B Team Preview: Fulham vs Saints
Southampton’s B team look to bag their first win in Premier League 2, Division 2 with a trip to Fulham on Friday night.
Fulham vs Saints
Premier League 2, Division 2
Motspur Park
Friday 10th September, 7pm BST
Saints return to league action after picking up a valuable away point in the Premier League Cup last Thursday at Arsenal.
Dave Horseman’s men have picked up just one point from their opening three matches in the league but will be looking to change their fortunes on Friday.
Meanwhile, Fulham have got off to a flying start in the league picking up seven points from a possible nine in their opening three games.
Having finished the 2020/21 season in tenth, it’s been an impressive showing so far from Mark Pembridge’s side.
Saints’ Under-23’s last met Fulham in February 2019, where they claimed a 2-1 victory over the West London side.
Saints went ahead before the half-time whistle through a Will Smallbone goal, assisted by now first team regular Nathan Tella.
When play resumed, Will Ferry caught Jonathan Afolabi on the break to double Saints’ lead.
The visitors didn’t make it easy for Saints, though, with Jayden John-Lloyd Harris claiming one back upon the 79-minute mark.
“I think it’ll be another really tough game,” said B team head coach Dave Horseman. “They’re one of the better teams in the league this year, I think.
“There has not been a huge problem with the performances but the grit and determination in the key moments we’ve been lacking. We had a little more of that [against Arsenal].
“If we continue to do that we’ll get results this year. We’ve definitely got good players and some really good young ones coming in who are going to push these.
“I think Southampton’s got talent. I think the team are a great team, they’ve got a great bunch of people but they have to show that more often, more consistently to turn that into a good points total at the end of the season."
