Southampton stalemate at Leicester adds point to cause but time running out to beat drop

Leicester 0-0 Southampton: Saints earned a draw but it may ultimately be too little for Mark Hughes’s side as they continue to chase safety

Mark Hughes directs from the touchline (AFP/Getty Images)

Southampton’s hopes of a survival lifeline went by the wayside on an evening of frustration at the King Power Stadium.

Mark Hughes’s relegation-threatened side saw the best chance of the game go begging as stand-in Leicester goalkeeper Ben Hamer made a vital second-half save from Shane Long.

That was a rare moment of drama in a fixture that the Foxes dominated for long spells without applying any sustained pressure on the visitors’ goal.

Former Saints manager Claude Puel made two surprise changes to his side with captain Wes Morgan and experienced defender Danny Simpson dropped but he saw his side booed off after a promising start gave way to a lethargic second-half display.


 Dusan Tadic saw his shot blocked 
 (AFP/Getty Images)

For Southampton, though, games are running out to save themselves and Long’s chance was the best of precious few as they remained four points adrift of safety.

Leicester made the early running and gave their visitors two significant scares in the opening seven minutes.

First Adrien Silva turned neatly in midfield and fed Jamie Vardy, who was sizing up a shot from the edge of the area when he found himself crowded out by defenders.

Then Riyad Mahrez started and almost finished a slick passing move that also involved Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho.

Aleksander Dragovic makes a clearance in defence (Getty Images)

The Foxes forwards came up with deft touches to tee up Mahrez on the edge of the box but the Algerian’s effort was saved low down by visiting goalkeeper Alex McCarthy.

Leicester were in the ascendancy early on and a patient spell of passing led to a double chance for Iheanacho on 15 minutes.

The striker collected a cross from the right by Mahrez and saw his initial shot charged down before he leapt back to his feet, spun away from Oriol Romeu and flashed a follow-up effort narrowly wide.

Southampton’s first sight of goal came moments later when Dusan Tadic fired just wide from distance but the officials had spotted an offside player in the build-up.

​Vardy gave Southampton a reminder of his enduring threat when he chased down a long clearance but was just beaten to it by McCarthy.

Silva then saw a powerful effort blocked just inside the area as the hosts kept their visitors pinned inside their own half.

An intricate counter-attack down the Leicester left then saw Silva exchange passes with Demarai Gray and ended with Wesley Hoedt blocking Silva’s shot before Wilfred Ndidi fired the follow-up into the arms of McCarthy.

Yet having dominated the first half, Leicester could have found themselves trailing on the stroke of half-time.


 Southampton fans look on 
 (Getty Images)

Southampton striker Shane Long collected a pass from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and looked to be closing in on goal before a poor touch left him red-faced and his manager hopping around in frustration.

Despite a brighter start to the second half, the Saints were a picture of frustration in the opening moments.

First a simple pass by Tadic towards Long ran behind for a goal-kick.

Then Long had a great chance to open the scoring when he collected a Tadic knock-down and hit a shot on the turn which was blocked at point-black range by Ben Hamer, the stand-in Leicester goalkeeper.

Leicester restored some of their first-half impetus, however, and could have taken a stylish lead through Vardy on 70 minutes.

He raced behind the Saints defence and stretched superbly by meet a fine, lofted pass by Marc Albrighton, but McCarthy made a good save to push the ball over the crossbar.

Leicester (4-2-3-1): Hamer 6; Albrighton 6, Dragovic 7, Maguire 6, Chilwell 6; Ndidi 7, Silva 6 (Barnes 90); Mahrez 6, Iheanacho 6 (Diabate 76), Gray 6 (Choudhury 90); Vardy 6. Subs not used: Simpson, Morgan, Jakupovic, Fuchs.

Southampton (3-4-3): McCarthy 6; Bednarek 6, Yoshida 6, Hoedt 6; Soares 6, Romeu 6, Hojbjerg 7, Bertrand 6; Ward-Prowse 5 (Davis 58, 6), Long 6 (Austin 73), Tadic 6. Subs not used: Austin, Gabbiadini, Redmond, Pied, Sims, Forster.

Referee: R East (Wiltshire)

Attendance: 31,160