2 Dec 2003 | SOUTHAMPTON 2-0 PORTSMOUTH | BEATTIE’S DERBY DOUBLE SENDS SAINTS THROUGH!

Please support the channel by subscribing to the channel - its free! Were you (like me) there for the match? Get involved in the comments box... James Beattie announced himself in Southampton derby folklore with a brilliant two-goal performance as Saints defeated local rivals Portsmouth 2-0 in a fiery Carling Cup clash at St Mary’s. The first South Coast derby in almost eight years was played in front of a passionate crowd and began at a frantic pace, with both sides creating early chances. Southampton came closest to opening the scoring when Claus Lundekvam’s header was somehow kept out by Pavel Srnicek, despite strong appeals that the ball had crossed the line. The breakthrough finally arrived after 33 minutes. A mistake from Boris Zivkovic allowed Brett Ormerod to release Chris Marsden down the flank, and his low cross was expertly turned home by Beattie at the near post to send the Saints faithful into celebration. Portsmouth pushed for an equaliser after the break but struggled to create clear-cut opportunities. Patrik Berger fired wide from distance, while Southampton remained dangerous on the counter, with Beattie going close to adding a second. The match was finally settled in dramatic fashion deep into stoppage time. Arjan de Zeeuw brought down Beattie inside the area and was shown a red card. The Saints striker picked himself up and calmly converted the penalty to seal a memorable 2-0 victory and book Southampton’s place in the Carling Cup quarter-finals. ⚽ James Beattie (33’) ⚽ James Beattie (90+ pen) 🏟 Attendance: 29,201 🏆 Carling Cup 📍 St Mary’s Stadium A derby debut to remember for James Beattie as Southampton claimed local bragging rights and progressed to the last eight.