Stoke City beat Southampton 2-1 at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday, as the Potters fought back from 1-0 down at half time to record their first win in five matches.
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Morgan Schneiderlin gave Saints a deserved early lead as he tapped home Jose Fonte’s header to make it 1-0. However a bizarre goal just after the break pulled Stoke level as Steven Nzonzi’s looping effort hit the crossbar and dropped down to Mame Diouf who slammed home. Late on substitute Charlie Adam pounced on a loose ball on the box and made it 2-1 to send the home fans wild.
With the win Stoke moved up to ninth on 46 points, while Saints stay in sixth but missed the chance to close the gap on Manchester City in fourth to two points.
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Saints started the brighter of the two sides and early on Sadio Mane went down in the box under contact from Stephen Ireland but referee Mark Clattenburg waved away penalty appeals.
After 22 minutes the visitors took a deserved lead as Fonte’s flicked his near-post header towards goal and Schneiderlin was on hand to tap home his fourth goal of the season. 1-0 to Southampton.
Before half time Saints had a great chance to double their lead as Mane and Nathaniel Clyne combined but the latter blazed an effort well over when others were waiting in the box. Moments before half time Stoke had a glorious chance to equalize as a free kick found Geoff Cameron who nodded the ball across to Nzonzi at the back post but the French midfielder somehow failed to convert as he skewed his effort wide.
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Just two minutes into the second Stoke were level as a looping effort from Nzonzi crashed off the crossbar and went straight to Diouf who hammered home. 1-1.
Saints continued to push forward after being pegged back and Mane skipped around Asmir Begovic and set up Dusan Tadic but the Serbian twice had efforts cleared off the line. The away side were made to rue those missed chances as substitute Adam smashed home in the 84th minute after Walters’ shot had been blocked. 2-1 to the Potters.
LINEUPS
Stoke City: Begovic; Cameron, Shawcross, Wollscheid, Pieters; Nzonzi, Whelan (Sidwell, 76'); Walters, Ireland (Adam, 45'), Arnautovic; Diouf (Crouch, 76')
Goals: Diouf (47'), Adam (84')
Southampton: K. Davis, Clyne, Fonte, Alderweireld, Yoshida, Bertrand (Long, 86'), Schneiderlin, S. Davis (Elia, 86'), Tadic (Ward-Prowse, 67'), Mane, Pelle
Goal: Schneiderlin (22')