SOFIANE ‘WONDER GOAL’ SEALS IT

SOFIANE BOUFAL’S magical strike lit up a dark and dreary night on the south coast.

Southampton paid a record £16million for the little Moroccan last year and his solo effort at St Mary’s last night was almost worth that alone.

Former Lille man Boufal came on as a late sub just as everything pointed to another bore draw.

With Storm Brian howling and the rain bucketing down this was never going to be a classic – until Boufal rode to the rescue with a goal that will live long in the memory.

To be fair Southampton, without a home win since August 19, tried hard and Ryan Bertrand and Maya Yoshida went close to an opening goal.

But this was not a day for the purists which made you wonder if West Brom’s reliance on set-pieces – they have scored nearly 50 goals from them since Tony Pulis took over – might prove effective.

The fact that Southampton have managed only seven goals this season and striker Shane Long had not scored in 25 games, hardly gave the rain-soaked crowd much cause for optimism despite territorial supremacy.

Albion, more than happy to sit deep, did not have a single shot to bother Fraser Forster in the first half, the end of which was greeted with a resigned air from fans who look as if they have forgotten what a goal looks like.

Given the weather conditions you had to feel sorry for West Brom’s lone striker, Salomon Rondon, who looked a lonely figure without a team-mate for company for so long.

Saints were quicker out of the traps after the interval but the quality was not really any better. And telly replays showed that coach Mauricio Pellegrino was getting angry as well as frustrated at what he was seeing.

And if Jay Rodriguez, returning to his old club for the first time since joining West Brom in the summer, had not hopelessly fluffed his new side’s first real chance on 60 minutes the Argentinian boss could have been excused if he had booked a plane straight back to South America in protest.

This definitely is not the way they play their football in that part of the world.

To be fair, Tadic could have had a penalty when Baggies keeper Ben Foster bundled into him with 20 minutes left but Saints had Forster to thank for spectacularly stopping Nacer Chadli pinching an undeserved winner soonafterwards.

In the end, though, Boufal’s bit of magic did the trick.

And deservedly so.