Report: Saints halted at home by Hull
Two first half strikes from visiting Hull City saw Southampton stretch their winless run to seven in the Sky Bet Championship.
Hull took the lead on 20 minutes by responding to a loose Saints pass in defence. Kyle Joseph curling in his seventh of the season after Ollie McBurnie’s lay off. The visitors’ second came 14 minutes later as Charlie Hughes met a deep corner at the back post and headed into an open net.
Saints halved the deficit with just under 20 minutes to go; substitute Ross Stewart connecting to Leo Scienza's low cross to tap home inside the six-yard box. But Hull held on for a deserved victory.
The only change from the last league outing at Middlesbrough sees Tonda Eckert hand a home debut to Daniel Peretz, following his first showing in Saints colours at Doncaster.
Daniel Peretz made his home debut.
A faint first opening of the game came inside four minutes. Finn Azaz, back in the squad after sitting out the FA Cup trip last week, slipping through Adam Armstrong who couldn’t latch onto the pass. Hull responded minutes later with Peretz being called into action with a fine save, getting down low to tip Liam Millar’s header away from danger.
The through ball into the path of Armstrong remained a threat for Saints early on, Taylor Harwood-Bellis next to feed the striker who this time collected the ball and forced a good stop from Ivor Pandur.
With 15 minutes on the clock the hosts should have been ahead. Tom Fellows crossing the ball towards the far post, which Leo Scienza headed down into the palms of Pandur. The Tigers keeper was then called into action twice in quick succession to deny Caspar Jander, before Azaz fired into the side netting.
The hosts continued to mount the pressure, Harwood-Bellis roaming forward with increasing frequency and letting fly from range with a fierce, low shot. Pandur again doing well to parry away.
Kyle Joseph scores Hull's first of the afternoon.
But against the run of play it was the visitors who took the lead, profiting from a mistake at the back. Ryan Manning received the ball from Joshua Quarshie with 20 minutes on the clock, but his pass aimed back to Peretz was overhit, prompting Ollie McBurnie to pounce. McBurnie showed composure to lay the ball off to Joseph, who curled a ball into the far corner.
The hosts responded. Fellows first to lead the charge in search of an equaliser, cutting inside from his favour flank before hitting a strike just over the bar. Before Harwood-Bellis met a Scienza corner at the far post but saw his strike rattle the post
But Saints were made to rue these missed chances. Hull doubled their lead through a corner on the 34th minute, Hughes meeting the ball at the far post and heading into the net.
Despite holding out their hosts until the break Hull were fortunate to leave the field with eleven men. Just shy of the interval goalscorer Hughes went lunging in on a challenge against Scienza, catching the Saints midfielder up the leg, but was only cautioned.
Leo Scienza was caught with a high challenge during the first half.
Eckert switched his side to a back four for the second half, substituting Joshua Quarshie for Elias Jelert as they looked to open up the game.
Armstrong had Saints' first glimpse, curling a first time strike from the edge of the box just wide of the far post as the clock entered the 50th minute.
As the half wore on Saints found it increasingly hard to create clear-cut chances, whilst the visitors maintained a threat on the break. Skipper Lewie Coyle bursting forward with the ball on 64 minutes and producing a low shot which Peretz parried behind.
With just under 20 minutes to go, and the stadium growing in frustration, Saints grabbed a lifeline. Stewart, who was introduced off the bench in the 67th minute, produced an instant impact. The Scot beating his man in the box to poke home Scienza's cross from six-yards.
With the hosts grabbing momentum the visitors made a defensive switch, adding John Lundstram to the back line with 15 to play to thwart any pressure. It was a plan which worked, despite dominating possession the hosts failed to register a shot on target for the remainder of the 90.
Southampton: Peretz, Fellows (Robinson 67), Harwood-Bellis, Wood, Quarshie (Jelert 46), Manning (Archer 89), Downes, Jander (Matsuki 77), Azaz (Stewart 67), Scienza, Armstrong (c).
Unused substitutes: McCarthy, Stephens, Welington, Williams, Robinson, Archer.
Goals: Stewart (71')
Hull City: Pandur, Coyle (c) (Lundstram 75), Egan, Hughes (McCarthy 46), Famewo, Hadžiahmetović (Akintola 89), Slater, Crooks, Millar (Ndala 75), McBurnie.
Unused substitutes: Phillips, Debayo, Palmer, Parker.
Goals: Joseph (20’), Hughes (34’)
Booked: Coyle, Hughes.
Referee: Sam Allison.
Attendance: 27,117
