Southampton 1-1 Huddersfield: Match recap
After another dire performance, Southampton drew 1-1 once again, this time against Huddersfield, leaving them winless in six league games.
Charlie Austin scored his fifth in five starts to give the hosts the lead but Huddersfield’s Laurent Depoitre headed the visitors level in the second half.
The first ten minutes or so looked nervy from a Southampton perspective; Huddersfield looked happy to keep the ball and progress into the Saints half.
A Southampton corner did nothing to shatter those nerves and it could’ve been 1-0 to Huddersfield around the 15 minute mark if it wasn’t for Fraser Forster’s heroic save to deny Christopher Schindler.
Arguably against the run of play, it was Saints who took the lead when James Ward-Prowse’s corner found the head of Wesley Hoedt who’s header down found the incoming leap from Charlie Austin who nodded in his fifth goal in five starts.
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The contest remained scrappy throughout the entire 90 minutes and a key example of this was a kick from Austin into the face of Terriers keeper Jonas Lossl when both chased a loose ball. The keeper stayed down for a handful of minutes whilst a bloody nose was being treated. The Dane was brave a few minutes later to deny Tadic when a ball was played low, triggering the stopper to save from point blank range.
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Arguably lucky to have the lead at halftime, Saints really should’ve had at least two by the hour mark as good work from Redmond found Austin in a one-on-one but the striker dragged his shot wide of the far post.
The Englishman was then made to rue his missed opportunity as Laurent Depoitre headed in Tommy Smith’s cross at the other end to equalise for the visitors.
Despite giving the ball away sloppily and numerous backward passes, Southampton really should’ve won the game with the chances they had, and they almost did at the death when Lossl denied Yoshida after the Japanese defender headed Ward-Prowse’s corner towards goal.
Southampton have now lost four points in the last three home games from winning positions which is rather concerning and makes you think what could’ve been. Now at the halfway stage, I don’t think anyone will be happy with 19 points from 19 games. Something has to change in the second half of the season as I (and all fans) am tired of seeing gutless performances against sides that in the past were well below us and are now comfortably above us.