Saturday
31st December 2016, Premier League, St Mary's Stadium, Kick-Off 3:00pm |
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Southampton |
1 -
2 |
West Bromwich Albion |
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1 - 1 |
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Long (41) |
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Phillips (43) |
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Robson-Kanu (50) |
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Managers |
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Claude Puel |
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Tony Pulis |
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Starting XI |
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Fraser Forster |
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Ben Foster |
(Ward-Prowse 75) Cuco Martina |
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Craig Dawson |
(c) Virgil van Dijk |
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Gareth McAuley |
Maya Yoshida |
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Jonny Evans |
Sam McQueen |
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Allan Nyom (McClean HT) |
Steven Davis |
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Claudio Yacob |
Oriol Romeu |
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Darren Fletcher (c) |
(Rodriguez 52) Pierre-Emile Højbjerg |
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Matt Phillips |
Sofiane Boufal |
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Chris Brunt |
Shane Long |
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Nacer Chadli (Morrison 53) |
(Sims 74) Dušan Tadić |
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Hal Robson-Kanu (Rondón 72) |
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Substitutes |
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José Fonte |
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James Morrison |
Jay Rodriguez |
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Boaz Myhill (gk) |
James Ward-Prowse |
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Craig Gardner |
Harrison Reed |
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Salomón Rondón |
Ryan Bertrand |
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James McClean |
(gk) Stuart Taylor |
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Brendan Galloway |
Josh Sims |
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Jonathan Leko |
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Bookings |
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(foul 32) van Dijk |
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Nyom (foul 36) |
(foul 77) Boufal |
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Robson-Kanu (foul 52) |
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Dawson (foul 75) |
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Sent-Off |
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(second bookable offence 89) van Dijk |
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Attendance:
30,975 |
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Referee:
Mike Jones (Cheshire) |
Assistant 01:
Adrian Holmes
(West Yorkshire) |
Assistant 02:
Mark Scholes (Buckinghamshire) |
Fourth Official:
Simon Hooper
(Wiltshire) |
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Official Matchday
Programme |
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● Hal Robson-Kanu
starts his first competitive game for the club and scores his first Albion
goal. |
● Jonny Evans makes his 50th Albion appearance. |
MATCH REPORT
Hal Robson-Kanu fired his first
goal of the season as West Brom clinched a 2-1 Premier League win over 10-man
Southampton at St Mary's. Matt
Phillips drove home West Brom's first before playing in Robson-Kanu for a
stunning winner - his maiden strike for the Baggies. Former
West Brom striker Shane Long had earlier ended a 21-match drought for
his first goal for Saints this term, only for Claude Puel's muddled strategy to
trip up his side once more. Home captain Virgil van Dijk was sent off for a
second yellow card at the death to cap a wretched afternoon for the hosts.
Defender Allan Nyom had earlier
been lucky to escape seeing red for
West Brom, avoiding a second booking despite clumsily clattering Dusan
Tadic. West Brom boss
Tony Pulis withdrew the 28-year-old shortly after half-time, pitching in
midfielder James McClean and demanding a more attacking outlook. The switch
immediately paid off, with Robson-Kanu lighting up the south coast by unleashing
a strike of the highest quality. West Brom leapfrogged Southampton into eighth
in the table with the win, leaving the Saints to rue their continued incoherence
in attack.
Pulis had come under fire for
his ultra-defensive strategy in consecutive 1-0 away defeats at Chelsea and
Arsenal - but showed his more progressive qualities here as the visitors pulled
off a solid victory. Southampton bossed territory and possession from the off,
but appeared rudderless in the final third. That frequent lack of incision under
Puel can account in part for Long's troubles in front of goal. The
Ireland forward struck 13 goals under Ronald Koeman last term,
but had since drawn a blank. So after 21 appearances in all competitions without
a goal, Long met his first-half header with palpable relief. Tadic's corner
allowed Long to peel off and lose Nyom, then head past Ben Foster at the near
post. Just as Saints were toasting the breakthrough however, Chris Brunt fed
Phillips - and the former QPR winger drilled in a fine equaliser.
The emboldened Baggies withdrew
the troubled Nyom for McClean shortly after the break, switching their system in
an aggressive bid to control the clash. The dividends were immediate, as
Phillips sent Robson-Kanu haring clear of Saints' fast evaporating cover. The
Wales forward took just one touch before unleashing a pile driver that stunned
Fraser Forster and wrestled the visitors into a 2-1 lead.
Southampton boss Puel threw Jay Rodriguez into attack in a bid to alter the outcome,
but still the hosts appeared to be clutching at straws on the front foot. And
when Van Dijk upended the onrushing Salomon Rondon just outside the Saints box,
the ignominy was all but complete for Saints. The Dutchman was rightly given his
marching orders for a second booking, as he collided with
West Brom striker Rondon.
Replacement striker Rondon actually wasted two fine chances late on, but still
West Brom eased home.
Sporting Life
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