Goal anything but a Long time coming
SOUTHAMPTON striker Shane Long struck the fastest goal in English Premier League history, inside eight seconds, but his team conceded a lastminute equaliser as it drew 11 at Watford yesterday.
The draw leaves the Saints still with work to do to guarantee their Premier League survival. Southampton is on 37 points, six ahead of 18thplaced Cardiff City, which occupies the final relegation slot, with three games remaining.
It should be enough for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, especially after 17thplaced Brighton lost 10 at Tottenham yesterday to fall three points behind Southampton.
But the reaction of the Saints players, who fell to the floor at the final whistle, reflected the bitter blow of conceding an Andre Gray goal in the 90th minute.
Irish striker Long wrote his name in the record books when he charged down a Craig Cathcart clearance before running through on goal and lobbing the ball calmly over goalkeeper Ben Foster.
Long snatched the record from former Tottenham defender
Ledley King, who scored after 9.9 seconds against Bradford in 2000.
‘‘It’s nice to have a record like that, but it would have been nicer if it was the winning goal,’’ Long told Sky Sports after the match.
Southampton could have had a second before the break when Nathan Redmond struck the post after breaking into the box on the right.
Watford keeper Ben Foster also produced a fine save to keep out a James WardProwse free kick aimed at the bottom corner and keep the lead to a single goal.
But Watford striker Gray, who had gone close twice only to be foiled by Saints keeper Angus Gunn, pounced on a loose ball to find the target from close range in the final minute of normal time.
Watford moved above Everton into seventh place to keep up its hopes of qualifying for the Europa League. The Hornets are also in the FA Cup final against Manchester City.
Southampton’s remaining fixtures are at home to Bournemouth, away to West Ham United and at home to already relegated Huddersfield.
In yesterday’s other match, Christian Eriksen’s 88thminute goal finally broke Brighton and Hove Albion’s brave resistance to give Tottenham Hotspur a precious 10 victory in its quest for a topfour finish.
Until the Danish playmaker’s low shot from just outside the penalty area whizzed across the lush turf and past Mat Ryan, it seemed Brighton had withstood a secondhalf siege and would escape with a priceless point in its relegation battle.
Chris Hughton’s side erected a green wall in front of Tottenham for more or less the entire game, leaving the home fans groaning in frustration — none more so than when Toby Alderweireld’s shot with 20 minutes remaining hit the inside of the post and rolled across the face of goal.
In the end it was Eriksen who punctured Brighton’s armour from Tottenham’s 29th goal attempt — 21 of which were from outside the penalty area.
It secured a fourth win from four matches in all competitions for Tottenham inside its new stadium and more importantly it lifted it three points above fourthplaced Chelsea with three games to go and four ahead of Arsenal, which has played one game fewer. Tottenham is six clear of Manchester United.
‘‘I had a few warmup shots before the goal. I hit it well and saw it fly in,’’ Eriksen told Sky Sports.
‘‘We saw the other results so we knew what was at stake. To stay in our place we had to win, there was no other option.’’
Brighton has now gone six games without a goal, losing five of those games, and will enter its last three games only three points above thirdfrombottom Cardiff City.
Ominously it also has Arsenal and Manchester City still to play, after hosting Newcastle United this weekend. — Reuters