Rickie Lambert scored a poacher's hat-trick as Southampton completed a feverishly entertaining defeat of Nottingham Forest to stay second in the Championship. In the event the final moments at St Mary's were accompanied by the sight of Steve McClaren in familiar pose, capering furiously on the touchline at the perceived injustice surrounding Lambert's 82nd-minute winner, which came seconds after Matt Derbyshire was denied a penalty after a tangle with Kelvin Davis. At the final whistle Lambert left the pitch with the match ball; the referee Iain Williamson left with a stewards' escort.

The contrast between the two managers afterwards was pronounced. "It had everything. What a cracking game of football," was Nigel Adkins's verdict on what was a club record 12th consecutive home win. "What a frustrating game football is, and what a frustrating afternoon," were McClaren's first words.

Predictably the managers also differed on the penalty incident. "I've seen the video and it's definitely not a penalty," Adkins insisted. "We've see it again," McClaren said. "And it was absolutely blatant. We were just waiting for it to be given."

The afternoon had started in better cheer for McClaren, whose reception among some Forest fans has to date been distinctly lukewarm. Before kick-off he could be seen signing autographs for a swarm of fans in red and white shirts. Admittedly they were fans of the opposition, but it was still a reminder of the enduring fascination of Fabio Capello's peripatetic predecessor.

Forest were fresh from three days of intensive training at a health spa and they appeared suitably rejuvenated in the game's opening moments, taking the lead in the seventh minute. Ishmael Miller bustled away from a limp challenge by Jack Cork and whipped a wonderful ball across the six-yard box that Derbyshire tapped home, instant vindication for McClaren's bold decision to play both strikers in advanced positions.

Southampton's equaliser arrived immediately. Guly cut inside from the right flank and found Dean Hammond's diagonal run across the face of the penalty area. Hammond's shot was saved well by Lee Camp, but Lambert stretched to bury the rebound.

The home team then enjoyed a spell of sustained pressure, with Adam Lallana, named August's player of the month, lively on the left of midfield. Lallana it was who flicked on a deep cross from the right for the unmarked Lambert to head his second.

Southampton continued to press, with Hammond and Morgan Schneiderlin showing greater energy to wrest the midfield battle. Albeit, in part this was simply a question of showing greater energy than the bovine Andy Reid, who spent much of the first half waving his arms about berating his colleagues' shortcomings, and occasionally getting on the ball long enough to play the kind of wonderfully weighted pass that seemed a cut above those around him.

Forest were always potent in attack, with Derbyshire and the muscular Miller playing close together, and it was from Reid's left flank that they equalised. Derbyshire crossed low and Radoslaw Majewski, in from the right wing, finished from close range to make it 2-2 at half-time.

For all their defensive frailty in the first half, Forest almost went ahead within 30 seconds of the restart, Miller's flicked header bringing a brilliant diving save from Davis. Then, on 80 minutes, came the minute and half that decided the game. Derbyshire was booked for diving after an apparent collision close to goal with Davis, who had miscontrolled the ball, allowing the striker to nick it away. Derbyshire's anguish was prescient. Within a minute Lallana's free-kick from the right had been headed home by Lambert to seal an exhilarating victory.