7:40am Thursday 11th March 2010
By Adam Leitch
Two months ago he was the subject of million pound speculation after netting the winner in Leeds’ sensational FA Cup third round victory at Old Trafford.
For many Saints fans, the visit of second placed Leeds to St Mary’s this weekend will be their first sighting of Beckford in the flesh.
Unlike when Lambert has gone up against another of League One’s hotshots, Grant Holt of Norwich, there is a massive difference in their game.
Beckford is all about all pace and playing on the shoulder of the last defender.
Lambert, like Holt, is a target man who scores goals but offers a lot more in terms of his all round performance.
It is because of that pace that Beckford has attracted the attentions of top flight clubs.
But Saints will be quite happy that Lambert has not courted such publicity or attention from elsewhere, despite an equally impressive record – and arguably a more rounded game.
A quick look at their stats this season underlines the differences in their games and the one major similarity.
That similarity is that they are both prolific scorers, having each netted 27 times in all competitions already this season.
Beckford, who scored twice on Tuesday in Leeds’ 4-1 romp at Tranmere, has made 41 starts in all competitions – four less than Lambert.
But the other statistics gathered by the Daily Echo shows an interesting difference.
Firstly, Lambert’s value to the team as a fulcrum for the attack is underlined by the fact he has provided 17 assists for others to score.
That compares very favourably to Beckford, who has just six assists.
Beckford has also taken a lot more shots for his goals – having had 91 shots on target and 73 off target compared to Lambert’s 72 and 64 respectively.
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