| Our man of the match: Stoke (H) | Southampton signed off the 2016/17 season with a 1-0 defeat at home to Stoke City on Sunday. The Saints finish the … 21-05-2017 |
In a nutshell, Claude Puel - criticised by some Southampton fans for a lack of entertainment - got the worst result he could have wished for. A tame and somewhat blunt offering until the late stages.
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I wish you a lovely summer. Enjoy it, forget football for a while and come back fresh for next term. We will have plenty on offer for you again when the Premier League gets going.
Jack Butland made a string of wonder saves to see Southampton finish the season with five home games without a goal – and leave Claude Puel’s job hanging in the balance.
Peter Crouch scored his 10th of the season after an hour to give Stoke their first away win since January.But then the England keeper defied the Saints with save after save to see Southampton extend their unwanted St Mary’s goalless streak to seven hours and 35 minutes.
He denied Steven Davis and James Ward-Prowse with a remarkable double save. Butland then stopped a shot from sub Manolo Gabbiadini despite slipping – and then the Italian put the rebound wide. The Stoke keeper then somehow kept out a shot from another sub Sofiane Boufel with his legs before again denying Gabbiadini from the resulting corner.
The Saints board will meet to discuss Puel’s future this week at the end of a season where they reached the EFL Cup final but finished in ninth – three places and 16 points worse than last year. Booes rang around St Mary’s at full time.
Fraser Forster needed to make a smart low save from Mame Biram Diouf after 19 seconds – but ltttle else then happened in the first half until injury time.
The Senegalese striker had a header cleared off the line by Cedric and as the ball was launched up the other end, Nathan Redmond robbed Jack Butland outside his box but saw his shot from 45 yards hit the top of the bar.
The deadlock was finally broken after an hour when Crouch took advantage of his big height advantage over Cedric to head home Geoff Cameron’s right-wing cross. Stoke, who had not won away in seven matches, climb up to 12th place (check) with only their second victory in 11 games.
They had finished ninth in their three previous seasons under Mark Hughes.
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