Fair to say we went into this one a good deal less optimistic than on Tuesday, in part because of Tuesday but with nobody needing reminding of the humiliation at the hands of Southampton at The Valley. Add in the fact that they had won four of their last five and have moved from surprising relegation candidates when we last played them to play-off contenders (rather the reverse for us), with their fans no doubt licking their lips at the prospect of adding to Jones’ problems, and I like most I suspect felt that anything from the game would be a bonus. Given that, we were perhaps looking for reason to believe that the resolve and determination remained intact for more important challenges to come.
But always at the back of your mind, this is football, nothing is written. And with a disciplined defensive display and a delightful equaliser we came away with a very valuable point, one that for the majority of the game had looked unlikely. Ultimately they perhaps took the game too casually when it came to turning the ample possession we afforded them into real chances, with so many of their 23 attempts on goal blocked. By contrast, when Carey shaped up to shoot his effort evaded two defenders and their keeper, who got a hand to it but couldn’t keep it out. Sometimes you do make your own luck.
The team showed two changes from Tuesday night, one a surprise the other less so. Sichenje came into the starting line-up, in a back three with Jones and Bell, with Ramsay moving to right-side wing-back and Clarke having a rest. Whether that was in response to the opposition, a result of what he’d seen on the training ground, or some other reason only Jones would know. Up front Campbell came in for Leaburn, who moved to the bench, to start alongside Dykes. Otherwise it was unchanged, with Docherty and Coady retained together in midfield. No doubt they and some others, including Kaminski, went out with a point to prove after Tuesday night.
The pattern for the game was apparent from the start. Our job was to get behind the ball and defend the box in numbers. Stay in the game and perhaps look to be more ambitious in the closing stages. It meant conceding possession until the final third, with Dykes and Campbell left to cause whatever problems they could with little supply or support.
And we did start rather shakily. Sichenje conceded a couple of early free kicks (he did settle down to have a fine debut, but you can see why he picks up a fair share of cards), Ramsay made an error to nearly let them in, and it took a Jones clearance off the line to keep it all square. We had the occasional moment, including on 19 minutes when Jones found Carey well and he moved it on to Chambers, only for his dinked cross to be gathered by their keeper, and others involving finding Campbell in space. But they were few and far between. Kaminski saved a shot from a narrow angle, while a curler from a set piece hit the bar, then another shot from inside the box went well over. A Southampton corner was flicked on at the near post and Bree couldn’t quite rise high enough to keep his header under the bar.
No matter, at the break we were content, so far job done. That Southampton had 74% possession mattered little, none of their 10 attempts on goal (five on target) had registered. Jones will have been the happier of the two managers, but still a long way to go, with Southampton no doubt feeling that more of the same and sooner or later they would score.
We didn’t expect that goal to come so quickly after the break, within just a couple of minutes. And it didn’t seem like one of their moments of danger. A ball in from their left was going behind their forward. But fair play to him, he managed to get his head around it and glance a header with sufficient power and placed beyond Kaminski into the net. A goal I think you just hold up your hands and say well done.
With the goal coming so early there was no suggestion of a change from us in response. The greater goal in the following period was not to concede another. And although their tails were up, crucially we managed to do that. We did get caught out by a swift goalkeeper throw out to their winger, with the move ending strangely as Bell slipped over in the box, blocking the path for the forward. Equally, we were perhaps hard done by as Dykes took advantage of a defensive error and fired home, only to be pulled up for using his hand to control the ball. Looked a questionable decision, might on another day have got away with it.
After a succession of Southampton corners, on 65 minutes Jones made a significant change, with Leaburn coming on to replace Campbell. He’d done well enough, caused them some problems, but we needed to add more of a physical presence up front. The effect was felt quickly, with us playing further up the pitch, but it was still something of a surprise that we were very quickly level. Bell found Docherty and he cut across the box and laid the ball on for Carey. He took a touch and it looked likely (to me at least) that his effort would be charged down. But it wasn’t, and despite their keeper’s fingertips it found the far corner of the net.
Still 25+ minutes left to hold out. Southampton responded with a triple substitution but if anything the game became more even, at least until the closing minutes. It also became more fractious, with a poor tackle on Leaburn and later a coming together shall we say of their guy and Coady, which produced accusations of a headbut by the former. The ref, at rather a loss what to do, gave them both a yellow.
On 83 minutes Kelman and Coventry replaced Dykes and Coventry, then Sichenje went down with cramp and was replaced by Clarke, Ramsay moving back inside. News of 10 additional minutes as an unpleasant surprise and during that time it was all backs to the wall and a case of heading or hoofing anything away and blocking more shots. That we managed to do and there was no doubt who was celebrating at the final whistle.
Just how important the point might prove nobody can say as yet. For now it keeps us with a gap to the relegation zone, notionally seven points but with Blackburn and Portsmouth rapidly making up the ground and Leicester appealing against their six-point deduction meaning the position is less comfortable than it might appear. It also sets everything up for yet another massive game on Tuesday night at West Brom. We failed to beat Blackburn when they were on their uppers, here would seem to be another chance to really put distance between us and at least one of those below us. Win and the immediate pressure is eased significantly. May it be so.
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