IT was a game of two halves but Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier was able to nab a hat trick of wins on Countdown.

The ex-footballer will now be back on Monday to take a crack at four in a row after winning this afternoon’s show 86-38 against Worthing-based civil servant David Pople.

Matt, who scored more than 200 goals for Saints over his illustrious career, got out in the lead early on thanks to his numbers skills but often found his opponent was matching all of his words, keeping a lead of just 10 points through the early rounds.

But by the second half of the Channel 4 show his class began to shine through and a series of high-scoring words gave him an unassailable lead.

Fellow ex-Saint Graeme Le Saux was again in Dictionary Corner and lifted the tension by enjoying some banter with Matt.

While telling a story about a charity cycle ride, Graeme said: “I was one of those players that always had to keep fit outside the season. I can see Matt shaking his head out of the corner of my eye!”

And Matt quipped: “Not even during the season!”

Their good natured exchanges continued until the end of the show when Graeme confirmed he too would be back on Monday to “carry on seeing Matt showing him up in the hot seat”.