THE slogan on the matchday programme promised 'Red Hot Saints', yet there was something rather sub-zero about much of Saturday's performance.

The warmest of the Saints were comfortably Paul Jones and Graeme Le Saux - indeed there was the constant threat of the former England full-back boiling over.

Making his St Mary's debut, Le Saux caught the eye throughout with a curious mix of petulant brilliance.

Rightly or wrongly, some referees would certainly have given him his matching orders by half-time.

And he was even more lucky not to have conceded a penalty later in the game when even the most partisan of observers would surely accept he fouled David Dunn.

After being booked on ten minutes for a late, if not malicious, challenge on Geoff Horsfield, Le Saux found himself constantly tangling with Birmingham's pantomime villain Robbie Savage.

The Saints left-back made a succession of tackles that could easily have provoked a second yellow, although most worrying was when Savage went down somewhat theatrically, but also got up quickly, as he appeared to be caught by an elbow as the pair chased side-by-side for the ball.

But if Le Saux was only just surviving his entertaining high-wire act, he was also head and shoulders above his team-mates as the man most capable of providing the final pass to unlock a resolute Birmingham defence.

Saints were very much in control during the first-half and it was Le Saux's excellent delivery from the left that twice went closest to breaking the deadlock.

On 11 minutes he swung in a perfectly judged cross on to the head of an unmarked Michael Svensson, who from just six yards out somehow managed to steer the ball well wide.

Had the Swedish centre-back been at the other end of the pitch, it would have been described as the perfect defensive header.

Five minutes later another pinpoint delivery from Le Saux fell to James Beattie, who was desperately unlucky to see his left-foot shot hit the underside of the angle between post and crossbar.

At this stage a Saints breakthrough looked inevitable with Matthew Upson clearing a Rory Delap header off the line and Matthew Oakley threatening with a couple of decent strikes from the edge of the penalty area.

But gradually Savage, Stephen Clemence and Dunn took a foothold in midfield as the pendulum swung in Birmingham's favour.

Le Saux also stood out in defence, heading off the line from Stern John, while Jones produced a fine reaction save to turn Horsfield's 38th-minute shot over.

Shortly after the break Maik Taylor was forced into a smart near-post save from Fabrice Fernandes, but from there it was the visitors who looked the likely winners.

On 55 minutes Clemence shaved the post, before Dunn moved into a more roaming role and gave Saints all kinds of problems.

He went close from a free-kick before appearing to win a penalty from the Le Saux challenge on 72 minutes as referee Graham Barber waved play on.

But it was Jones who ultimately secured a share of the points when he came quickly off his line to block Clinton Morrison's 88th- minute effort after Stan Lazaridis had split the defence.

All in all, it was certainly an opposite performance from last week.

Where they were poor in the first half and came on strong after the break at Leicester, Saints created plenty in the opening period on Saturday, only to look strangely subdued after the break.

Indeed, the euphoria surrounding the magnificent FA Cup run last season now threatens to mask a rather patchy run of league form which dates pretty much throughout 2003.

Since the 1-0 win at St Mary's against Tottenham on New Year's Day, Saints have been victorious in just four league matches out of 18, with wins by a margin of one goal against Sunderland, Manchester City, West Brom and Leeds, set against seven draws and seven defeats.

With all the excitement of the Cup, it's perhaps been easy to forget that it was the league form from October through to early January that provided the basis for a best-ever Premiership position of eighth.

It's early days, but with the visit of Manchester United looming on the horizon later this week, tomorrow night at Elland Road would be the perfect time to rediscover some of that missing zip.