Saturday 16th January 2016,
Barclays Premier League, St Mary's Stadium, Kick-Off 3:00pm |
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Southampton |
3 -
0 |
West Bromwich Albion |
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2 - 0 |
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Ward-Prowse (5, 35 pen) |
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Tadić (72) |
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Managers |
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Ronald Koeman |
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Tony Pulis |
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Starting XI |
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Fraser Forster |
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Boaz Myhill |
(Martina 84) Cédric Soares |
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Craig Dawson |
Virgil van Dijk |
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Gareth McAuley |
(c) José Fonte |
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Jonas Olsson (Rondón HT) |
Ryan Bertrand |
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Jonny Evans |
James Ward-Prowse |
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Craig Gardner |
Victor Wanyama |
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Darren Fletcher (c) (Brunt HT) |
(Romeu 73) Steven Davis |
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Claudio Yacob |
(Tadić 63) Sadio Mané |
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James McClean |
Matt Targett |
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Stéphane Sessègnon (Berahino 63) |
Shane Long |
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Victor Anichebe |
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Substitutes |
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(gk) Kelvin Davis |
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Ben Foster (gk) |
Maya Yoshida |
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James Chester |
Dušan Tadić |
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Chris Brunt |
Oriol Romeu |
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Rickie Lambert |
Cuco Martina |
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Saido Berahino |
Graziano Pellè |
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Callum McManaman |
Juanmi |
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Salomón Rondón |
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Attendance:
29,622 |
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Referee:
Martin Atkinson (West Yorkshire) |
Assistant 01:
Stuart Burt (Northamptonshire) |
Assistant 02:
Lee Betts (Norfolk) |
Fourth Official:
Peter Bankes (Merseyside) |
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Official Matchday
Programme |
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Southampton rediscovered
their goalscoring touch on the day they signed Charlie Austin by thumping West
Brom 3-0. Saints splashed out £4million to land striker Austin from QPR on
Saturday morning in a bid to pep up their misfiring attack. And just a couple of
hours later Austin watched from the stands as James Ward-Prowse scored twice
before Dusan Tadic wrapped up a comfortable victory.
England Under-21 midfielder
Ward-Prowse was an unlikely goal hero, having previously scored just once in the
Barclays Premier League. But he doubled that tally with just five minutes on the
clock after Craig Dawson fouled Saido Mane on the corner of the penalty area.
Ward-Prowse curled the free-kick up and over the wall, his effort beating
Baggies goalkeeper Boaz Myhill far too easily as it flew into the top corner.
West Brom, who came from behind twice to draw at Chelsea in midweek, had chances
to equalise but Craig Gardner headed James McClean's cross wide and blazed
another chance over. Yet Saints looked dangerous every time they attacked and
Myhill kept out a Shane Long drive, although the keeper was grateful to Claudio
Yacob for hacking the ball clear after making a mess of a corner. And in the
33rd minute the hosts' pressure told with Dawson again the guilty party,
although the defender was perhaps unlucky that his collision with Matt Targett
in the area was adjudged to be a foul. Nevertheless, with regular penalty taker
Tadic on the bench, Ward-Prowse did the honours with a coolly taken spot-kick
which sent Myhill the wrong way. Saints would have been home and hosed by
half-time but for a goal-line clearance by McClean from Targett's low drive.
Frustrated Albion boss Tony
Pulis made a double change at the break, sending on Chris Brunt and Salomon
Rondon, but Southampton continued to create the better chances.
Austin will have been licking his lips at the prospect of getting
on the end of some of them, not least when Long sent Mane clean through only for
the frontman to shank his shot across Myhill and wide of the far post. Tadic was
introduced from the bench shortly after the hour mark and got on the scoresheet
just eight minutes later, finishing with an angled snap-shot after he was played
into the area by Steven Davis. With victory assured, Southampton fans began
serenading their former hero Rickie Lambert, who must have been wondering why he
ever left the club he could not stop scoring for just to end up sat on the bench
at West Brom. Saints will be hoping they have just snapped up a new goalscoring
talisman in the shape of
Austin.
Sporting Life
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