SADIO MANE’S FIRST Premier League goal sent Southampton up to second as Stoke City were beaten 1-0 at St Mary’s on Saturday.
Mane, who replaced Shane Long in Southampton’s only change from last week’s mauling of Sunderland,m tucked home the rebound in the first half after Graziano Pelle’s shot had bounced back off the upright.
It could have been a more emphatic win for the home side, as Morgan Schneiderlin and Pelle struck the woodwork either side of Mane’s winner, with Stoke never looking like denying the south-coast club a fourth successive home victory.
Dusan Tadic tested Asmir Begovic with a low drive in the 29th minute and from the resulting corner, Schneiderlin’s strike came back off the crossbar after a well-worked routine involving Tadic and Mane.
Four minutes later, however, the home side took a lead which was no more than they deserved.
After Pelle’s initial effort had struck the post, Mane reacted quickest to side-foot the rebound in off the underside of the bar.
Southampton made a strong start to the second period and almost doubled their lead within four minutes as Pelle’s header from Tadic’s cross bounced back off the bar.
As the game entered the final quarter of an hour, Pelle continued to go in search of his seventh league goal of the campaign, this time heading wide of goal from Tadic’s corner.
Mame Biram Diouf, replaced by Jonathan Walters in one of two changes for Stoke, was introduced shortly after half-time by Mark Hughes and almost made a telling contribution 12 minutes from time, just failing to get a proper connection on Phil Bardsley’s deep cross from the right.
It would be the last chance for Stoke as they failed to breach The Saints defence.
Meanwhile, at The Hawthorns, an injury-time penalty from Saido Berahino rescued a 2-2 draw for West Brom against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
It appeared as though the visitors would be rewarded for an excellent first half as a goal from Brede Hangeland and Mile Jedinak’s spot-kick put Palace into a two-goal lead at The Hawthorns at the interval.
West Brom claimed a share of the spoils, though, as substitute Victor Anichebe halved the deficit shortly after the break before Berahino’s seventh Premier League goal of the season ensured a 2-2 draw at the death.
