Sadio Mané the main man as Southampton squeeze past Crystal Palace
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Version 0 of 1. This was just the tonic Southampton needed to halt a steady decline. With 10 minutes remaining their malaise of late looked set to continue but Sadio Mané’s determination and deft touch secured a first win at home since New Year’s Day for Ronald Koeman’s side, whose top-four ambitions appear renewed. Crystal Palace had won five successive away matches under Alan Pardew before this defeat and will count themselves unlucky to not have at least earned a point. Wilfried Zaha hit a post and Fraser Forster was twice called on during a second half that could have easily have swung their way, with unease beginning to creep in at St Mary’s as Southampton struggled to create any telling opportunities. Saints had not scored at home in the league for 387 minutes before Mané’s strike, a fine run and calm finish to end a game that had been drifting away. Ultimately, however, Koeman will care little about the manner of this win, providing as it did three crucial points to keep them in touch with the Premier League’s top four before a squad break in Switzerland. “Finally we scored and we win at home,” said Koeman. “I can’t say that we deserved the win today. Maybe after the first half yes, but after the second half Crystal Palace did well. Some good chances, a shot on the post. Football is strange. It’s all about the confidence. “I think it can be very important. This win maybe is one of the key moments of the season. We like to fight for a high position in the table but if you don’t win [for] three games in a row at home. It’s not important how you score, if you score. We have to be a little bit more ruthless in the box.” That is a lesson that Southampton’s players must heed if they are going to remain a threat to the establishment at the summit of the league. In large spells here they dominated in possession terms, but for all their control of the ball they were blighted by insipid attacking play. Julián Speroni had only one save to make during a forgettable first half. It has become a pattern of Saints’ play in recent weeks, with Graziano Pellè out of form and the goals in short supply; a lack of composure and a growing frustration has crept in at St Mary’s. Speroni was called into action five minutes before half-time. A Southampton corner was whipped into the six-yard box but Yannick Bolasie’s headed clearance only found Eljero Elia, whose smart shot on the turn was palmed away by Speroni. Pellè pounced on the rebound but prodded wide. Things swiftly turned after half-time as Palace grew into the game. Bolasie, Jason Puncheon and Wilfried Zaha were suddenly combining potently in attack, as Southampton’s defence suffered. Puncheon was first to test Fraser Forster in the 48th minute. Bolasie jinked inside from the left and slipped the ball inside where Puncheon appeared tightly marked. However, in the blink of an eye the in-form midfielder made room for a shot and fizzed an effort straight at Forster. The goalkeeper was soon called on again. This time it was Bolasie with the shot, fed into the area by Zaha down the right and attempting a low effort across goal. Forster was equal to it once more, but Southampton failed to clear and the ball fell to Zaha who was denied by the post. It was Mané, though, who struck the decisive late blow. The Senegalese midfielder was the driving force behind a move that started from nothing on the right flank. However, Mané found the substitute James Ward-Prowse and space opened up for a shot. He fired in a low shot that Speroni could only parry into the path of Mané, who dinked the loose ball deftly over the goalkeeper and in. Pardew thought the referee Martin Atkinson – officiating his first game since the controversial Nemanja Matic red card against Burnley – should have awarded Palace a penalty in the 70th minute after José Fonte collided with Bolasie, but admitted his side missed a physical threat in attack. “It was obviously a big game for them in terms of the Champions League,” said Pardew. “But they played very well in the first half and we missed a physical presence at the top of the pitch. In the second half we were much better. Southampton were running out of ideas and we should have scored. I think we should have had a penalty as well.” |