to three strikes spread across the goalscoring spectrum.
The first, in the 34th minute, was one of the most bizarre strikes of the season. Jason Dodd's inswinging corner arced over keeper Harald Wapenaar and when Sebastien Schemmel - standing on the far post - headed the ball against the underside of his crossbar, it rebounded back against his head and into the net.
The Football Association's dubious goals panel will surely need to decide if Dodd or Schemmel are eventually credited with the goal, but if it goes to Dodd it will be the right-back's first goal for almost three years and only his the 11th of his 14-year Saints career.
But if the opener represented the ridiculous, there was no doubting the sublime skill of Marian Pahars who wrapped up victory with a beautiful goal after 67 minutes. The little Latvian sent a 20-yard curler into the bottom corner for his first goal since recovering from 12 months of injury woe.
And James Beattie completed the visitors' misery in injury time when he met Dodd's cross with a thumping diving header for his 11th goal of the season.
Gordon Strachan's side were good value for this win, which hoists them to the lofty heights of fourth place and means they will visit Fratton Park in March bidding to complete a three-match clean sweep against Portsmouth.
Pompey have not won in Southampton for 15 years and Harry Redknapp's men, for whom elevation to the Premiership was the culmination of chairman Milan Mandaric's dream, will spend the festive season anchored in the bottom three ahead of a New Year relegation battle.
Filed by Shane Murray
