Southampton in danger of losing top flight status

Harry's lot are Ped and buried

From Jeremy Butler at Ewood Park Wikipedia blog links

MORTEN Gamst Pedersen ran Harry Redknapp's Saints ragged as Rovers finally found their goal touch and ended fears of relegation.

Blackburn ditched their bore-draw tag as they warmed up for next week's FA Cup semi-final clash with Arsenal in style.

Mark Hughes' men had scored just once in their previous four games but went goal crazy against a Southampton side displaying the kind of form that will send them down.

Happy Hughes said: "We possibly need one more win to be safe. It has certainly made it more difficult for the teams below us to catch up now.

"This was perfect preparation for the semi-final."

Striker Pedersen had put Rovers ahead before Redknapp's tactical change at the break backfired.

Within seconds of the restart, defender Andreas Jakobsson put the ball in his own net and Steve Reid hammered Rovers' third.

But Redknapp said: "

It's no good lashing the players. We had a bad day but they have been playing well for me week-in week-out.

"We have six games left and we have to start again.

"I took a gamble. I thought Kevin Phillips might come up with a goal for us but we gave a goal away and that made it difficult for us."

Saints ended the game in disarray and sub Brett Emerton should have rubbed it in. But he put one shot wide and another into the hands of keeper Paul Smith. Paul Dickov had already flashed a header wide before Saints were cut open embarrassingly easily as Rovers went ahead.

Aaron Mokoena was given acres of space in his own half to flight a raking 60-yard pass over Delap.

Pedersen motored in behind the right-back and showed a delicate first touch to cut inside to the box.

Agility links

The Norwegian still had a tight angle but fizzed a shot through keeper Paul Smith's legs.

Saints escaped seconds later when the ball bounced up and hit Claus Lundekvam's arm in the box.

Nigel Quashie picked out Henri Camara with a low corner and the striker's low shot went wide.

At the other end, keeper Smith showed brilliant agility to palm away Dickov's glancing header. Redknapp threw on Phillips in place of Graeme Le Saux at the interval. But the gamble failed instantly as Rovers grabbed a second.

Lucas Neill strode down Saints left and rolled a pass out wide for Reid to drill in a low cross — and Jakobsson slid out a boot and nudged the ball past his own keeper.

Reid smashed a third after hopeless defending. Pedersen's corner caused chaos at the near post and Dom Matteo hammered a ball back across the area.

Reid was waiting to pounce and clinically fired past the recovering Smith to kill off Saints.