SOUTHAMPTON 1 - 2 BIRMINGHAM CITY: The old fella just keeps on scoring.

The are a myriad of traits that measure a sportsman’s class: skill, his record, influence and value. And the longer he can keep proving it, so his class becomes more and more indelible. And it is that class that can be used to defy the one thing that will beat us all in the end – time. At least it seems so.

In the same way that a boxer never loses his punch, a batsman his cover drive, so a goal scorer never forgets how to put the ball in the back of the net. Kevin Phillips never forgets how to do that. And, just like a week earlier when his last-minute strike earnt the points against Sheffield United, he popped up again to give Blues their second straight win and maintain their excellent early-season momentum.

His value to Blues will of course not become truly apparent until the end of the campaign but the 35-year-old is already making the deal offered by Alex McLeish look like a stroke of real genius. Except it can’t really be that because we all knew what Phillips would bring. Goals - West Bromwich Albion’s reluctance is now very much Birmingham City’s gain.

But Blues needed the master poacher’s touch because they could’ve been out of the game at half time after an insipid, negligent performance against a bright, energetic home side who deserved more than Chris Perry’s unchallenged header from a Lee Holmes corner on 43 minutes for their efforts.

And they would have too but for a brilliant save from Maik Taylor to deny Simon Gillett and wasteful finishing from Holmes and the former Blues striker Stern John, who also had a goal disallowed for offside.

With presumably little paper on the dressing room walls, Blues were transformed after the break and were level within 5 minutes of the restart thanks to an excellently taken goal from the resurgent Gary O’Connor. O’Connor got his feet untangled superbly to poke past the keeper after wonderful subtlety from Cameron Jerome just inside the area. It was a nice moment for O’Connor whose instinct cost Blues a goal in the first half after he touched Quincy’s goal-bound shot over the line from an offside position. Thankfully it mattered not.

Jerome had an excellent day after replacing the injured Medhi Nafti after half an hour. He knows he has to buy into Alex McLeish’s philosophy of rotation and self-sacrifice and is content to play out wide which he did to notable effect. He may well find himself more employable as a result.

With James McFadden pushed to the flanks to accommodate Marcus Bent just past the hour, Blues were commendably positive and the Saints wilted. There was only going to be one winner and when Phillips was introduced with 12 minutes to go, you had a pretty good idea where it was going to come from.

McFadden’s teased down the right, lifted one to the back post where Bent headed down and, although Kelvin Davies push it onto the cross bar Phillips was in the right place at the right time to force it past the man on the line. Two goals in two games and he’s only been on the pitch just over a dozen minutes. It’s in his DNA.

Man of the Match
Cameron Jerome: Blues’ Access Card. He’s their flexible friend.

Treatment Table
Medhi Nafti – hamstring strain (poss up to 6 weeks)

Not a fact, in fact
Gary O’Connor’s equaliser was disallowed. The retarded digital scoreboard at St.Mary’s didn’t register it prompting the bloke in the front row of the press box to caused mass panic as he waved his arms and mouthed “no goal” to everyone. After giving the goal the full treatment, our careers flashed before our eyes. There was nearly a fight.

Key Moment?
Alex McLeish’s half time talk revealed in his post-match interview.
McLeish: “I had to kick a few bums…bums, will that be bleeped out?”
Reporter: “No, bums is okay. Arse isn’t but bums is…”

Comment Corner
Blues’ highly encouraging start to the season continues. Alex McLeish is going to be positive and good luck to him. Anyone who throws on four strikers at 2-1 up looking for a third deserves success. Concerns still linger at the back but, in the Championship, the lapses won’t be so regularly punished with a goal. McLeish’s main worry will be keeping his shooters happy. How long before cracks in their compliance appear?