B Team Report: Saints maintain unbeaten start

By SFC Media time Fri 26 Aug Saints vs Norwich
Photo by Stuart Martin
Fri 26 Aug 7PM
Premier League 2 - Division 2
Southampton
1
Norwich City
1
Vokins [34']
goal
Kamara [80']
Otseh-Taiwo (37') Lawrence (65') Simeu (73') Morgan (89')
yellow card
Riley (9') Matos (50') Shipley (90+2')
Referee: Elliot Swallow | Venue: Snows Stadium | Attendance: 264

Southampton's youngsters continued their bright start to the 2022/23 Premier League 2 campaign with a 1-1 draw against Norwich on Friday night.

Warming up as the first half developed, Saints broke the deadlock just past the half-hour mark when Jake Vokins completed a move of high quality to make the difference at the interval.

In a high tempo showing at Snows Stadium, Dom Ballard almost rounded off a dream week but for the woodwork, before the hosts were pegged back late on.

Abu Kamara was perfectly placed to head home on 81 minutes, forcing both sides to settle for a share of the spoils with their unbeaten starts intact.

Saints made three changes from the side that won at Stoke a week ago, with Zuriel Otseh-Taiwo and Luke Pearce starting in place of Lewis Payne and Ballard, after their impressive first team debuts in midweek.

In a final switch, Ryan Finnigan took the spot of Cam Bragg in the middle of the park as Dave Horseman made the most of the impressive squad depth at his disposal.

Southampton B v Norwich.
Sam Bellis battles for possession in the first half.

With both sides boasting unbeaten records heading into the Friday night encounter, it was no surprise to see an evenly contested opening 10 minutes.

Sam Bellis registered the game’s first attempt on goal when his deflected strike fell into the arms of Dylan Berry, while at the other end Ollie Wright was alert to tip Kamara’s looping effort from the edge of the box over the bar.

As the sun dipped at Snows Stadium Saints looked to offer up some heat in front of goal, with an opener close to coming on 18 minutes.

A clever reverse ball from Diamond Edwards set Pearce into space in the box, but his low drive from an acute angle was pushed behind for a corner by Berry.

Although the chance was followed by a quiet spell in front of goal, the Canaries began to surrender both territory and possession, allowing the hosts to grow in confidence.

After Jimmy-Jay Morgan had teased at breaking the deadlock with a wayward strike from 20 yards, the attacker had more success as a provider on 34 minutes.

Southampton B Team v Norwich. Southampton's Jake Vokins scores Saints first goal.
Jake Vokins broke the deadlock on 34 minutes.

Kick-starting a neat inter-change with Vokins, Morgan released the full-back inside the box with the 22-year-old showing great composure to dummy past a Norwich defender before firing past Berry.

Remaining at the heart of the action, Vokins was perfectly placed inside his own box just minutes later, hacking off of the line after Wright had been beaten to an in-swinging corner.

Making amends for that error in judgement, Wright preserved Saints’ lead on the stroke of half time by keeping out Tyrese Omotoye’s low shot with his legs, ensuring it was to be a positive opening 45 minutes for Horseman’s side.

As the division’s joint-top scorers alongside Middlesbrough, Saints attacked the second half looking to extend their slender advantage.

After Finnigan tested Berry with a low drive from 20 yards, firepower was introduced from the bench in the form of Ballard, who entered the field with four goals in three games and on a high after netting on his senior debut in the Carabao Cup just three days prior.

20220826 Southampton v Norwich
Jimmy-Jay Morgan claimed a fourth assist in three matches.

The switch was in response to an agonisingly close attempt from Norwich’s Kamara, who whistled a curling attempt just inches wide of the top corner after cleverly cutting inside Dynel Simeu.

With the importance of the next goal evident, the Norfolk outfit raised the tempo as the game crept past the hour-mark, with Tom Dickson-Peters inches away from connecting with a dangerous cross from the left when unmarked in the middle.

However, having started to threaten, the visitors almost conceded a disastrous second when Ballard – who had sprinted 40 yards – charged down Berry’s attempted clearance, with the Norwich stopper saved his blushed by the base of the post.

Much like Wright responded to a mistake in the first half by making a vital stop, the Canaries stopper did the same on 70 minutes, standing tall to parry away Morgan’s shot from close range.

The keeper’s efforts were rewarded as the game ticked into the final 10 minutes, when Joe Duffy’s ball back across goal was headed back where it came and into the far corner by Kamara.

In response, Saints piled on the pressure in the closing stages, but a winner was not to be found as two early pace-setters met at Snows Stadium. 

Southampton

Head to Head Stats

Norwich City
  • Possession (%)
    56
    comparison angle
    44
  • Shots
    18
    comparison angle
    11
  • Shots on target
    7
    comparison angle
    4
  • Corners
    8
    comparison angle
    7
  • Passes Complete
    339
    comparison angle
    244

Southampton U21

1
Ollie Wright (GK) (C)
2
Zuriel Otseh-Taiwo yellow card
4
Nico Lawrence yellow card
3
Jake Vokins goal
5
Dynel Simeu yellow card
11
Sam Bellis
replace Dominic Ballard (58′)
10
Diamond Edwards
8
Jack Turner
6
Ryan Finnigan
replace Cameron Bragg (58′)
7
Jimmy Morgan yellow card
9
Luke Pearce
16
Leon Pambou
13
Matthew Hall
14
Cameron Bragg
15
Dominic Ballard
12
Matthew Carson

Norwich City U21

1
Dylan Berry (GK) (C)
5
Jaden Warner
2
Benjamin Watt
replace Alex Matos (45′) yellow card
4
Brad Hills
3
Lewis Shipley yellow card
8
Regan Riley yellow card
7
Abu Kamara goal
6
Harry Brooke
11
Joe Duffy
9
Thomas Dickson-Peters
10
Tyrese Omotoye
replace Oscar Thorn (79′)
14
Alex Matos
15
Charlie Campbell
13
David Aziaya
12
Oscar Thorn
16
Kenny Coker
B Team Highlights: Saints 1-1 Norwich video03:27
video
Saints vs Norwich

B Team Highlights: Saints 1-1 Norwich

The key moments from Saints' draw at Snows Stadium in Premier League 2.

Video: Lawrence on taking the armband Video: Horseman on Norwich draw
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