Glenn rocks Saints again
BRIGHTON staged a stunning fightback to rescue a point at St Mary’s.
Familiar foe Glenn Murray struck against Southampton again right at the death to complete the Seagulls’ dramatic late revival.
Something about Southampton brings out the best in Murray, who had scored four in five league meetings before last night.
And he made it five in six with a last-minute penalty as Brighton snatched a draw from the jaws of defeat.
They were heading back along the south coast emptyhanded after going behind to a stunning strike from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Danny Ings’ second-half penalty.
But Shane Duffy kickstarted the Seagulls’ fightback just two minutes after Ings’ penalty and Murray finished the job at the death.
Tossing away a two-goal lead meant Southampton’s hoodoo continues and they have still yet to win a Monday night game at St Mary’s.
But the result was a huge bonus for Brighton, given they now have their first point and goals on the road this season.
Shane Long recovered from his toe problem to partner Ings in an unchanged Southampton side.
The Saints have been struggling for home wins, are far from prolific, had not won backto-back league games since April 2017 or a Premier League St Mary’s game on a Monday night and kicked off as the only side yet to score a firsthalf goal.
Brighton, meanwhile, were the only Premier League side yet to register an away goal or point. In fact they had not scored on the road since April.
And initially it was looking like the over the top pre-match lights, flames and firework show, when St Mary’s was plunged into darkness and a rave in the stadium was briefly recreated, might be the highlight of the night. But the stunning opener changed all that. Mohamed Elyounoussi’s cross was poor and headed away by Lewis Dunk. But if Brighton thought the danger was over they had another thing coming as Hojbjerg took a touch and unleashed a sweetly-struck rocket of a shot.
Brighton had to get better and started the second half as if Chris Hughton had given them a rocket. Davy Propper headed Martin Montoya’s cross wide and then Anthony Knockaert had a thumping effort pushed away by Alex McCarthy in a Brighton flurry.
Southampton made it 2-0 in the 65th minute when Ings converted a penalty, his first home goal since his return to his boyhood club from Liverpool, which he won when he was tripped by Gaetan Bong.
Brighton hit back almost immediately just two minutes after Ings’ penalty when Duffy headed in Knockaert’s free-kick. And their late pressure paid off when substitute James Ward-Prowse was adjudged to have fouled Duffy and the ruthless Murray levelled from the spot.