Report: Saints suffer late heartache against Fulham

A first-half header from captain Jack Stephens looked for a long time as though it would give Saints only a third Premier League victory of the season, but Emile Smith Rowe cancelled that effort out with a deflected strike on 72 minutes before Ryan Sessegnon struck in added time.

It was a doubly-frustrating conclusion to the game for Saints, who had finally looked set to surpass Derby County’s record-low Premier League points total of 11, set back in the 2007/08 season, with that wait now set to extend for at least another week.

But, when the dust settles, Interim Manager Simon Rusk will undoubtedly be able to find positives from another performance that did feature plenty of encouraging moments.

Rusk made only one change for Saints from the team that started in the 1-1 draw at West Ham, as Paul Onuachu picked up an ankle knock in training late in the week and was forced to miss out.

That did, however, mean the welcome sight of Ross Stewart’s name in the starting XI for only the second time, as he continued to make encouraging progress in his comeback from a long-term injury.

Ross Stewart was back in the starting XI for only the second time (Photo: Matt Watson)

It was a pretty settled start to the game, with both sides looking solid in the early stages, and it wasn’t until 11 minutes in when the first shot of the afternoon arrived, Willian cutting onto his right foot on the corner of the area and whipping a shot just wide of the far post.

Saints would get their first effort soon after, and they made sure that theirs counted.

Ryan Manning had been tripped by Andreas Pereira about 25 yards out on the left, earning a free-kick, which Manning himself took. The delivery was a wicked one that was met by the run of Stephens, who deftly flicked a header across goal and inside the upright to give Saints the lead.

Jack Stephens celebrates giving Saints a 14th-minute lead (Photo: Matt Watson)

On 19 minutes, Saints wanted an opportunity to make it 2-0, as Stewart burst forward into the area and went to ground under the challenge of Calvin Bassey, but referee Tony Harrington said no to the penalty appeal.

Back at the other end and Stephens, having given Saints the lead, twice helped to preserve it by heading a pair of Fulham efforts away from deep inside his six-yard box.

As well as defending diligently, Rusk’s side continued to pose further threat in attack, with Kamaldeen working his way into the area on 33 minutes and testing Bernd Leno with a low shot towards his near post, with the Fulham keeper getting down well to stop it.

Ahead of the half time whistle, there was one more crucial intervention from Stephens, who may well have saved a goal when he brilliantly stretched to turn Pereira’s free-kick delivery behind while facing towards his own goal, with Sander Berge looking otherwise set to convert from close range.

It ensured Saints took a lead into the break, and Rusk unsurprisingly kept faith with the same XI for the start of the second half, while his Fulham counterpart Marco Silva was clearly less impressed with his team, making two changes during the interval, as Adama Traoré and Saša Lukić were sent on.

The speed of Traoré quickly caused concern and he almost set up an equaliser on 56 minutes, charging across the edge of the box before laying the ball to Willian, who smashed a first-time effort past Aaron Ramsdale, but against the post.

Saints were under the heaviest pressure they had been all game during the opening stages of the second half, but they almost relieved it entirely on the hour mark when Kyle Walker-Peters pounced on a ball in the area, cleverly worked room for a shot and smashed a left-footed effort towards the far corner, with Leno making a brilliant leaping save to push it away.

Rusk made his first change soon after, as Cam Archer was introduced for Stewart, who received a nice ovation from the crowd.

Ross Stewart applauds the Saints fans after being substituted (Photo: Matt Watson)

Archer then went close to immediately scoring, bursting into the right side of the area and getting near to the byline before firing a high effort against the near post, with the ball bouncing out to the edge of the area, with Fulham ultimately scrambling clear.

It looked as though Saints had seen off the worst of the Fulham pressure and were becoming more of a threat again themselves, but then, on 72 minutes, the visitors found a way through.

Alex Iwobi chipped a ball into the area from the left wing, finding substitute Smith Rowe in space. He had time to bring the ball under control, turn and send an effort goalwards that unfortunately deflected off the outstretched foot of Jan Bednarek and looped into the far top corner.

Smith Rowe almost completed the turnaround with five minutes left on the clock, but his shot from the edge of the box was tipped behind fabulously by the diving Ramsdale, with the Saints keeper also well-placed to save from a Raúl Jiménez header soon after.

But he could do nothing to stop what followed in the second minute of added time, when a ball whipped in from Traoré on the right was met by Sessegnon, who stooped to flick a header across goal, past Ramsdale's full-stretch dive and into the far corner, inflicting another cruel St Mary's finish on the hosts.

Southampton: Ramsdale, Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Stephens (captain), Manning, Downes, Ugochukwu, Fernandes (Bree 86), Kamaldeen (Dibling 78), Stewart (Archer 66).

Unused substitutes: McCarthy, Welington, Wood, Smallbone, Aribo, Robinson.

Goals: Stephens (14’).

Booked: Kamaldeen.

Fulham: Leno (captain), Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Sessegnon, Berge (Lukić 46), Pereira (Traoré 46), Willian (Smith Rowe 66), Wilson (Vinícius 86), Iwobi (Cairney 86), Jiménez.

Unused substitutes: Benda, Castagne, Cuenca, Reed.

Goals: Smith Rowe (72’), Sessegnon (90'+2).

Booked: Jiménez.

Referee: Tony Harrington.

Attendance: 28,946.