Match Report: Southampton 0-1 Stoke
STORY OF THE GAME…
Bojan Krkic’s 10th minute strike secured Stoke a first away win at Southampton since October 1980 and saw the Potters climb up to 11th.
The Spaniard reacted quickest to Erik Pieters’ delivery from the left-hand side, impressively flicking the ball past Saints goalkeeper Martin Stekelenburg from close range.
Dusan Tadic came closest to equalising for a Southampton side who created very few testing chances overall, whilst substitute Ibrahim Afellay had a late effort to seal victory for the visitors cleared off the line.
Nevertheless, Stoke held on for all three points and, in doing so, earned their fifth win in seven league matches.
THE TEAMSHEETS…
Southampton (4-2-3-1): Stekelenburg (GK), Soares (Juanmi 85’), Fonte (Capt), van Dijk, Bertrand; Wanyama, Clasie (Mane 64’); Long, Davis (Ward-Prowse 72’), Tadic; Pelle
Subs: Davis (GK), Yoshida, Mane, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Juanmi, Caulker
Stoke (4-2-3-1): Butland (GK), Johnson, Shawcross (Capt), Wollscheid, Pieters; Whelan, Adam; Shaqiri (Afellay 65’), Bojan (Cameron 71’), Arnautovic; Walters (Diouf 87’)
Subs: Haugaard (GK), Ireland, Wilson, Afellay, Diouf, Cameron, Crouch
GOALS…
0-1 (Bojan 10’): Erik Pieters receives the ball on the left from Marko Arnautovic. He takes a touch to set himself up before curling a cross in between the goal-line and the Southampton defence. Bojan cleverly sneaks in behind Jose Fonte and sticks his right leg out to flick the ball past Stekelenburg and into the left corner of the goal from just inside the six-yard box.
THE INCIDENTS…
Yellow Cards;
Southampton: Ward-Prowse (77’), Pelle (90+3’)
Stoke:
Referee: Lee Mason
Attendance: 30,039
LOOK OUT FOR…
Southampton penalty shout?
With just under ten minutes of normal time remaining, as Graziano Pelle chested the ball inside the box, Philipp Wollscheid swung his left leg and kicked the forward at knee-level. Pelle went down and appealed but referee Lee Mason was not convinced. When looking at the replays, it seems Southampton have a legitimate claim for a penalty so Stoke will count themselves lucky to have got away with that one.
Shaqiri nearly opens his account…
Xherdan Shaqiri is still awaiting his first goal in a Stoke City shirt. Shortly after Mark Hughes’ men had broken the deadlock, the Switzerland international had a close-range strike from the right side of the box well saved by Stekelenburg after being cleverly fed through on goal by Bojan.
Then, in the second half, following a neat move by the visitors down the left-hand channel, the ball fell to the advancing Shaqiri just inside the centre of the box. Poised to curl home with his left foot, the former Bayern Munich winger could not get enough of his body over the ball and subsequently fired over.
WHAT NEXT?
Stoke travel to Sunderland next Saturday looking to extend their unbeaten run to five games in all competitions.