SAVIOUR MURRAY LEAVES IT LATE
Brighton’s injury-time penalty pegs back frustrated Hughes
FOR Mark Hughes and Southampton, the anxiety does not let up. Here his team were two goals to the good shortly after the hour mark, seemingly growing in confidence and set for back- to - back Premier League wins for the first time in over 15 months.
Yet Southampton’s demons on home territory are deeply ingrained. They had the secondworst home record in the division last season and have failed to win 16 of the past 22 home games, stretching back to February 2017.
At St Mary’s, they are never out of sight — not even against a Brighton side who did not hit a single shot on target in the first half. Not even against a Brighton side that endured the worst away record in the Premier League last season and had failed to score in their opening two away matches of this campaign.
After a Danny Ings penalty added to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s first- half stunner in the 65th minute, Southampton were 2-0 up and should have seen this through.
Yet within moments the wobbles came and as soon as Shane Duffy stooped to head in Brighton’s first goal, a sense of foreboding overcame the stadium.
Southampton retreated with nerves fraying. A rapid exchange of goals — first Ings, then Brighton’s Duffy — only unsettled them further. Tackles became fraught and clearances were hoofed into the heavens.
Brighton’s Alireza Jahanbakhsh went perilously close to levelling the match with an inventive backheel.
In the end, the equaliser came when James Ward-Prowse hauled down Duffy in the box from a corner and the penalty was awarded. That the dainty midfielder should be marking one of Brighton’s big men spoke for Southampton’s sense of panic. Glenn Murray stepped up to salvage the point in injury time.
Hughes said: ‘ We should have been home and hosed. We deserved the points. It’s a shame. We have to find the ability to see games out. On too many occasions winning positions drift away.’
Hughes will be incensed by his side’s carelessness as they switched off at a set-piece for Duffy’s goal. He was then frustrated by the referee’s decision to punish Ward- Prowse’s clumsy challenge on Duffy.
It was all the more agonising as goalkeeper Alex McCarthy had just produced an outstanding reflex save to deny Jurgen Locadia. Brighton, it should be said, deserve enormous credit. Chris Hughton’s team are too often inhibited on the road but they raised their game in the second period.
Hughton said: ‘I can shout all I want but there wasn’t a player who came in at half-time and didn’t realise we had underperformed. The intensity was then much better.’
This should have been the story of Hojbjerg’s return to prominence. As a teenager, he was earmarked by Pep Guardiola as the future of Bayern Munich’s midfield. Yet that potential has been too rarely seen at Southampton.
Hojbjerg is only 23, however, and after a goal in the victory against Crystal Palace a fortnight ago came an even more emphatic reminder of his talent here.
The ball dropped to the Dane 30 yards from goal in the first half and he killed it instantly, took a quick glance up, then sent a shot veering low and at devastating pace beyond the clawing grasp of Mat Ryan.
Hojbjerg then released Ings to dance past Dale Stephens and scurry into the penalty area, where Gaetan Bong clumsily tripped him. Ings converted the penalty for 2-0.
Neither side threatened early on but in Nathan Redmond, Southampton did possess one player possessing the desire to inject life into proceedings. He curled a cross in from the left and Mohamed Elyounoussi rose well but headed wide. Redmond threatened until the end, forcing a last-gasp save from Ryan that could even have secured Southampton the win. SOUTHAMPTON (4-4-2): McCarthy 6; Cedric 7, Vestergaard 6, Hoedt 6, Bertrand 7; Elyounoussi 6 (Ward-Prowse 76min), Lemina 6, HOJBJERG 8, Redmond 7; Ings 7 (Davis 84), Long 5 (Gabbiadini 76). Subs not used: Gunn, Yoshida, Targett, Austin. Scorers: Hojbjerg 35, Ings 65 pen. Booked: Cedric, McCarthy. Manager: Mark Hughes 7. BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION (4-4-1-1): Ryan 6; Montoya 5, Duffy 6.5, Dunk 6, Bong 5.5; Knockaert 6.5, Stephens 5.5, Propper 5.5, March 6 (Jahanbakhsh 71, 6); Bissouma 6 (Locadia 76); Murray 5. Subs not used: Button, Bruno, Kayal, Balogun, Bernardo. Scorers: Duffy 67, Murray 90 pen. Booked: Stephens, Knockaert, Locadia. Manager: Chris Hughton 6. Referee: Anthony Taylor 7. Attendance: 27,742.