James Beattie scored his first ever hat-trick as Southampton fought back from 2-0 down to beat Fulham 4-2 in an action-packed Premier League game played in gale force winds at St Mary’s on Sunday. The day’s other match at Upton Park was a tighter affair but Everton were deserved 1-0 winners over West Ham United thanks to midfielder Lee Carsley’s 70th minute header. That victory takes Everton up to eighth place in the table on 17 points, while Southampton move up to 10th on 16. Liverpool, 2-1 winners over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, lead the standings with 27 points. Arsenal are on 23 after a 2-1 home defeat by Blackburn Rovers. Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur all have 19 points. Fulham had a flying start at Southampton as a deflected Lee Clark shot and a goal for fellow midfielder Steed Malbranque had them two up after 25 minutes. Beattie pulled one back from the penalty spot in the 27th minute after an Alain Goma handball and got the equaliser in the 41st minute when he was Left unmarked to head home a deep cross by impressive French midfielder Fabrice Fernandes. Eight minutes into the second half Beattie glanced in another header from a free kick to register his first senior hat-trick and Brett Ormerod completed the superb comeback by finishing off a sweeping move in the 72nd minute. Beattie had gone 10 games without scoring from the start ofthe season but got the winner from the penalty spot against Aston Villa on Monday and now three against hapless Fulham. “I’m back,” he told Sky Sports TV. “Hopefully I can continue scoring and help get the team up the table. Saints manager Gordon Strachan was delighted. (Reuters)
