Matt's the Trick !

Report by Graham Hiley of the Southampton ECHO

MATTHEW Le Tissier powered his way back into the frame for France with a majestic
hat-trick for the England B side in their 4-1 win over Russia at Loftus Road.

The Saints star also hit the
woodwork twice in a superb
all-round display which could just
catapult him back into the
reckoning for the World Cup finals -
starting with a senior international
recall against Saudi Arabia next
month.

Even so Le Tissier is refusing to get
carried away with his stunning
success, acknowledging he still has
a long way to go if he is to squeeze
into the final 22-man squad to be
announced in six weeks time.

He said: "I am delighted with the
way it went. Never in my wildest
dreams did I dare imagine I would
get a hat-trick. I would just have
been pleased to get on the
score-sheet.

"I have not done my World Cup chances any harm at all but being realistic it is still
only a slim chance for me. There are 34 players ahead of me in the senior squad so I
am still an outsider.

"But I have never given up hope of making the 22 and I won't do until the final squad is
announced. I am going to give it my best shot and at least then I can rest easy if I
don't make it even though it will hurt.

"This was an important game for me though and I am just pleased it went so well. And
to get the captain's arm-band late on probably gave me even more pride than scoring
the goals and taking home the match-ball."

It was the first time Le Tissier had scored for England since an Under-20 tour to Brazil
10 years ago and it was the 10th senior hat-trick of his career but the first since his
treble on the opening day 4-3 home defeat by Nottingham Forest in August 1995.

He added: "In terms of quality of goals the one I got against Norwich a few years back
was probably better but in terms of timing this is the most precious."

England coach Glenn Hoddle left just seconds before Le Tissier scored his third goal
with the final kick of the game but B team manager Peter Taylor is certain his boss will
have liked what he saw.

He said: "Glenn will be delighted both for Matt and because it backs up his own
judgement. I'm sure that Glenn sees a bit of Matt in himself with the way he plays. He
is an outstanding talent - someone who makes and scores goals.

"The fact that he scored three certainly does not surprise me because he is very
capable of doing that if he gets in certain goalscoring positions.

"There is no doubt he has tapped Glenn on the shoulder with his performance, not just
with the goals but the way he got involved.

THIS GAME had been billed as Matthew Le Tissier entering Last Chance Saloon - and
he walked out clutching a bottle of champagne as the Green Flag Man of the Match
after a dream display for the England B side at Loftus Road.

This was the make-or-break moment for the enigmatic Saints star to prove he could
transfer his sublime skills to the international arena and he responded with a
breath-taking performance which far exceeded his wildest hopes.

It was almost Fantasy Football as he scored a stunning hat-trick in the 4-1 win over
Russia B, hit the woodwork twice, took the captain's armband for the last nine minutes
and stamped his class on the game to stake a powerful claim for a late call-up for the
World Cup finals.

The three goals were all imprinted with the Le Tissier hallmark of quality but it was his
overall presence on the big stage which will have given Glenn Hoddle food for thought -
and immense personal pleasure.

The England coach left just seconds before Le Tissier's third goal in injury-time but he
must surely already have seen enough to give another chance to a player he has long
admired.

And, if the enigmatic genius can reproduce this majestic form, then he could yet
achieve his dream of playing in France 98.

It seemed the whole of Loftus Road was willing him to score, not just the dozens of
Saints fans who made it almost like a home game.

As it turned out, Les Ferdinand's second-minute goal from a free header was almost an
irrelevance other than to highlight the slack marking which Le Tissier was to exploit so
explosively.

There are few more deadly players given a few inches of space and the Saints hero
was allowed yards of it to work his magic.

But even allowing for the limitations of the somewhat naive opposition, he still had to
put the ball in the net and the moment he had dreamed of for ten years finally arrived
after 13 minutes.

England had strung together 13 passes before Trevor Sinclair superbly turned his man
and crossed for Le Tissier who made great ground from the midfield to arrive unmarked
and sweep home a glorious half-volley.

That gave him immense confidence and he began to play with the stature and authority
demanded of senior internationals but which has sometimes been absent while, as a
novice, he was under pressure to prove himself.

Now he had the swagger and authority to be more ambitious and try his tricks and
flicks. Not all of them came off and there were times he lost possession but he more
than compensated with assured passing, control and shooting.

He linked the play well with short quick passes, opened it up with telling through-balls,
delivered pinpoint corners which almost produced further goals and covered vast ground
to prove just how badly he wants this final chance.

With a remarkable piece of quick thinking, good vision and accurate execution he
curled a shot against the bar from a tight angle on the left wing on 40 minutes. Darren
Anderton's follow-up was kicked off the line by Alexel Berketrov.

As England made late changes the armband was handed from Ferdinand via Anderton
to Le Tissier who played a real captain's role in the last nine minutes.

Within seconds of the impressive Maxim Bouznikine thumping in at the near post on
83 minutes, Le Tissier had restored the two-goal advantage with trademark trickery.
The ball seemed glued to his toes as he weaved his way past three defenders before
planting an emphatic shot into the bottom left corner past Mikhail Kharine, younger
brother of the Chelsea goalkeeper.

His dream of a hat-trick seemed to have gone though when he climbed above Serguel
Bourtchenkov to meet Lee Hendrie' 5 cross with a header which hit the outside of the
right-hand post in the first minute of injury time.

But gloriously there was still time for David Johnson to pick him out in space on the
edge of the penalty area and the outcome was inevitable. Le Tissier buried a left-foot
shot which fittingly proved to be the very last kick of the match.

Graham Hiley of the Southampton ECHO