Report: Saints beaten at Bristol City
The early promise shown by Southampton in this clash at Bristol City did not ultimately translate into anything, as they fell to a 3-1 defeat at Ashton Gate.
Adam Armstrong had put Saints into a well-deserved lead after 30 minutes in the West Country, but some costly errors combined with an element of misfortune then led to the game unravelling for them, as the hosts claimed all three points.
Will Still made one change from the team that drew 0-0 with Swansea three days earlier, as Ryan Fraser came in for Elias Jelert, who the manager revealed is facing four to six weeks out with a quad injury sustained in that game at the weekend.
Ryan Fraser came into the team at Bristol City for the injured Elias Jelert (Photo: Matt Watson)
The continuity in the team reflected Still’s satisfaction at the performance, if not the result, against the Swans, and he would have been encouraged by their opening to the game here too, as they took control of the early stages and looked an immediate threat.
Cameron Archer had the first effort of the night, in the fourth minute, receiving an angled pass from Armstrong on the edge of the box and working it onto his right foot, only to fire over.
Armstrong was the next to take aim, racing away down the inside-right on 13 minutes after a magnificent through pass from Shea Charles, but he had to shoot earlier than he would have liked as he was chased down, with his left-footed effort across goal from 18 yards being saved by City keeper Radek Vitek.
If that link up between Charles and Armstrong didn’t quite come off, the next one did.
Again, it was a sensational through pass from Charles that put him clean through, this time on the half-hour mark, and he coolly dinked the ball past Vitek and into the net to put Saints ahead.
Adam Armstrong celebrates the opening goal of the game (Photo: Matt Watson)
It was a deserved lead, but it lasted barely more than two minutes, as City equalised with their first real effort of the game.
For Saints, it was an especially frustrating one to concede, as an innocuous-looking long ball through the middle was mis-kicked by Nathan Wood as he attempted to intercept it, with the ball spinning off his foot and in behind, where Anis Mehmeti ran clear and finished low into the corner.
But Still’s side had a magnificent chance to restore their advantage before half time, as Armstrong slipped Archer clean through on goal on 44 minutes, but he was unable to beat Vitek one-on-one, as the keeper managed to turn his shot away.
Fraser also had an opportunity in added time, but his header from a Léo Scienza cross was straight at Vitek.
Ryan Fraser went close towards the end of the first half (Photo: Matt Watson)
The start of the second half saw both teams go close to edging in front, with Scott Twine missing a good chance within a minute of the restart, weakly poking the ball towards Alex McCarthy from close range after a flick-on from a long throw saw it drop into his path.
Moments later at the other end, Saints where inches away from retaking the lead, as Scienza flashed inside from the right and thumped a shot from 20 yards against the crossbar, with Vitek well beaten.
On 50 minutes, the visitors had another big opportunity, again with Scienza at the centre of it, as his corner found Charles steaming in at the near post, but he powered his header over after getting to the ball ahead of Vitek.
Both sides were pushing for the next goal, and City immediately went on the attack themselves, as Mehmeti cut onto his right foot on the edge of the box and fizzed a shot inches wide of the far post.
It felt like either side could get themselves ahead and, unfortunately for Saints, it was the hosts who ultimately did.
There was a large dose of fortune about it for them, with Zak Vyner’s shot from outside the box heading wide, only for it to hit substitute Sinclair Armstrong on the way through, spin against the inside of the post and then bounce across goal and into the path of Twine, who clipped it back past McCarthy and into the far corner.
It got worse for Saints on 64 minutes when a loose pass back towards the halfway line from Caspar Jander was pounced on by Twine, who skipped past Wood and raced through on goal, before lifting the ball over McCarthy to give the hosts a third.
Still made a number of changes, with Ryan Manning, Tom Fellows, Jay Robinson and, later, Damion Downs sent on, but City never really looked like relinquishing their stranglehold of the game and they saw out the remainder of the game, condemning Saints to a 3-1 defeat.
Bristol City: Vitek, Tanner, Dickie (captain), Atkinson (Roberts 90+2), Sykes (McCrorie 72), Vyner, Randell, Borges, Twine (Pecover 72), Mehmeti (Hirakawa 90+1), Riis (Armstrong 53).
Unused substitutes: O’Leary, Morrison, Yeboah, Mayulu.
Goals: Mehmeti (33’), Twine (57’, 64’).
Booked: Vitek.
Southampton: McCarthy, Fraser (Fellows 65), Edwards, Wood, Harwood-Bellis, Welington, Jander (Downs 78), Charles (Manning 65), Scienza, Archer (Robinson 66), Armstrong (captain).
Unused substitutes: Bazunu, Stephens, Quarshie, Downes, Azaz.
Goals: Armstrong (30’).
Booked: Harwood-Bellis, Fellows.
Referee: Anthony Backhouse.
Attendance: 24,019.
