Southampton 0 West Brom 3 match report: Shane Long wants to grab more records

The Baggies set a new club record for Premier League matches won

Romelu Lukaku and Shane Long celebrate during West Brom's victory over Southampton (GETTY IMAGES)

West Bromwich Albion striker Shane Long is hoping for a record-breaking end to what has been a fine season.

Saturday's 3-0 victory at Southampton saw the Baggies set a new club record for Premier League matches won (14) and points gained (48). Things could get better still if they finish ninth or above as that would represent their best finish of the Premier League era.

West Bromwich sit comfortably in eighth with four matches remaining and Long hopes their latest impressive win can be the catalyst for a strong end to the campaign.

"We started off very well and put ourselves in a great position to have a great season," said the Republic of Ireland striker. "I felt like we've been playing well over the last couple of weeks. Maybe we were a little slow out of the blocks and we got caught because of that before. I think the only really bad performance was the first half last week against Newcastle. We held our own up until that and things just didn't go our way.

"I think the players and manager [Steve Clarke] have deserved it so hopefully we can kick on for the last four games and get right up there."

Southampton were unbeaten in six matches before Saturday's clash, in which they were outplayed from the outset.

Marc-Antoine Fortuné opened the scoring after just six minutes, with second-half strikes from Romelu Lukaku and Long securing Albion the three points. Despite a fine West Bromwich performance, most of the talk after the game was about referee Robert Madley after a top-flight debut to remember.

The 27-year-old Yorkshireman sent off Saints left-back Danny Fox for a two-footed lunge after earlier showing red cards to Fortuné and Southampton substitute Gaston Ramirez.

Midfielder Ramirez received his marching orders for elbowing Long in the face – which led Fortuné to raise his hands to the Uruguayan in anger, earning his own dismissal.

Southampton captain Adam Lallana revealed Ramirez and Fox had apologised to their team-mates in the dressing room in the aftermath of the match. Lallana was also in apologetic mood after Saints' worst performance of 2013.

"It was disappointing that it was so easy for them, but we are going to work this week, we have got a tough game and we want to get a result at White Hart Lane against Tottenham [on Saturday]," he said.