Southampton 1-1 Huddersfield: Saints sign off season with Terriers draw

Southampton ended their 2018/19 Premier League season with a fairly uneventful 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town.

Saints winger and Player of the Season Nathan Redmond opened the scoring just before half-time after cutting in and rifling a strike into the top corner.

However, a poor piece of play from goalkeeper Angus Gunn gifted an equaliser to Huddersfield’s Alex Pritchard to ensure a share of the spoils come the last kick of the season.

After giving a number of fringe players the chance to impress last weekend, Ralph Hasenhuttl returned to a full strength side for this one.

He lined his players up in the 4-2-2-2 system that he prefers from his time in Germany and could well implement that setup for the long-term at St Mary’s.

Both teams took a while to get going in the spring sunshine but Shane Long had a decent chance to score when he lofted the ball over Joel Coleman following the goalkeeper’s poor clearance in the 12th minute.

Aaron Mooy then curled narrowly wide as the Terriers worked their way into the contest, and Juninho Bacuna fired over when the visitors broke forward just before the break.

However, it would be the hosts and Nathan Redmond who would break the deadlock with six minutes of the first period remaining.

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After seeing much of his effort go to waste beforehand, the 25-year-old took on his man on the edge of the penalty and struck a perfect rising shot across goal and into the far corner.

Just after the break it was nearly two as another rejuvenated Saints man took aim at the Huddersfield goal.

James Ward-Prowse whipped a dipping shot the looked destined for the top corner and the ball was only prevented for finding it by a flying save from Coleman.

It had not been a convincing display from Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men though and a bad mistake let the relegated visitors back level.

Angus Gunn took too much time to clear a backpass and Alex Pritchard nipped in to take the ball away an curl home into an empty net.

From that point onward, neither side took control despite headers from Danny Ings and Christopher Schindler going close.

A summer shake up is expected at St Mary’s in the close season and Charlie Austin may well be on his way out of the club, but he almost gave himself the perfect send off in stoppage-time.

Redmond found the striker on the edge of the area and his eventual shot dropped agonisingly wide of the far post.

The Saints finish the season in 16th with 39 points, whilst Huddersfield will be playing Championship football again in 2019/20.