Stoke City 1-2 Southampton: Pelle brace sees Saints leapfrog Potters

Posted Sunday, March 13, 2016 by Goal.com

Stoke City 1-2 Southampton: Pelle brace sees Saints leapfrog Potters
Two goals from the Italian striker helped Ronald Koeman's side register their first win in four attempts in the league as they push for a Europa League spot

A first-half brace from Graziano Pelle helped 10-man Southampton leapfrog Stoke City into seventh in the Premier League table after a 2-1 victory on Saturday.

Pelle came close to handing the Saints the lead 10 minutes in only to be denied by Jack Butland, yet got the better of the Potters stopper from Steven Davis' subsequent corner.

And the 30-year-old then added a second goal - as many as he had in his previous 17 Premier League appearances combined - on the half-hour mark after combining with Dusan Tadic.

Stoke hit back shortly after the interval when Marko Arnautovic converted a low cross from Ibrahim Afellay, but they could not force an equaliser despite a raft of chances.

Victory breaks a run of three games without a win for Southampton - who saw substitute Sadio Mane harshly sent off for a collision with Erik Pieters in injury time - while Stoke's four-match unbeaten run comes to an end and Mark Hughes' side slip to ninth place.
Stoke captain Ryan Shawcross was back after eight games out with a back problem, while Shane Long returned from a knee injury for Southampton, who were without suspended duo Victor Wanyama and Jose Fonte, with Ryan Bertrand filling in at centre-back.

The hosts showed positive intent within two minutes of kick-off, record signing Giannelli Imbula striding forward from his own half before shooting wide from 30 yards.

Butland saved Pelle's header after 10 minutes but the visitors took the lead from the resulting corner. Davis whipped an excellent cross towards the near post and Pelle rose highest to glance in his first league goal since November.

Long then tested Butland with a powerful strike that the Stoke goalkeeper did well to beat away.

But Southampton scored a well-worked second goal on the half-hour mark when Pellerecovered an overhit cross and played a one-two with Tadic before bending a low shot into the bottom corner.
Ronald Koeman's men should have had a third goal on the stroke of half-time when Long broke free and fed Tadic, who beat Shawcross but then dallied and was robbed by Geoff Cameron.

Stoke were much improved after the interval and got back in the game after 51 minutes. Imbula fed Afellay and Arnautovic turned the low cross into the roof of the net.

Fraser Forster then saved a powerful Arnautovic shot as Stoke sought a quickfire equaliser, before Afellay bent a 30-yard effort off target.

Stoke were pouring forward and Mame Biram Diouf had a fantastic chance after 64 minutes, but he took too long when picked out by Cameron and Virgil van Dijk made a superb block.

Southampton could have had a penalty when Tadic went down over the onrushing Butland in the box, but referee Lee Mason felt it was not a foul.

James Ward-Prowse rattled the crossbar with a late free-kick as Southampton survived a late aerial barrage and Mane's late red card to take the three points.