Despite his side sitting in mid-table, Saints manager Barry Shearsby still has not given up hope of mounting a promotion challenge, although the fixture backlog will mean having to play three matches a week for much of the remainder of the season.
Saints have recently strengthened their squad with three new players and, with Stef Jones back to full fitness and Neil Stacey on loan from Daventry Town, Shearsby will have strength in depth as the matches come thick and fast.
On the downside, T
om Friend's limited availability affects his attacking options and Shearsby confirmed that he is still searching for a strike partner for leading scorer Jim Graham.
With their league match against Pilkington XXX called off due to a waterlogged pitch, Saints played a keenly contested friendly against Midland Combination Premier rivals Massey Ferguson at Coventry's Alan Higgs Centre last Saturday.
New signing James Hardie from Stratford Town made his debut and there was also a place in the starting line-up for Stacey and a second-half appearance for young striker Max Beard.
Saints opened the scoring from the penalty spot through Andy McKinley despite Massey keeper Paul Shepherd, one of a number of former Leamington players on show, getting a hand to the strike.
Stacey doubled the advantage before half-time with the home defence appealing in vain for an off-side decision.
Massey reduced the deficit early in the second half when JJ Cole broke through and beat Ollie Manuel low down into the far corner, but Saints hit back with David Care finishing off a good move down the left to restore the two-goal cushion.
Southam could have had more with Beard just failing to get on the end of a cross from the right by Glen Webb and then firing over the bar after being put through by substitute Jimmy Claridge.
Andy Gregory also made an appearance as a second-half substitute but, while Shearsby would like to see him in Saints colours on a more regular basis, Gregory only became available as a result of Daventry Town's fixture being called off.
Shearsby was pleased with the result, saying: "We needed to get in some practice after losing both our matches last week to the weather and this result will have done the lads' confidence a lot of good. It was just a pity that there weren't three points for the win."
