FOR DEXTER Blackstock, a new year looks like bringing new hope.

The promising young striker, who impressed so many when he burst onto the scene with a Carling Cup hat-trick last season, has not enjoyed the best of times of late.

Though he is probably the most natural goalscorer at the club, he was frozen out by Harry Redknapp.

The former Saints boss notoriously prefers experience to youth but, even after the summer sales of the club's big name strikers, Blackstock hardly got a look in.

What was even more surprising was that he was still on the outside looking in when Saints' strikers were struggling to score in the opening months of 2005/06.

Instead, Blackstock was out on loan at Derby.

Redknapp claimed Blackstock returned after the summer break out of shape.

After scoring in the Carling Cup against Southend, his 'punishment' was to be farmed out to Derby, where boss Phil Brown said he had Premiership managers on the phone asking how on earth he had got him.

Though the Rams struggled slightly, they thought a lot of Blackstock and his natural promise and ability has never been in doubt.

Under George Burley's new reign, and with the ethos of the club as it now is, that sort of situation won't happen again.

Blackstock was recalled to the club and was, quite rightly, given a starting place. He repaid the faith with a goal against Cardiff on new Year's Eve in only his second league start for Saints this season, and his first since mid-August.

He kept his place against Brighton and hammered home the message even clearer with two more goals.

The thing about Blackstock is that he doesn't look the complete striker. But he knows where the goal is and, if he gets a chance, he will score.

The penalty area is clearly his natural habitat and the way he finds space in it, and the kind of goals he scores, proves how natural a talent he is.

Against Southend he popped up a yard from goal to stab home.

Against Cardiff he stole in behind a defender to jab the ball past the advancing keeper.

Against Brighton he finished first time when played through and then merely stuck out a leg in the area to deflect home a shot.

These are the goals of a natural goalscorer.

They are not beating two men and screaming a shot in from 20 yards. That's not Blackstock's game.

But what his goals do show is a rare and valuable aptitude for finding the back of the net.

And, let's face it, it's something Saints have been crying out for for some time.

If it wasn't for Blackstock and his predatory finishing Saints may not have beaten a seriously below-strength Brighton minus 10 outfield players through injury and suepension.

And anything short of three points against the south coast strugglers would have been a very poor result.

It looked as if it was going to be a rampage for Saints when on ten minutes Martin Cranie broke down the left and played in Blackstock, who ran onto the ball and fired a first-time shot low and across league debutant keeper Florent Chaigneau into the far corner.

With 15 minutes gone Brighton had hardly touched the ball. But on 21 minutes they snatched an equaliser.

Alexandre Frutos got down the left and crossed into the area.

Jake Robinson held the ball up with his back to goal and rolled it to emergency central midfielder Kerry Mayo, who fired a low-shot into the bottom corner leaving Antti Niemi with no chance.

The pressure was on Saints. After three defeats over Christmas, they knew it was the end of their play-off hopes if they didn't beat Brighton.

Djamel Belmadi smacked a shot against the bar six minutes before half time; Brett Ormerod wasted a good second half chance; Chaigneau pulled off good saves - twice from Belmadi and once from David Prutton; and it didn't look as though it would be Saints' day.

But then Blackstock popped up with the ultimate penalty box poacher's goal to seal the points.

With four minutes left Nathan Dyer's low shot flew across the area and Blackstock instinctively stuck out a leg and diverted the ball into the net.

St Mary's went wild. They haven't had many wins to cheer for a while, so the Saints fans savour every one they can. And, while the fans have got so excited over Theo Walcott, it was a forgotten youngster, who doesn't turn 20 until May, who proved he is more than just promise.