Southampton's Ricky Lambert scored a hat-trick as the Saints downed Nottingham Forest 3-2 and sealed a club record 12th successive home league win. Forest boss Steve McClaren preferred to look at the positives: "It is just a matter of time before we start to click as a squad. The players' attitudes were brilliant today and I thought they were excellent.
"We are disappointed with the result, though. It always takes time for teams to gel.
"We dominated the second half and should have had two blatant penalties. We will get better because I believe this team are capable of pushing up the league."
Southampton boss Nigel Adkins dedicated the win to Dan Seaborne after the defender was released from hospital on Saturday after suffering serious head injuries in an attack outside a nightclub in Southampton earlier in the week.
Adkins said: "There is good news on Dan Seaborne as well. He has left hospital which is great. He has a fair way to go, it is one step at a time with him, but this is for him.
"It was an exciting game of football and a top afternoon's worth of entertainment. We played out of the back well today and scored some great goals.
"It was an amazing game of football. They are a good side and are going to be up there at the end of the season."
