That’s it for tonight’s blog. I’ll leave you with our report on a fine match at St Mary’s. Night!
Nathan Ake speaks “It feels great. It was a very tough game, but the fans are buzzing and we’re buzzing. The last result against Everton helped our confidence, and you could see that in the first half-hour. We had to fight in the second half, but it’s great to be third in the league.”
Full time: Southampton 1-3 Bournemouth
That’s it! A famous win for Bournemouth, who move to third in the Premier League. They’re an inspiration to almost every club in the land. They had to work so hard in the second half, when Southampton put them under constant pressure, but they stayed firm and Callum Wilson finished the job.
Callum Wilson walked the ball into the net after a hideous mix-up between Bednarek and Gunn. They left a bouncing ball to each other on the edge of the D, and Wilson nipped in to seal an historic victory!
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GOAL! Southampton 1-3 Bournemouth (C Wilson 90+5)
Bournemouth have won away to Southampton for the first time in their history!
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90+3 min Ramsdale makes a good save, plunging to his left to palm away a long-range strike from Boufal. Moments earlier Ake made a vital block from Ings’ shot.
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90+3 min Another Bournemouth change: Andrew Surman replaces the impressive Josh King.
90+2 min Bournemouth have a free-kick on the edge of their own area. Ramsdale is not in a hurry to take it.
90 min Lewis Cook plays a fine pass to King, who moves into the area but hits a tame shot that is easily held by Gunn. Four added minutes.
89 min Ward-Prowse’s corner comes to nothing.
88 min Before the corner is taken, Southampton make another change: Nathan Redmond is replaced by Stuart Armstrong.
88 min Ings’ snapshot on the turn is deflected behind for another corner. He’s been very lively since coming on.
87 min Lerma plays the ball straight out of play. Bournemouth, who were so controlled in the first half, are hanging on desperately.
86 min Ward-Prowse chests the ball down neatly to Ings, whose stinging shot from 23 yards is blocked.
85 min Billing cracks the free-kick just wide from 35 yards. That was a fine effort, which curled wickedly, although Gunn almost certainly had it covered.
85 min Bournemouth get a bit of respite by winning a corner and then a free-kick 35 yards from goal.
82 min Another chance for Southampton! Ings’ superb cutback finds Ward-Prowse, whose deflected shot is smuggled away by Ramsdale. That leads to a melee on the six-yard line before Steve Cook welts it clear.
81 min Southampton have had seven shots in the second half, Bournemouth none.
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80 min Romeu is booked for a foul on King.
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79 min King marauds towards the Southampton area again, and this time Cedric wins the ball off him with a fine challenge just outside the penalty box.
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77 min A substitution apiece. Lewis Cook replaces Dominic Solanke for Bournemouth, which suggests a switch to 4-3-3; Danny Ings comes on for Che Adams for Southampton.
77 min Boufal’s imaginative curler from the left edge of the area beats Ramsdale and bounces just wide of the far post. That was a lovely effort.
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74 min Cedric’s excellent cross finds its way to Redmond beyond the far post. He takes it down on the chest and hammers a shot that hits the outstretched leg of Stacey and goes behind for a corner. That would have gone in at the near post, because Ramsdale was flat-footed.
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72 min It’s all Southampton, as it has been for most of the second half. For all their pressure, however, Ramsdale hasn’t had any difficult saves to make.
70 min “I rather liked VAR in the World Cup, if only because it completely got rid of real nastiness behind the ref,” says Joe Harvey. “However, while I hardly think the penalty not given was a clear and obvious error, it seems like they are too conservative overturning calls so far this year. I worry that referees will shade towards not giving penalties in the hope that VAR will give them, and the VAR official will not give them out of respect to the on-field referee. I will say I have yet to see something that appears to be an obvious red card either given or overturned by VAR this year.”
69 min A long-range strike from Boufal is beaten away by the flying Ramsdale, a dramatic but ultimately comfortable save.
68 min Replays suggest that Rico slapped Cedric, but the VAR official decided it wasn’t a red-card offence. Whatever, I’m beyond caring, it’s a complete shambles.
67 min Rico and Cedric have a lively exchange of views after a challenge near the touchline. Nothing to see here.
65 min Stacey is booked for a foul on Bertrand. Southampton’s pressure has been relentless since half-time.
64 min “It’s a shame Southampton sold Matt Targett,” says Matt Dony. “He could have given Angus Gunn something to aim at. I’m here all week.”
63 min Bournemouth make their first change. Ryan Fraser, who apparently wasn’t fit enough to start, replaces the goalscorer Harry Wilson.
61 min This is pulsating stuff! Southampton almost equalise through Ward-Prowse, who steers a shot just over the bar from 20 yards after a lovely dragback on the run from Adams.
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60 min: No penalty! Bournemouth will be fuming about that if they don’t win. For what it’s worth - nothing - I think it was a foul on King, but I’m not sure it was a clear and obvious error from the referee. It’s a bit of a mess.
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59 min There’s a VAR check on the penalty appeal. This might be given.
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59 min King bursts into the area and goes over after a clumsy challenge from Cedric. Chris Kavanagh says no penalty. I’d like to see that again.
57 min Redmond stands up a cross beyond the far post towards Bertrand. He heads it down into the six-yard box, where Ramsdale rushes from his line to grab the ball. This is superb entertaininment.
56 min Redmond shifts the ball away from Billings, 20 yards from goal, and thrashes a rising drive just over the bar with his left foot. It’s all Southampton at the moment.
55 min “Evening Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Is that Ryan ‘Plastic’ Bertrand?”
It is now!
54 min Adams had probably overrun the ball when Cook fouled him, but I’m not sure that matters. Meanwhile, Harry Wilson is booked for a foul on Boufal.
GOAL! Southampton 1-2 Bournemouth (Ward-Prowse 53 pen)
Ward-Prowse scores emphatically, rifling a penalty high to his right. Ramsdale went the wrong way.
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VAR check: penalty given! Yes, I think that’s the right decision. Adams was just inside the area when he stabbed the ball away from Cook, who sent him flying.
PENALTY TO SOUTHAMPTON!
52 min It looked a bit soft but Chris Kavanagh has given it.
49 min A fine move from Southampton. Boufal swings a pass across the field to Cedric, now playing on the right. He steers a cross at ankle height towards Ward-Prowse, whose first-time volley on the run goes just over the bar.
46 min Peep peep! Southampton begin the second half. They’ve made a half-time change, with Ryan Bertrand replacing Kevin Danso.
“The Saints have looked decent in attack,” says Mary Waltz, “but as soon as they lose the ball the Cherries cut through their midfield and back line without any resistance.”
Yes, they’ve been repeatedly exposed on the counter-attack. Bournemouth have been excellent, though; really precise in their passing and movement. Philip Billing and Harry Wilson are terrific signings.
Some half-time reading
Half time: Southampton 0-2 Bournemouth
Peep peep! Bournemouth are 45 minutes away from a first ever victory away to Southampton. They’ve been cool and clinical amid the maelstrom and would be even further ahead but for that pesky VAR rightly disallowing Josh King’s goal. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.
43 min Billing is down, holding his face, after a collision at a Southampton corner. He took Redmond’s shoulder in the face, though it wasn’t deliberate. Unlike this.
42 min Redmond, who has been Southampton’s liveliest attacker, hits a fierce, wobbling shot from 25 yards that is punched behind for a corner by Ramsdale. It was a comfortable enough save.
39 min Eddie Howe is such a brilliant manager. I hope he’s the next England manager, whenever Gareth Southgate hangs up his waistcoat.
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38 min Bournemouth break agian, with King’s shot deflecting behind for a corner. Their purpose and precision on the counter-attack have been superb.
37 min: Ramsdale makes a vital save from Hojbjerg! Redmond’s cutback ricocheted around the box before falling to Hojbjerg in the six-yard box. He hit the ball first time, but Ramsdale made himself big to smother the shot.
That was a lovely team goal. Rico fizzed a pass out to Callum Wilson on the left. He played in the underlapping Billing and charged into the area for the return. Billing pulled the ball back towards Wilson, Callum I think, but Harry Wilson got in front of him and Vestegaard to clip a precise first-time shot into the far corner. Excellent finish.
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GOAL! Southampton 0-2 Bournemouth (H Wilson 35)
Bournemouth go 2-0 up for the second time!
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34 min Nothing comes of it.
33 min This is a very open game. Southampton are having most of the ball, but Bournemouth look dangerous on the counter-attack. Rico’s corner from the right is punched behind by Gunn for another corner, this time on the left...
29 min Redmond plays a crisp pass across the line of the penalty area to Hojbjerg, whose shot is blocked by Stacey. He could, probably should have played a reverse pass to the overlapping Cedric, who would have been through on the left of the area.
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28 min Ward-Prowse slashes over the bar from 22 yards.
26 min That’s when VAR works perfectly, because it’s an objective judgement.
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NO GOAL! Southampton 0-1 Bournemouth
Yes, it’s been disallowed. It was a beautiful finish from King, swept into the far corner from Solanke’s pass. But replays showed he was just offside.
Hang on, this may be VARed.
GOAL! Southampton 0-2 Bournemouth (King 25)
Bournemouth go two up with a superb goal!
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22 min “Evening Rob!” says Hubert O’Hearn. “You know what football lacks? Great nicknames. How on earth has Kevin Danso not been re-named as Tiny, or Ryan ‘House of’ Fraser? The one I really want is Harry ‘Prime Minister’ Wilson. (Yeah, it’s been a long week.)
Don’t forget the old favourites – ‘One Size’ Fitz Hall and Kiki ‘Chris’ Musampa.
21 min Southampton are playing at a furious pace, even by their standards.
20 min Lerma is booked for taking Hojbjerg out off the ball.
19 min Boufal surges down the inside-left channel, away from Billing, only to mishit a tame shot through to Ramsdale. He looks lively, though, as he did in Southampton’s last home fixture against Manchester United.
16 min King leads a Bournemouth break, haring down the left before crossing low towards Callum Wilson. Vestegaard makes an important interception.
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15 min Replays show there was a slight push on Danso, who was challenging the goalscorer Ake, by Callum Wilson. It might have been a foul, but I don’t think it crossed the VAR threshold.
14 min “On that goal,” says Mary Waltz, “Southampton looked like they were watching a movie rather than playing a match.”
13 min Southampton look thoroughly affronted at going behind. Boufal plays a one-two with Adams and hits a sudden shot from 25 yards that is blocked by Cook.
GOAL! Southampton 0-1 Bournemouth (Ake 10)
Bournemouth take the lead! It was a simple goal: Rico’s inswinging corner from the right, and an emphatic downward header from Ake on the six-yard line.
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9 min Southampton, as is their wont, are giving Bournemouth no time whatsoever on the ball. But Stacey combines neatly with Harry Wilson to win the first corner.
6 min Cedric’s speculative cutback is screwed wide of the far post by Ward-Prowse, arriving late in the box. It was a tricky chance as it bounced just in front of him, and he couldn’t steer it on target.
5 min It’s been a frantic start, as you’d expect. Nothing to report as yet.
2 min Southampton’s full-backs have swapped, with Danso on the right and Cedric on the left. I suppose that’s because of Bournemouth’s inverted wide players.
1 min Peep peep! Bournemouth get the match under way. They are in their dark blue away strip; Southampton are wearing red and white.
The players emerge from the tunnel to flashing lights and dramatic music. There’s a cracking atmosphere.
The winner tonight, if there is one, will move to third in the table for the next 17 hours or so.
Pre-match reading
Team news
Southampton (4-2-2-2) Gunn; Danso, Bednarek, Vestegaard, Cedric; Romeu, Hojbjerg; Ward-Prowse, Boufal; Adams, Redmond.
Substitutes: McCarthy, Yoshida, Stephens, Bertrand, Armstrong, Long, Ings.
Bournemouth (4-2-2-2) Ramsdale; Stacey, S Cook, Ake, Rico; Billing, Lerma; H Wilson, King; C Wilson, Solanke.
Substitutes: Boruc, Simpson, Mepham, Surman, Ibe, L Cook, Fraser.
Referee Chris Kavanagh.
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Southampton v Bournemouth from St Mary’s. The New Forest derby, as this is apparently known, is a bit of a newfangled rivalry. The two teams met only twice between 1960 and 2010, when they lived in different worlds, and overall this is only their 30th match.
Bournemouth, in fact, have never won away to Southampton – not at St Mary’s, not at the Dell, not even when they were called Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic.
The last eight meetings between these sides have occurred in the Premier League, though; and with Portsmouth still recovering from their big crash a decade ago, these two are fighting for supremacy on the south coast.
Bournemouth won that unofficial title in the last two seasons by finishing above Southampton. They are above Southampton now, too, albeit only on goals scores. Both teams have started the season pretty well and sit in the top half of the table.
These are two really likeable sides, with ambitious managers who play progressive football and want to achieve something more meaningful than simply preserving the status quo. The brilliant Eddie Howe has made all kinds of history at Bournemouth; tonight, there’s a chance to make some more.
Kick off is at 8pm BST.
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