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Post by Football News on Feb 3, 2018 17:23:32 GMT
West Brom 2-3 SouthamptonSouthampton, so often wasteful in front of goal, produced a rare display of efficiency and deservedly prevailed in this battle of two beleaguered sides. By coming from behind to record their first Premier League away win since September, they climbed out of the relegation zone, eased pressure on their manager, Mauricio Pellegrino, and plunged West Brom into deeper bother. Alan Pardew took an early lead through Ahmed Hegazi but wound up convincingly beaten. Their position at the foot of the table looks increasingly perilous. With both teams in the bottom three before play began the Hawthorns might have been gripped by tension before kickoff but, in fact, the atmosphere around the ground was quite different – appreciative, almost joyful – thanks to a wonderful pre-game celebration of the life of Cyrille Regis. It was warm and powerful, thus apt. Almost as soon as attention turned back to the match at hand, West Brom fans leapt to their feet to rejoice at a goal. The manner of Hegazi’s strike in the third minute seemed ominous for Southampton, as the centre-back brushed easily past Jack Stephens to head Chris Brunt’s delivery from a corner into the net from six yards. The visitors had failed abysmally to defend against West Brom’s most obvious threat. Southampton looked to be in trouble and it was not long before their manager, Mauricio Pellegrino, was targeted by a rendition of “you’re getting sacked in the morning”. But his team soon shut the singers up. Southampton turned the tables on the hosts with two goals just before the break and a third shortly after it. Mario Lemina, integral to every Southampton move, struck their first goal in the 40th minute, lashing a superb drive into the net from 25 yards. Three minutes later, Stephens atoned for his earlier mistake by giving Hegazi the slip at a corner and glancing James Ward-Prowse’s delivery into the net. When Southampton were awarded a free-kick just outside the home in the 55th minute, Sofiane Boufal demanded to take it. But Ward-Prowse refused to give him the ball and the aggrieved Moroccan was ushered away by team-mates. Ward-Prowse vindicated himself by curling the free-kick into the net. The scoreline of 3-1 reflected the play up to that point as, once they came to terms with their rude early awakening, Southampton controlled the majority of proceedings. Mind you, for all their tidy play they seemed to be suffering from a familiar lack of edge. Their record signing, Guido Carrillo, fluffed a couple of early chances on his first start. But gradually Southampton grew teeth. Carrillo would have equalised from a fine header around the half-hour if not for an excellent one-handed save by Ben Foster. Meanwhile at the other end, Daniel Sturridge fired a cross-shot inches wide after a dainty through-ball by Brunt. The Liverpool loanee twinkled on his first start for his new club but faded long before being withdrawn in the 62nd minute. That was probably owing to a lack of match fitness, as well as a dearth of regular good service. West Brom’s long injury list was a factor in that. Pardew threw on just about every attacking player he had available as West Brom frantically searched for a route back into contention. Brunt found one in the 72nd minute, curling a typically dangerous cross into the box. Salomón Rondón showed determination to beat the defenders but enjoyed a measure of luck as the ball bounced into the net off his shoulder. Shane Long, booed on his return to the club that he left amid acrimony in 2014, should have restored Southampton’s two goal cushion but headed over the bar after a cross by Cédric Soares. However, West Brom could not muster enough quality to profit from that reprieve. They are running out of games in which to find solutions to their problems. Guardian
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