Manning: It was one of those Championship games
Southampton defender Ryan Manning reflected on a draw that his side "could have got more out of" against Charlton at St Mary's Stadium.
Saints dominated the entire first half and the majority of the game against the Addicks, but were punished against the run of play as Ross Stewart's header was canceled out by a Sonny Carey Strike.
There was late pressure from all angles in search of a winner that never materialised, as Manning and his teammates were left to rue their missed opportunity at marking it five consecutive wins in all competitions.
"I think we're all disappointed in there." Manning reflected. "We had so much of the ball, created so many chances, we'd have liked to get more out of the game.
"I think on one end, we should have managed the game in that little spell afterwards where we were sort of vulnerable after scoring. We need to manage that better and we go down and get a second and then kill the game completely, but I think overall we did throw the kitchen sink at it, we tried a lot of things and we just couldn't break them down."
Saints' Irish full-back came closest in the first half as he struck the crossbar with a well-hit effort in a controlled 45 minutes that only lacked a crucial goal, as Manning admitted "I thought it was in, I was hoping it would hit the underside [off the bar] and go in.
"I think in the first half especially, we moved the ball well. I think we sort of went from side to side, tried to create gaps, tried to move them, which is what you have to do. I mean, they came and sat in a low block, so the tone of the game was set from the first minute.
"It's up to us to break them down, like I said we tried a lot in the first half. Set pieces have been all-important in this league, we probably could have done more with our set pieces today in terms of capitalising on some chances from that but I think it was just one of those Champ games where both teams sort of went at it in two different styles and just ended up in a draw.
"They defended really well, balls into the box is what they love and they defend their goal extremely well. I think we just lacked a little bit of magic in the final third, that killer pass, that final finish and obviously you need a little bit of luck, you need a ball to bounce or break or deflect off someone and go in so it was a frustrating finish to the game.
"I think we're in a good place at the minute but we're not where we want to be, so it's not time to get complacent. We need to keep turning the wheel and keep the pressure on."
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