Adkins felt Saints were worthy of win

Southampton manager Nigel Adkins disputed claims his side got out of jail after two late penalties saw Rickie Lambert grab a hat-trick and the Saints cling on to top spot.

Adkins' side found themselves 2-1 down with five minutes to go but Lambert levelled when he was brought down in the box before snatching the winner in the 88th minute after an Alan Dunne handball.

It was a fourth hat-trick of the season for Lambert who now has 28 for the campaign and it kept in-form Reading at bay, two points adrift, in the race for the npower Championship top spot. Adkins said: "I still believed we would win with seven minutes to go."

Copyright (c) PA Sport 2012, All Rights Reserved.