Southampton halted their run of three games without a win with an impressive 2-1 victory over Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium.
The away side were urged to score more by their manager Ronald Koeman in the week and they raced into a two-goal lead after 30 minutes with Graziano Pelle getting a brace.
Stoke were much better in the second half, but failed to capitalise on Marco Arnautovic’s 52nd minute goal and Sadio Mane’s harsh red card as they fell to a defeat that upsets their good run of form.
Pelle opened the scoring in the 11th minute. The Italian found himself unmarked at the near post and he gladly nodded in Steven Davis’ in-swinging corner to grab his first goal in four months. It was poor defending from Stoke, but it got worse in the 30th minute when Pelle grabbed his second.
The target man played a nice one-two with Dusan Tadic before he rolled the ball into the bottom corner from 15 yards, giving Jack Butland no chance. It was a well-worked move capped off by a classy finish.
Southampton could have killed the game off before half time, but the chance was wasted by the out-of-form Tadic. Shane Long was released by Davis’ clever pass and the Irish striker squared it to the 27-year-old winger. He dummied the shot and took too long, allowing Geoff Cameron to make the goal-saving tackle to the frustration of Long and Koeman on the Saints bench.
They regretted that miss when Stoke pulled a goal back in the 52nd minute. They did well to work the ball wide left to Ibrahim Afellay and he flashed a low cross that Arnautovic did well to flick in past a helpless Fraser Forster.
Forster’s first save of the game came six minutes later, Unsurprisingly, it was Arnautovic who caused the problem when he span past Cuco Martinez and rifled a left-footed shot towards goal, but the former Celtic goalkeeper made a smart stop to keep it out.
Stoke could have been level if it wasn’t for the lack of confidence in Mame Diouf. Cameron did well to cross low from the right and the former Manchester United striker could have fired in first time but he took a touch and Virgil van Dijk got back to deflect the shot over from ten yards.
Despite Stoke having the momentum, the away side’s hopes of sealing victory was halted by the frame of the goal. James Ward-Prowse hadn’t long came off the bench when he curled a tremendous free-kick towards goal, but the ball came thumping back off the crossbar with Butland beaten.
Southampton ended the game with ten men after Mane was given his marching orders in the 91st minute. At first look, it appeared that Mane had elbowed Erik Pieters but replays showed that it was a mere clash of heads and the striker should not have been sent off. It didn’t matter though as the away side held on to complete a double over Stoke this season.
Match Report by Kyle Dixon (@kyledixon95)
RK Football Talk 