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Southampton logo
Premier League
Nov 9, 2013 at 3pm UK
 
Hull logo

4-1

Schneiderlin (16'), Lambert (29'), Lallana (37'), Davis (88')
FT(HT: 3-0)
Sagbo (55')

Live Commentary: Southampton 4-1 Hull City - as it happened

Relive Sports Mole's text commentary of Southampton's 4-1 Premier League victory over Hull City at St Mary's Stadium.
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Southampton and Hull City met in their Premier League match at St Mary's Stadium this afternoon

The home side took control of the game early on and goals from Morgan Schneiderlin, Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana gave them a three goal lead at the break.

Yannick Sagbo pulled one back early in the second half to give the visitors some hope, but the Saints made the game safe when Steven Davis scored his side's fourth.

Read how the action unfolded below.


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Good afternoon and thank you for joining Sports Mole for live text commentary of this afternoon’s Premier League match between Southampton and Hull City.

It has been a great start to the season for both teams and they will be looking to keep their momentum going with a win today.

The most impressive of the two teams has to be the home side, who are currently sixth in the Premier League table with 19 points. They are just one point behind second place Chelsea and a victory today would move Southampton to within three points of leaders Arsenal.

Southampton’s recent performances haven’t gone unnoticed by England manager Roy Hodgson. Jay Rodriguez, Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana were all selected for the national side ahead of the upcoming friendlies against Chile and Germany.

The teams have just been announced so I can bring them to you now, starting with Southampton.

SOUTHAMPTON XI: Boruc, Clyne, Fonte, Lovren, Shaw, Wanyama, Schneiderlin, Ward-Prowse, Lallana, Rodriguez, Lambert

SOUTHAMPTON SUBS: K. Davis, S. Davis, Osvaldo, Cork, Chambers, Hooiveld, Gallagher

The home side heave made 10 changes from the team that lost to Sunderland in the Capital One Cup, with just Rodriguez retaining his place.

HULL XI: Harper, Rosenior, Figueroa, Davies, McShane, Elmohamady, Boyd, Meyler, Huddlestone, Livermore, Sagbo

HULL SUBS: Jakupovic, Bruce, Quinn, Koren, Gedo, Proschwitz, Graham

The Saints will be hoping to bounce back from losing only their second game of the season in midweek, when Sunderland claimed a 2-1 win over them in the League Cup.

Today’s visitors Hull sit 10th in the table and are five points behind Southampton. They returned to winning ways last weekend with a 1-0 win over Sunderland that ended a two game losing run.



Southampton are second only to Arsenal in the Premier League’s most in-form clubs. They have won four and drawn two of their last six league matches.

Another stat that will please Saints fans is their fantastic defensive record of just four goals conceded, which is the best in the league. Hull have a respectable record at the back too this season, having conceded 10 goals and kept four clean sheets.

Today's meeting marks the first time that Southampton and Hull have met in the Premier League. They last played each other in the Championship in 2012, when the Saints won 2-0 away from home.

In the 48 matches they have played, Southampton have the edge with 18 games won. Hull claimed victory on 12 occasions, while the other 18 matches ended level.

The two teams are not particularly renowned for their attacking abilities, with Southampton scoring 11 goals and Hull finding the net just eight times in the first 10 league games.

Mauricio Pochettino has been speaking to the media before today’s game about picking 10 of the same starting 11 last weekend and on the international call-ups some of his players have received: "We're giving continuity to the team that played in our last Premier League game. This week we've had a lot of emotions with the three England call-ups, but our focus has purely been on the game in hand."

PREDICTION: Southampton have won their last three home games and they will feel confident of extending their run against a Hull side that have lost four of their five fixtures away from The KC Stadium. The Saints have played some fantastic football under Pochettino and they should have enough quality in their side to keep their fine start to the season going. My prediction is a 3-1 win for the hosts.

We are just 10 minutes away from kick off at St Mary's!

REFEREE: Officiating the match today will be Phil Dowd.

The teams are out and we are moments from kick off!

KICKOFF! The game is underway at St Mary's!

The away side have seen plenty of the ball in the opening minutes of the match and their manager will be happy with how they have begun.

After a lengthy spell of possession for Hull, the home side look like they are starting to find their rhythm.

Lallana beats his man on the right hand side and puts in a dangerous cross but Lambert is unable to get on the end of it.

Good play from Lambert down the right hand side and he has won a corner.

From the set piece they come close to scoring, with the ball dropping to Fonte in the middle, but the defence manage to get it clear before has a chance to get his shot away.

The Saints are starting to get their passing game together and they are unlucky to see a fine move down the left including Shaw and Lallana end in a goal kick for Hull

Lallana has looked lively today, popping up all over the pitch and he sees another decent delivery from the right wing headed clear.

GOAL! Southampton 1-0 Hull City (Schneiderlin)

This time the home side make one of their crosses into the middle count. After Hull fail to deal with a cross, Schneiderlin finds himself free in the box to head past Harper and score his first goal of the season.

Hull win a free kick in a dangerous position on the left wing, but the cross is headed out for a corner.

Huddlestone takes the corner and McShane wins his header at the back post, but puts it over the bar.

Some of the play down the flanks for Southampton so far has been exceptional! Clyne delivers a wonderful cross into the box that Lambert can't connect with. The ball travels across to Shaw, who sends in a low ball that Hull manage to scramble clear.

The hosts have certainly settled into this game well and look a threat every time they come forward.

Harper gives the away fans a scare when he is nearly closed down by Lambert, but he keeps his cool to take the ball past the striker and clear.

Despite a relatively decent start to the game, Hull can't seem to get hold of the ball and are giving it away in some dangerous areas.

Huddlestone's strike on goal sums up the game so far for Hull. He tries his luck from 25 yards out, but scuffs the ball and it goes harmlessly wide of the post.

PENALTY TO SOUTHAMPTON! Harper brings down Lallana just inside the box after the midfielder latches onto a through ball leaving the referee with no option but to award the spot kick. Harper is lucky just to see a yellow card!

GOAL! Southampton 2-0 Hull City (Lambert)

Lambert makes no mistake with his penalty, firing it past Harper to double the home side's lead.



Steve Bruce doesn't look the happiest of managers on the bench, and if his side continue like this they will be in for a hammering today.

GOAL! Southampton 3-0 Hull City (Lallana)

What a stunning goal! Lallana weaves his way past three Hull defenders in the box, before sliding the ball past Harper. It was a truly wonderful goal and fully justifies his call-up to the England side this week.

As things stand, the Saints will be up to third place in the Premier League and based on today's display, it's not hard to see why.

Hull just haven't created any chances of note today. They have looked poor going forward and have really struggled to contain Lallana and Lambert at the back.

YELLOW CARD! Davies is booked for a foul on Shaw.

We are going to have two minutes of time added on at the end of the half.

CHANCE! Hull win a corner and Figueroa meets Huddlestone's delivery, but he sees his header cleared off the line.

HALF TIME: Southampton 3-0 Hull City

The referee blows for half time with Southampton three goals to the good. They have played some exceptional football today, with Lallana in sensational form. His goal was the best of the half and one of the goals of the season so far.

Steve Bruce will not be happy with what he has seen from his Hull side and I'm sure that the away dressing room is the last place you would want to be. It would take an unlikely comeback for them to get anything from this game.

UPDATE: In today's other games, Liverpool lead 3-0 against Fulham, while Chelsea are a goal up against West Bromwich Albion. Aston Villa against Cardiff City is goalless as well as Crystal Palace's game with Everton.

The stats of the game so far tell you everything about Southampton's dominance. They have had 63% of the possession and have had seven strikes on Harper's goal. While Hull have had five attempts of their own, the only effort of note was Figueroa's header that was cleared off the line.

The players are out and the second half is set to begin.

Southampton kick off and get us back underway.

SUBSTITUTION: Hull have made a change at the break with Koren coming on for Elmohamady.

The hosts look like they have picked up where they left off at the end of the first half. Rodriguez bursts past two defenders down the left hand side and wins his team a corner. They can't make the most of the set piece, as the ball falls to Lallana who doesn't connect with it properly and fires wide.

Signs of improvement from Hull. Boyd drives to the edge of the box before he is eventually crowded out by the home defence. They will need more of that to get back into this game.

Hull win a free kick just inside the Southampton half, but Huddlestone over hits his delivery and it comes to nothing. They will need to make more of those opportunities.

GOAL! Southampton 3-1 Hull City (Sagbo)

The visitors have pulled a goal back from absolutely nothing! Wanyama loses the ball just outside of the area, with Sagbo latching onto it and curling an effort into the bottom corner. It was a terrible mistake to make and Wanyama will be hoping it doesn't cost his team.

CHANCE! Huddlestone picks up a loose ball just outside the box and lashes a left footed volley at goal. His attempt is straight at Boruc though, but things are now looking promising for the away side.

Southampton are looking very nervous at the moment after conceding that goal. They will need to regain their composure quickly as Hull are sensing that they can get back into this game.

SAVE! Lallana comes close to restoring the home side's three goal lead. He exchanges passes with Lambert in the box before firing a shot across Harper, that the keeper does brilliantly to push wide of the goal.

SUBSTITUTION: Wanyama is taken off after that error and Davis comes on in his place.

England manager Roy Hodgson has been seen in the stands and it looks like he is enjoying the home side's performance. The display of Lallana must be a particular highlight.

Figueroa is lucky to escape a booking after going in with a high challenge on Clyne. Luckily there was no fuss from either player and the referee doesn't have to make a difficult decision.

Hull's momentum seems to have died down after scoring with the Saints settling back into their passing game and keeping the ball well.

SUBSTITUTION: The visitors are going to make another change, with Graham replacing Meyler.

The hosts almost score from a Hull corner. They break at pace with six players in the attack but the final ball from Ward-Prowse was poor and it comes to nothing.

Sagbo feels that he should have a free kick on the edge of the box, but he went down far too easily and the referee waves play on.

SUBSTITUTION: Osvaldo is on for Southampton and replaces Lambert.

Lallana works his way down the left hand side and whips in a cross to the back post, but Rodriguez can't get his head over the ball and puts his effort over the bar.

Within the space of a minute the Saints have another headed chance. This time Osvaldo tries his luck from just inside the box, but it is straight at Harper.

SUBSTITUTION: Hull make their final change of the match, with Quinn coming on for Boyd.

Quinn delivers a fine ball into the box, but Koren is unable to latch onto it. In these last few minutes of the match they may have to pump the ball long and hope something falls their way.

SUBSTITUTION: Lallana is taken off and receives a standing ovation for his display today. Cork is on in his place.

Hull manage to work a shooting chance for Livermore on the edge of the box, but the midfielder is leaning back as the strikes the ball and it sails wide.

The visitors are desperately trying to work an opening, but the home defence is looking solid and making sure they can't exploit any gaps.

GOAL! Southampton 4-1 Hull City (Davis)

Southampton wrap up the win with a goal from Davis. Clyne picked out the substitute in the box and after taking a touch, he planted a low strike beyond Harper. It was a great team move and surely has sealed three points for Southampton.

There are going to be four minutes of added time.

The home side are close to making it five. Rodriguez is slid through on goal but a last ditch challenge on him sees his shot blocked.

FULL TIME: Southampton 4-1 Hull City

The game is over and Southampton have comfortably seen off Hull. The hosts played some stunning football at times and despite a goal from Hull early in the second half, they were never in danger of losing this one.

It has been a fantastic start to the season for the Saints and they were a joy to watch today. As for Hull, Steve Bruce will be disappointed by how his side played in the first half, but encouraged by their response after the break.

That's all we've got time for, thank you for joining me for today's match. Please stay with Sports Mole for the rest of the weekend's results and breaking news. Goodbye!

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Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino on the touchline during the match against West Brom on August 17, 2013
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