Yoshida takes Saints past West Ham
Posted Sunday, February 07, 2016 by foxsportsasia.com
An early goal from defender Maya Yoshida was enough for Southampton to claim a 1-0 win over West Ham at St Mary's on Saturday.
Southampton 1 West Ham 0
Yoshida with an early opener
Wanyama sent off (again)
Match Summary
Southampton made a rampaging start to the game and needed just nine minutes to break the deadlock, with some good work down the flank and a bit of luck allowing Maya Yoshida to pounce on a close-range opportunity for the only goal of the game.
The Saints had to play most of the second half with 10 men after midfielder Victor Wanyama picked up his third red card of the season for a bad challenge on Dimitri Payet, but they were able to hold on to their advantage, while still looking dangerous at the other end, to claim all three points.
Full Report
Southampton had the first real chance when Sadio Mane released Shane Long down the left flank, and the forward dinked in a cross towards the far post, where Cedric Soares was galloping in to meet it, but Adrian made the save.
The Saints were rewarded for their early endeavour not long afterwards. They worked it down the right flank and into the box where, with a bit of good fortune, it fell to Maya Yoshida to apply the finish from close range.
A free kick from Dimitri Payet almost had the Hammers level. It was whipped in viciously by the Frenchman and Winston Reid got a solid header to it, but Fraser Forster was somehow able to beat it away.
The match then took a turn for the worse for Southampton in the 53rd minute when Victor Wanyama was shown a straight red. The Kenyan was robbed of the ball by Payet and went chasing the Frenchman down looking to get it back. But his challenge, a two-footed lunge from behind, chopped down the playmaker while getting nothing of the ball, and he was sent off. His third red card of the season already.
Shane Long almost produced a goal from nothing in the 63rd minute when he latched onto a ball forward from goalkeeper Forster that Reid failed to deal with. The striker found a bit of pace to get the edge on James Collins, and fired an effort at goal that swung just wide of the top corner.
The Hammers had a chance to equalise 15 minutes from time when Enner Valencia whipped in a cross from the right flank that was met by Emmanuel Emenike in the box, although his header was wide.
Charlie Austin came on for the Saints in the second half, and he almost wrapped up the points in the 88th minute when Oriol Romeu slipped him through, but he sliced his shot wide at the near post.
- Tag:
- Southampton
- West Ham
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