Southampton safe despite Callum Wilson’s late equaliser for Bournemouth

At the final whistle the relief was etched across the face of Ralph Hasenhüttl, who huddled his bouncing Southampton players on halfway, finally able to toast securing their Premier League status for another season. The result was not the perfect takeaway but a point was sufficient for his team, who played their part in a topsy-turvy match-up between south-coast neighbours whereby defending was an afterthought. It proved equally satisfying for Gareth Southgate, the England manager watching from the stands, with two goals from Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson and James Ward-Prowse also on the scoresheet.

For Southampton’s players it meant not only safety but three days off. “They don’t have to listen to me until Wednesday, it is the best present I can give them,” Hasenhüttl said. The job the Austrian has done deserves genuine acclaim, though, ensuring survival after inheriting a team ensconced in a relegation scrap and with only a single win to their name in December. “We have had many ups and downs. I wanted to celebrate with my players and my staff because we have enjoyed working together.

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from Football | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2UYvE6l