Southampton 0-1 Burnley: Match recap
By Chris Hughes
After three games without defeat, a late header from Sam Vokes saw the Saints lose 1-0 to Burnley in a cagey affair at St. Mary’s.
Sean Dyche – who has been strongly linked with the Everton job – has now guided his side to three away wins this season. The Saints meanwhile are yet to win back-to-back games at St. Mary’s Stadium in 2017.
Southampton failed to create many clear-cut chances throughout the game, but were still offering more than eventual victors Burnley.
After a fairly drab first hour, the away side took off Jeff Hendrick and Chris Wood ahead of him in favour of two out-and-out strikers, with Ashley Barnes and Sam Vokes taking to the field. With 80 minutes on the clock, a cross from out wide found the head of the latter, who’s effort from 15 yards out was too much for Fraser Forster.
The Saints now sit 13th in the Premier League table going into the international break, with their hardest run of games ahead of them as we head into the winter period.
Southampton supporters are naturally worried and fans have already called for Pellegrino’s sacking, with no improvement on the style of football being played.
Despite attempting plenty of first-half crosses, the Saints failed to offer much going forward, despite an attacking line-up of Sofiane Boufal, Dusan Tadic and Nathan Redmond sitting behind Manolo Gabbiadini.
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It was the former who had Southampton’s best chance of the first 45, latching onto a cross and hitting a sweet volley that seemed destined for the top corner, had Tom Pope not palmed it away.
In the second half Maya Yoshida took an ambitious effort from a corner but shooting from the edge of the box – again Hope’s long wing-span helped him deflect it away from goal.
Redmond was lively but often didn’t create much at all. Charlie Austin fed off scraps for the 30 minutes he was on the pitch, and Shane Long made it 28 games with a goal after another cameo appearance.
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Just when the game looked set for stalemate, Johann Berg Gudmundsson fired in a trademark delivery which found Sam Vokes – the Welsh forward’s header beat Fraser Forster, who once again struggled to get across his line.
The result leaves the Saints without a win in two, with games against Liverpool, Everton and Manchester City to come after a two-week international break.