EPL: Southampton 0-0 Stoke

Maxim Choupo-Moting is denied by a last-ditch Jack Stephens tackle

Southampton and Stoke played out a tense but turgid 0-0 draw at St Mary's that leaves both sides still precariously placed near the bottom of the Premier League.

Badou Ndiaye came close to breaking the deadlock in the first half but the midfielder's header was tipped around the post by Alex McCarthy.

Southampton were the better side in the second period and Jack Butland was forced into making saves from Joshua Sims and Cedric Soares before substitute Sofiane Boufal headed wide from close range.

 

The result leaves Stoke in the drop zone in 19th place, with the Saints only a point outside of the relegation places.

 

For Stoke manager Paul Lambert, it is the second straight game his side have shown their battling qualities away from home to take a point having drawn at Leicester, and their defensive improvement under the Scot was on display once more.

 

Kurt Zouma and Bruno Martins Indi impressed in containing the Southampton forward line, but the only incident of note in the first 45 minutes came when Mame Diouf was forced off the pitch after a collision with Wesley Hoedt.

Diouf had appeared to intentionally stamp on the Dutch defender's foot, an incident that was not picked up by referee Anthony Taylor, and Hoedt got his retribution moments later as the Senegalese forward was forced off with a shoulder injury as both went up for an aerial challenge.

 

Stoke came closest to breaking the deadlock before the interval as Ndiaye rose to meet Xherdan Shaqiri's cross but McCarthy did well to get down to his left to tip the header around the post.

Southampton improved in the second period as Sims forced Butland into an immediate save with his feet before a fine last-ditch tackle from Jack Stephens on Maxim Choupo-Moting denied Stoke on the counter-attack.

But it was largely one-way traffic towards the visitors' goal as Cedric's rising half-volley forced Butland into an acrobatic save before Boufal somehow headed wide from Nathan Redmond's cross with the goal at his mercy.

But the lack of quality in the final third, so often the issue for both sides all season, meant neither deserved to win as they both were forced to settle for a point.