Southampton and Stoke City met at St Mary's Stadium this afternoon having drawn all three of their previous Premier League meetings.
The hosts took a sixth-minute lead through Rickie Lambert's wonderful free kick, but Peter Odemwingie equalised with the first of three goals in five minutes.
The Nigerian lifted a Charlie Adam through ball over Artur Boruc on 38 minutes, but the Saints restored their lead when Steven Davis' intended cross sneaked inside the post three minutes later.
Peter Crouch bundled a corner over the line before the interval to earn the Potters parity once more and there was to be no more goals after the break as these two sides again finished on level terms.
Below, you can read how the action unfolded on the South Coast, courtesy of SM's live text coverage.
Afternoon, all. These two sides witnessed at close quarters the most bizarre start to a Premier League game ever earlier in the season when Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic scored from inside his own area after just 13 seconds. What will today's encounter bring us?
Southampton host the Potters at St Mary's Stadium in one of six 3.00pm Premier League kickoffs being brought to you live by Sports Mole. It has already been a crazy day of top-flight football...
UPDATE: It's a blink and you'll miss it job at Anfield, where a rampant Liverpool have put FIVE past table-topping Arsenal, including four goals in the opening 20 minutes. A Mikel Arteta penalty has just given Arsenal a consolation. 5-1 to the hosts on Merseyside at present.
Anyway, back to matters on the South Coast. Team news coming your way shortly...
SOUTHAMPTON: Boruc; Clyne, Fonte, Yoshida, Shaw; Cork, Schneiderlin, S. Davis; Lallana, Rodriguez, Lambert
SUBS: K. Davis, Wanyama, Ward-Prowse, Guly, Chambers, Hooiveld, Isgrove
STOKE: Begovic; Cameron, Shawcross, Muniesa, Pieters; Odemwingie, Adam, Whelan, Assiadi, Walters; Crouch
SUBS: Sorensen, Wilkinson, Shotton, Palacios, Nzonzi, Ireland, Guidetti
Mauricio Pochettino makes two changes to the Saints starting XI, with Victor Wanyama and Calum Chambers, who were both pre-match injury doubts, dropping to the bench.
Jack Cork, who was a half-time replacement for Wanyama in the 3-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage last weekend, comes into midfield, while Nathaniel Clyne is restored at right-back.
All three of Southampton's England international goalscorers in West London last weekend, Adam Lallana, Jay Rodriguez and Rickie Lambert, start in a forward three for the hosts.
Teenage striker Sam Gallagher, who has featured more prominently since Dani Osvaldo left to join Juventus on loan, is given the weekend off following the death of his father.
Stoke manager Mark Hughes also makes two alterations to the side that were victorious over Manchester United last Saturday. Two-goal hero Charlie Adam plays behind lone striker Peter Crouch, but neither Marko Arnauotivc nor Marc Wilson are fit to be included in the squad.
They are the two Potters drop outs, as Oussama Assaidi replaces Arnauotivc on the wing. Jonathan Walters was also a question mark for today's match but he starts on the opposite flank.
With Wilson suffering from illness, and Robert Huth and Andy Wilkinson still on the treatment table, Marc Muniesa is handed only his fourth Premier League start in central defence.
Steven N'Zonzi is available to Hughes again after completing his suspension, but the former Blackburn Rovers man has to be content with a place on the bench as Glenn Whelan is retained.
RESULT: It is all over at Anfield, where Liverpool have shocked the league leaders, and most of the rest of the country, by thrashing Arsenal 5-1. They are now only five points behind the table-topping Gunners, and are the same distance clear of Merseyside rivals Everton in fifth.
England assistant manager Ray Lewington was at that game to monitor several World Cup hopefuls, and while Roy Hodgson has chosen to check in on Premier League Player of the Month Adam Johnson at Sunderland today, he must have one eye on Southampton's England contingent.
Jay Rodriguez, Rickie Lambert, Luke Shaw and perhaps even Nathaniel Clyne will harbour hopes of going to Brazil, but it is Saints skipper Adam Lallana who is pressing his claim most heavily with his performances throughout the season, and of late in particular.
Pochettino this week described Lallana as a "special talent" and tipped him to make the plane to South America. He told reporters: "Adam is a top player, a wonderful player in English football.
"I consider him to be a great player, everyone can see he is a special talent.
"I'd love for him to be part of the England side for the World Cup. Of course we'd like to see him and other players in the England squad - individually for them it would be perfect, from our point of view."
Kickoff just over 10 minutes away at St Mary's...
HEAD-TO-HEAD: All three of the Premier League meetings between these sides have ended in draws, while the Saints have not lost to Stoke in eight home matches, a run which stretches back to 1980.
ONE TO WATCH: It cannot be anyone other than Adam Lallana. The way the Southampton skipper has been playing this season, he should be a shoe-in to, not only be in the England squad, but be in the starting XI for their opening World Cup match this summer. From a Stoke point of view, Charlie Adam is the man in form but also watch out for Peter Odemwingie, whose pace gives them a counter-attacking threat. He is yet to score for the Potters since arriving in January, so could be due one today.
PREDICTION: The fact that these two sides will both be buoyed by recent results suggests that we are in for a tight contest today, but I think Southampton's home advantage will be key. Stoke are struggling on the road, having won only one away game all season. I'll plump for 2-1 to the hosts.
We are underway on the South Coast...
This has been a much quieter start than the one which lit up the reverse fixture, but it is again very blustery. Thankfully for Artur Boruc, who was embarrassed at the Britannia Stadium, Southampton have the wind behind them in this half. Begovic's kicks are hardly making it to the halfway line.
GOAL! SOUTHAMPTON 1-0 STOKE (RICKIE LAMBERT)
Southampton lead early on through a stunning Rickie Lambert strike! Adam concedes a free kick for handball out wide on the left, and Lambert jogs over to take it. Plenty of Saints bodies pile into the box, but instead the set-piece specialist whips a superb shot into the far corner of the net. Begovic may have been expecting a cross, but even if he wasn't, he would not have had much chance with that one. Perfect pace and precision from Lambert, who takes his season tally to eight with that brilliant goal.
SHOT! Despite going down early on, Stoke are pinging the ball around with some confidence, and Crouch links up with Odemwingie to fashion them a chance. The lanky striker's layoff was perhaps a bit later than Odemwingie was hoping for, though, and by the time the former Cardiff City striker received the ball, he had been forced out wide. His low shot is on target, but easy for Boruc to gather.
The Saints are looking dangerous every time they break forward. A couple of long-range shots have been blocked, while another very ambitious one from Rodriguez goes flying high and wide.
The Saints are looking dangerous every time they break forward. A couple of long-range shots have been blocked, while another very ambitious one from Rodriguez goes flying high and wide.
Adam, who is Stoke's top goalscorer this season with seven goals, obviously showed last week that he does much of his good work going forward, but so far he is being pushed back. A trip from the Scotland international gifts Lallana a free-kick opportunity, but this time it comes to nothing.
UPDATE: Oh how Stoke will wish that their pursuit of Tom Ince would have been successful. The Blackpool winger ended up joining Crystal Palace on loan and he has taken only 15 minutes to open his Eagles account. They lead West Bromwich Albion 1-0 at Selhurst Park.
It has been a pretty good response to conceding by Stoke. Assaidi, who may not have been in the team today had it not been for Arnautovic's injury, embarks on a mazy dribble down the left before cutting back to deliver a dangerous cross which is headed behind for a corner.
The Potters have spotted that they have an outlet in Assaidi and are now looking to release the Liverpool loanee at every opportunity. Saints fans are convinced that he is offside from a Whelan pass, and although the flag is not raised, Clyne retreats well and jockeys him out of play.
Cameron delivers a cross from deep towards Crouch at the back post. It is too heavy for the forward to be able to direct an effort at goal, but he does very well to flick it back into play. They recycle the ball and eventually Adam delivers for Walters, who stoops to glance a header some way wide.
Southampton take a chance to deliver a cross of their own. Shaw's ball in is headed away by Shawcross, but only to Schneiderlin on the edge of the box. The Frenchman is not known for his striking abilities and he drags a first-time shot with his weaker left foot off towards the corner flag.
SAVE! The Saints counter superbly from a Stoke corner, as a great first touch from Davis takes him away from Pieters. He travels with the ball for 60 or so yards before picking out Clyne on the overlap to his left. The full-back tries to bend a shot into the far corner, but Begovic telegraphed it and palms away.
SHOT! Adam is shown a yellow card for persistent offending, as Southampton are awarded a free-kick very much in Lambert range. The England man strikes cleanly again but right in the centre of the goal and Begovic makes a simple catch as the rain begins to hammer down in Hampshire.
There is now heavy rain, strong winds and hailstones coming down inside St Mary's Stadium, but none of that has disrupted the football as yet. It has been a very enjoyable opening half-an-hour, with the two sides separated by a fantastic Lambert strike. Stoke are well in this contest, though.
A corner straight from the training ground causes Stoke a few problems, as Scheiderlin attacks the low delivery to the near post. His shot is blocked by Muniesa, and another Potters shirt is on hand to intervene when the ball falls to Clyne to unleash a powerful drive from the edge of the box.
Southampton are having a good spell of pressure now, as Lallana gets to the byline only to be thwarted by Muniesa. The second ball is chipped into the danger area and when Begovic drops the cross, Lambert nearly pounces but Stoke have enough men back to save their keeper's blushes.
GOAL! SOUTHAMPTON 1-1 STOKE (PETER ODEMWINGIE)
Stoke are level, and we have been graced by another really good goal. Odemwingie makes an intelligent run off the right flank and Adam finds him with an outstanding through pass which splits the Saints centre-backs in half. Boruc rushes out to meet the Nigerian, who keeps his cool to lift the ball over the home keeper for his first goal for the Potters since his January arrival.
GOAL! SOUTHAMPTON 2-1 STOKE (STEVEN DAVIS)
Stoke's parity lasts only three minutes, but if the first two goals were sights to see, this one has a heap of good fortune to it! Davis turns back on himself on the right edge of the box and chips a ball into the danger area. The cross passes the tussling Shawcross and Rodriguez at the near post, and the wind takes it beyond a scrambling Begovic and inside the far post. How that crept in, I'm not quite sure!
GOAL! SOUTHAMPTON 2-2 STOKE (PETER CROUCH)
A thrilling spell of three goals in five minutes concludes with Stoke scoring a second equaliser! This is the scrappiest goal of the lot. Although Adam's delivery from a corner is pacey and into the perfect area, it is not dealt with by either Boruc nor the defenders in front of him, and Crouch sneaks in front of his man to get a knee to it and bundle the ball over the line. The fans here are being treated to a cracker today!
We will have TWO minutes of second-half stoppage time...
An injury to Begovic requires the physio's attention and the break in play allows me time to get my breath back! The Bosnian clashed with Rodriguez while both were challenging for an aerial ball. There was no malice in it, but the forward just lightly caught him in the face. He'll be fine to continue.
HALF-TIME: SOUTHAMPTON 2-2 STOKE
What an opening 45 minutes that was, particularly the final 10 minutes before the interval! Lambert gave Southampton the lead with a stunning sixth-minute free kick, but Stoke responded well to their early deficit and deservedly drew level through Peter Odemwingie's first for the club.
Only three minutes later, the hosts were back in front courtesy of a slightly fortunate goal from Steven Davis, whose cross was taken by the wind and evaded the four bodies in the box to sneak past Asmir Begovic and inside the far post. Crouch bundled in a corner 90 second later for Stoke's equaliser.
STATS: The figures will show that the half-time scoreline is about right, and that these two sides deserve to be on level terms at the interval. Southampton have had slightly more possession with 54%, but you would perhaps expect that from the home team. Both the Saints and Stoke have had four shots on target, while Stoke have edged the corner count thus far with four to Southampton's three.
BENCH WATCH: Stoke have Manchester City loanee John Guidetti on the bench if things are still tight near the end of the contest. An extra midfield body in the form Steven N'Zonzi or Wilson Palacios could allow Adam to play a more advanced role. Pochettino's forward options are thin, but he does have James Ward-Prowse, a regular throughout the first half of the campaign, in reserve if needed.
The action is back underway at St Mary's Stadium...
The Saints have a free kick over by the left byline. Davis drills quite a flat delivery towards the six-yard box but the ball is in the air long enough for Begovic to come out and make a decent punch clear.
CHANCE! Excellent movement from Rodriguez helps him shake off marker Muniesa from a Saints corner, and he is completely free when he meets the ball quite centrally. He tries to guide his header into the bottom right corner, but it skips off the surface and flies a few yards wide.
A lovely passing move from Southampton sees the ball exchanged between Lallana and Clyne before the overlapping full-back crosses to the near post for Davis to glance a header straight at Begovic.
Schneiderlin is sitting on the floor over by the Southampton bench with an expression of concern on his face. A bit of treatment from the physio soon has the midfielder back on his feet.
Both sides are raising the tempo of a game which is already being played at quite a pace! A slip from Yoshida nearly allows Stoke a sight of goal but Assaidi, who fooled Clyne with a smart turn in the buildup, saw his cross towards Crouch headed clear by Fonte. At the other end, a flying Rodriguez is brought down in the seconds preceding an optimistic Saints penalty shout for handball against Cameron.
Southampton are beginning to knock on the door again, as the wind continues to swirl on the South Coast. Stoke are being pushed back but are defending stoutly, and fairly comfortably at present.
Fonte comes out to pinch the ball from in front of Crouch and Davis picks it up, turning and fizzing a pass into Lambert's feet. He spins and shoots, via a deflection, a few yards over the bar.
The hosts have so many players that can run with the ball, and Shaw is the latest to do so. He bursts inside off the left and three Stoke bodies are needed to muscle him off the ball, unfairly according to referee Craig Pawson. Southampton have a free kick 40 yards out in the left channel.
Davis is again on set-piece duty, and this time he sends it high to the back stick. Lambert nods it down for Cork to run onto, but he slices his wild volley some distance wide of Begovic's post.
BOOKING: Crouch was perhaps a little fortunate to avoid punishment for an off-the-ball tussle with Fonte a few minutes ago, and here he is cautioned for clattering into Schneiderlin.
Stoke withstood 10-15 minutes of reasonably heavy Southampton pressure and are now beginning to get on the ball themselves. They are yet to call Boruc into action since the break, though.
Neither manager has turned to their substitutes bench yet, but the tempo that this game has been played at means that it could be difficult for a replacement to immediately settle into the match.
Southampton are moving through the gears again here, with Shaw now spending almost all of his time in the Stoke half. He is being surrounded by Potters shirts every time he gets it, though.
SUBSTITUTION: Hughes has noticed that Southampton are dominating the midfield now and he has sacrificed the creative talents of Adam for the physical and defensive presence of Steven N'Zonzi.
SUBSTITUTION: Pochettino follows suit by making his first change, making a straight swap at right-back by replacing Clyne with Calum Chambers, who did not start today due to a dead leg.
Around eight minutes plus stoppage time remaining here. Can either side snatch it late on?
CHANCE! The Saints are looking the more likely. A free-kick, for which Walters was cautioned, is delivered into the box. N'Zonzi's headed clearance isn't the best and Chambers' follow-up cross reaches Schneiderlin at the back post. He tries to steer a volley goalwards but can only find the side netting.
SUBSTITUTION: John Guidetti grimaces as he emerges from the shelter of the bench and onto a pitch which has been battered by rain all afternoon. Assadi makes way for the Swedish striker.
Stoke continue to defend very well. Spaces in their compact back line are proving difficult to find, as a hopeful cross from right-back Chambers is comfortably claimed by Begovic.
The Potters are awarded a free-kick for Yoshida's sliding tackle on Guidetti, which was as clean as a whistle. He got all of the ball, and none of the man and thankfully for referee Pawson, nothing came from the set piece. The fourth official is hovering on the touchline, with stoppage time imminent.
Odemwingie becomes the fourth Stoke player to be booked as the board signals that we will have a minimum of THREE minutes of additional time at the end of this second half...
Cork pumps a ball into the box which Shawcross heads away. He has been excellent this afternoon. At the other end, Guidetti chases down in vain as Fonte launches another Southampton attack. Last chance saloon for Pochettino's men here if they are to snatch maximum points.
FULL-TIME: SOUTHAMPTON 2-2 STOKE:
It may have been miserable, wet, windy weather on a South Coast which even saw hailstones this afternoon, but that was a very enjoyable watch. Stoke twice came from behind to earn a very good point at Southampton, who have now only won one of their last seven matches at St Mary's.
Rickie Lambert's stunning free kick gave the Saints a sixth-minute lead, but Stoke responded well and deservedly equalised through Peter Odemwingie's first goal for the club. Steven Davis put them ahead three minutes later with a cross which sneaked inside the post, but a spell of three goals in five minutes ended with Peter Crouch bundling a corner over the line to earn the Potters parity just before the interval.
The Saints had periods of pressure in the second half, but could not break down a very compact visiting defence. Pochettino may see this as a missed opportunity, as they remain ninth in the table. Mark Hughes's side are in 12th place, although they are only three points above the relegation zone.
That's it from me. Thanks for joining Sports Mole today, and be sure to stay with us for live coverage of the South Wales derby between Swansea and Cardiff this evening. Until next time...
Written by
Joe Fish
Joe Fish
