Leicester Home

Posted on October 20, 2015 by John Smith

Although Long was a prominent casualty, Saints’ regular starters all survived the international break without injury, only for Stekelenburg’s back to give out in training, meaning a season’s debut for Kelvin Davis as Saints took on Leicester. The visitors’ start to the campaign has been outstanding, but they have yet to keep a clean sheet, so Saints were confident, despite an early jitter from Kelvin. A series of corners was threatening an opening goal, and it duly arrived when Fonte directed a glancing header just inside the far post. Set pieces were always likely to be Leicester’s Achilles heel, and they did no better with Ward-Prowse’s excellent 38th minute delivery, although another glancing header, from Pellè this time, actually came back off the post – Van Dijk was on hand to make sure, but he did need two efforts to get the ball in from what was also a position with more than a suspicion of offside about it. Southampton were obviously content with the match state as they played keep-ball until the interval, but the Foxes were stung into action from the bench as they introduced both Dyer and Mahrez at the break. The game’s dynamic had obviously changed as Saints struggled to get any sort of possession in the second period. It was a situation that could have served to set up Mané on the break, and indeed he twice seemed to have got clear of a pedestrian back line, but the first time he was unable to keep possession having taken the ball clear of Schmeichel and on the second occasion he attempted an outrageous but unsuccessful lob over the keeper from some distance. Keeping a rampant Leicester at bay was prime amongst the team’s requirements, but Dyer got away from Tadić on the right and drew Van Dijk over before crossing for the in-form Vardy to head in. Despite questionable substitutions by Mr. Koeman, that didn’t look to be enough to cost points as the game moved into five minutes of added time – but we barely had chance to check our watches before Wanyama failed to control Davis’s weak goal kick and the ball was moved forward swiftly to Vardy who never looked like missing. A disappointing draw given the half time lead, but no more than the team deserved overall.

LSSC Man of the Match: Jose Fonte, with a goal to celebrate his new contract. Maybe we should have asked them all to sign new contracts ahead of a visit to Liverpool.