Sourced from Daily Mail article
Norwich 2-2 Southampton: Steven Naismith strikes deep in stoppage time
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For Norwich manager Alex Neil, a moment of respite. In East Anglia, there is a feeling of indifference and upset these days, as Neil toils in the struggle to recover from last season’s relegation from the Premier League.
Neil’s side had won only three of their previous fourteen going into this game and there are a good number in these parts who would, quite frankly, be glad to see the manager out on his ear.
Only 12,479 turned up to this FA Cup third round tie - compared to attendances regularly in excess of 26,000 last season in the top-flight. Neil attributed this to the club’s ticket pricing structure but disaffection surely played a prominent part, too, with Norwich 9th in the Championship.
‘I think the price of ticket was £25, relatively high,’ Neil said. ‘It’s just after Christmas, people are not flush with money after spending money on presents right now.’
For those that did turn up, a terrific encounter to enjoy and Neil’s stock might have risen a little after a 92nd minute equaliser by Steven Naismith. The Scotsman steered a glancing header into the far corner of the goal after being picked out by a curling Steven Whittaker cross.
For Southampton manager Claude Puel, however, this was another setback, following a haunting Christmas period in which his side suffered three Premier League defeats in six days.
The Saints were left to reflect on a tale of their centre halves, on the one who was missing and the two who stepped up to score.
The build-up to this match had been dominated by confirmation that Jose Fonte had asked to leave the club and and he was subsequently left out of the squad entirely by Puel.
The French coach admitted afterwards that the current speculation contributed to his decision. 'I respect the possibility for Jose to see any opportunities in the window.
It is now in doubt as to whether Fonte will feature at all against Liverpool in the EFL Cup semi-final against Liverpool this week.
‘I will take a decision tomorrow or Monday. It is always difficult for all the teams, although it is difficult this period it makes it important for us to manage this period as best as possible.’
In the absence of his captain, Puel will have been delighted to see goals from the two central defenders who did play, Virgil van Dijk and Maya Yoshida.
They were terrific goals in their own right, Van Dijk’s a stylish volley and Yoshida’s a thumping header. Until injury time, it appeared the two strikes would be enough to hand Southampton a deserved victory.
As it transpired, an uplifting afternoon for Southampton descended into one of disappointment and it will certainly be interesting to see how Puel lifts his team when Liverpool arrive on the South Coast on Wednesday night.
For all the disappointment conjured by conceding a late equaliser, there were signs of promise for Southampton. They are a club with a magnificent tradition developing their own talent in recent times and this was the case again here, with five academy products in the starting line-up. Josh Sims is a silky operator in the final third and Jack Stephens impressed from right back.
There was, however, a caveat, most notably in the traumatic experience endured by young debutant goalkeeper Harry Lewis. As a club, the judgement is usually sound but in Lewis, aged only 19, it sadly appeared to be a case of player plunged in before his time.
Lewis is highly-rated by Southampton, a young goalkeeper brought through the Shrewsbury youth system, just like Joe Hart. Indeed, Hart’s mentor and former England goalkeeping coach Dave Watson personally recommended Lewis to Southampton. The club subsequently spent a six figure sum on the player in 2015.
This, however, was a distressing debut for the young player. His first glimpse of anxiety emerged when he slid out to collect the ball with his hands, only for momentum to carry him out of the penalty area. He conceded a free-kick and was lucky to avoid further punishment. Six minutes into the second-half and much worse was to follow.
It was a horror moment, a momentary loss of concentration followed by a collision of frenzied panic. Van Dijk slid a perfectly fine pass towards his goalkeeper but Lewis’ first touch was poor and as Cameron Jerome closed in, the goalkeeper rushed across, careering into the forward and bringing him to the ground. All of a sudden, a contest emerged.
Southampton had been leading up until that point, taking the lead when Van Dijk volleyed into the goal in the 37th minute. Van Dijk is a supreme defender, among the finest in the Premier League.
This is, primarily, because he marshals Southampton’s defence with assurance but Pep Guardiola and Manchester City have also been taken by his poise on the ball.
This goal was the perfect showcase, as the Dutchman shaped his body expertly to meet Dusan Tadic’s whipped cross and fire a splendid volley into the ground and past Michael McGovern in the Norwich goal.
It was a lead Southampton just about deserved and in truth, Norwich did not appear likely to recover, barely troubling the visitors defence until they drew level.
After Whittaker’s equaliser, Southampton responded strongly, as Tadic tested McGovern with a stinging effort and they then retook the lead when Maya Yoshida met a Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s curling cross with a bullet of a header.
Southampton continued to press, testing McGovern again through Tadic but as we entered injury-time, Norwich rallied, as Naismith stooped to ensure the replay.
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