Bristol Rovers succumbed to a 1-0 defeat away at the hands of promotion chasing Southampton despite an improved performance.
Guly do Prado strolled past two Rovers defenders and put the ball in the net with just eight minutes left on the clock, leaving the visiting fans and defenders feeling numb. Danny Senda saw a shot in the 95th minute glanced onto the frame of the goal by Saints keeper Kelvin Davis but there could be no argument with the fact that Southampton deserved the win.
There were two changes to the Pirates starting line up, caretaker boss Stuart Campbell retaking his place at the heart of midfield for Reggie Lambe while Byron Anthony returned from a stomach bug to play at left back but, unfortunately, there was to be no return for top scorer Will Hoskins, remaining out with an ankle injury.
Danny Butterfield re-took the right back spot for Southampton as Jonothan Forte made his first start for the club.
Surprisingly it was Rovers who made the early running, winning a corner that Gavin Williams skied well over the bar before Jo Kuffour had a superb early chance saved at close range by Davis.
Former Rovers striker Rickie Lambert, who had scored in each of the previous three league meetings between the sides, flashed a header inches wide of Logan's right hand post.
The ever threatening do Prado then had his first opportunity of the game. A ball in from the left found the Brazilian in acres of room in the area and he struck a fierce volley that required the legs of Conrad Logan to turn the ball behind for a corner.
Lambert looked as though he was trying to find his range, sending a low, well struck shot into the hands of Logan after creating space for himself on the edge of the box.
With Rovers looking to regain some momentum Jeff Hughes found himself with his back to goal in the area but perhaps turned the wrong way, swivelling and striking the ball with his weaker right foot, his effort sailing harmlessly wide of the target.
Barbadian international striker Forte was making his eighth appearance in a Southampton shirt and nearly grabbed his third goal, heading the ball into the floor from where it rebounded sharply up, bouncing onto the underside of the crossbar.
Chris Lines had the final chance of note in the first half but his free kick smashed into the Saints defensive wall.
The home side were the ones to start the second half better, Guly placing a shot wide of the upright, and the pressure was well and truly on the Pirates for the final 45 even though one Southampton's most influential players was forced to make his way off the pitch.
Lee Barnard, a constantly moving thorn in Rovers sides, went up for a header but fell awkwardly on his ankle and remained on the deck for a number of minutes, eventually being stretchered off to applause from both sets of fans.
His replacement was David Connolly, scorer of two goals in an FA Cup tie between the same teams last season, and he made an instantaneous impact, crossing for Lambert to head over the bar from the edge of the six yard box.
With a quarter of an hour remaining the ever static Kuffour was subbed off by Craig Hinton, being replaced by seventeen year old Ellis Harrison who was making his first appearance in a matchday squad having impressed in a Gloucestershire Cup match against Cheltenham in midweek. The youngster looked sharp, constantly moving and looking for the ball, very different from what Kuffour was offering up to that point.
Lambert thumped a piledriver wide of the mark before Gavin Williams saw a long range dig comfortably held by Davis, and then came the moment that mattered, the Saints goal.
Guly picked up the ball on the edge of the area and burst through two Rovers challenges before beating the ball past a helpless Conrad Logan, giving his side the lead that their second half pressure had deserved, not that it silenced the travelling Gasheads one bit, a rousing chorus of 'Goodnight Irene' springing up almost immediately.
Lamar Powell became Rovers second seventeen year old debutant and he almost latched onto a James Tunnicliffe ball with a diving header.
Yet another long range Rickie Lambert strike came and went, Conrad Logan being forced to acrobatically tip the ball over the bar, but there was to be one last chance for the gallant Rovers.
A ball from wide on the left found it's way past everyone in the area and fell to Danny Senda at the back post, the full back hammering a shot that struck Davis and rebounded off the angle of post and crossbar, not that the Saints custodian knew much about it.
That was to be the final chance and as cheers from the home support rang around St Mary's Rovers were left to travel home pointless but knowing that further performances with such effort and a little more panache will reap the rewards required to see them beat the drop.
The results of the teams around Rovers went very much the way of the Gas, Notts County, Dagenham and Walsall all losing meaning that the relegation picture looks little different to how it did on Friday.
Post match Southampton boss Nigel Adkins stated his pleasure at how his side stepped up a gear in the second half, saying:
"Bristol Rovers came here with a game plan and set up with a 4-5-1 with a holding midfield player defending their half of the pitch. That makes it a small area that you have to try and break through, but we could have scored a couple in the first half.
"We had to try and get the tempo going because every time the ball went out of play it wasn't coming back quickly enough, so the ball wasn't in play for long.
"We needed to shift the ball a hell of a lot quicker than we did, and we talked about that before the game and at half time. If teams want to come and park the bus you need to get the ball quickly and move it out wide to expose them that way.
"Great credit to the players because I thought we played some exceptional football in the second half."
Stuart Campbell was pleased with what his side put into the match and gave a fair assessment of the game, telling the press:
"I'm very proud of the lads and the spirit, effort and commitment they showed, though I did feel that all of us gave the ball away a little bit too easily in the second half.
"I thought we were excellent in the first half and felt that we passed and moved the ball around very well. We created a couple of chances against a very good Southampton side and we were disappointed to reach half time without having scored.
"In the second half we didn't keep the ball as well, but Southampton threw everything at us and although we defended for our lives it was unfortunate that we were unable to hold out."
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