Youssuf Mulumbu played 88 great minutes for West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, then threw away a point with a rush of blood to the head at the end of the match. His foul in the box gifted Southampton its only goal in a 1-0 win at The Hawthorns.
West Bromwich Albion vs. Southampton: Final score 0-1, Luke Shaw and Rickie Lambert steal points late
Despite 88 minutes of great defending, West Brom made a late mental error and Southampton capitalized.
Southampton got off to a fast and furious start, absolutely battering the West Brom defense from the first whistle. Jonas Olsson nearly scored an own goal in the 5th minute on a dangerous diving clearance, with his header going just inches wide of the far post. Not long after, an effort by Victor Wanyama was cleared off the line. Adam Lallana looked to have the opening goal in the 33rd minute off a set piece, but his tap-in was disallowed for offside.
The second half featured fewer chances for the Saints, with West Brom improving considerably in midfield after the break. Southampton looked dangerous throughout the first half, but never looked too close to scoring in the second, while its possession numbers dropped.
Neither team was boring or conservative in the second half, but they didn’t create much in the way of clear chances until the very end of the game. West Brom looked to be taking control as the half wore on until the 89th minute, when the Saints won a penalty.
Luke Shaw, who had a fantastic game manning the left flank, drew the foul from Mulumbu on a run into the box with the ball at his feet. Rickie Lambert stepped up to the spot and hit a powerful shot low and to Ben Foster’s left, beating him to put Southampton ahead.
West Brom threw everyone forward in an attempt to find an equalizer and nearly got it. Billy Jones was nearly a hero with a header on a lofted ball into the box during stoppage time, but Artur Boruc came up with a save to clinch the three points for his team.
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