Southampton 2-0 Bournemouth: Goals for Davis and Pelle as Saints cruise

Ronald Koeman's side wrapped up a simple win over Eddie Howe's Cherries as two first-half goals gave them the victory, with Vincent Wanyama sent off late on

Southampton eased to a 2-0 derby win over AFC Bournemouth, extending their south-coast neighbours' winless Premier League run to five matches.

Ronald Koeman's team move up to seventh in the table thanks largely to a dominant first-half performance, where the Bournemouth defence was creaking heavily before two goals in the space of five minutes from Steven Davis and Graziano Pelle.

Pelle celebrated his 36th-minute header by engaging in a Haka-style celebration with Southampton's sports therapist Graeme Staddon, whose New Zealand compatriots claimed Rugby World Cup glory against Australia at Twickenham on Saturday.

Unfortunately for Southampton, they were unable to produce the type of on-field dominance synonymous with the All Blacks after the break, when Bournemouth made most of the running but lacked badly for cutting edge.

The hosts played the final 12 minutes with 10 men after Victor Wanyama collected a second booking but there would be no way though for Eddie Howe's men, who sit a point and a place above the relegation zone.

A Southampton side unchanged from last weekend's draw at Liverpool asked plenty of early questions of a Bournemouth backline that leaked 10 goals over their previous two Premier League matches and Sadio Mane saw his 12th-minute strike deflected behind by veteran centre-back Sylvain Distin.

Mane, who scored the equaliser and was later sent off at Anfield, then latched on to Pelle's knockdown and drilled a shot into the turf that grazed the top of the netting.


The breakthrough arrived in the 31st minute from a sweeping Southampton attack – Pelle's deft flick falling perfectly into Ryan Bertrand's path for a first-time cross that Davis converted on the volley.


Pelle got himself on the scoresheet five minutes later, powering home a header after Dusan Tadic bamboozled right-back Adam Smith with some clever footwork to deliver the cross.