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MOTD- Manchester United 1-1 Southampton

By on October 19, 2013
Southampton celebrate their late equalizer against Manchester United

Southampton celebrate their late equalizer against Manchester United

Manchester United supporters didn’t quite get the celebrations they wanted following the news that Adnan Januzaj signed a new five-year contract at Old Trafford, as David Moyes’ side dropped more points in the Premier League.  But all was going well until Adam Lallana poked home a late equalizer to give Southampton a 1-1 draw in Manchester, sending United only up one place eighth position.

Southampton meanwhile flew up into the fifth position, and although United hit the post multiple times The Saints fully deserved the point. “My team was very brave, the players put in a great effort,” Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino said. “We dominated the game at times and we were pushing for a winner at the end.”

Mauricio’s side began the encounter by pushing forward, pressing the home side in the opening minutes. Southampton goalkeeper Artur Boruc had to pounce on Robin van Persie’s low eight-yard shot from Nani’s low cross in the eleventh minute, but the away side should have took the lead in the the twenty-third minute.  Lallana threaded it through to Pablo Osvaldo on the edge of the box, only for the Italian forward to scuff a low shot into the arms of David De Gea.

Still, United looked very dangerous on the break, and David Moyes’ side managed to pull in front just two minutes later on a counter-attack.  Januzaj slipped an inch-perfect ball down the middle to the run of Wayne Rooney, who had his original first-time shot denied by Boruc.  The rebound fell to Van Persie, and after rounding Boruc the forward tucked it into the back of the open net from six yards.  United came alive, with Rooney smashing a low Nani cross from the right onto the crossbar in the twenty-seventh minute.

Yet Southampton continued to press as the match rolled on to the second half, although United nearly doubled their lead in the sixty-second minute when Van Persie met a Rooney corner at the near post.  The Dutchman glanced a looping header towards goal, only for it to hit the crossbar and bounce away.  But just thirty-seconds later Januzaj forced Boruc into a superb diving save to tip his dipping shot from thirty-yards away.

Moyes’ began to rue his side’s missed chances as Southampton suddenly started to dominate, with Lallana’s effort in the seventy-second minute being well claimed by De Gea.  Osvaldo then whipped Rickie Lambert’s cross just wide via a fierce right-footed effort, but Southampton finally found an equalizer in the eighty-eight minute through a James Ward-Prowse corner.  The substitute swung the corner from the left into the mixer, and Dejan Lovren poked it towards goal for Lallana to flick it into the back of the net from two yards.

United desperately attempted to find a very late winner, but their late crosses failed create any chances, with referee Mike Jones blowing for full time after two minutes of added time.Man of the Match: Robin van Persie

 

 

 

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.