And that's it! The referee's whistle is greeted with an enormous roar as Southampton hang on to win this contest 1-0.
90' +4
Mane leads a Southampton breakaway after being expertly played in by Pelle. Mane races into the Stoke area but is rather caught in two minds and his cross-cum-shot flashes across the face of Begovic's goal. Surely no time left now for Stoke?
90' +2
SHOT! The ball drops to the talented Marko Arnautovic who doesn't need any invitation to shoot. The Austrian was well within his rights to take the shot on but he can only drag his effort wide of Forster's goal.
90'
F. Gardoș enters the game and replaces S. Davis.
There will be four minutes of time added on here. Koeman has thrown on Gardos to bolster the Southampton defence and secure three precious points. Stoke continue to pump the ball forward in search of a late equaliser.
88'
Pieters swings a cross into the Southampton box, which looked threatening but the giant figure of Fraser Forster comes flying off his line and plucks the ball out of the sky with great confidence. That was exactly what the Saints defenders wanted to see from their goalkeeper.
86'
SHOT! Pelle yet again tries his luck but he slices his shot way over the bar. Southampton almost caught Stoke out on the break but Steven Davis delayed his pass and the momentum of the move broke down.
84'
Southampton could desperately do with a spell of possession to take the pressure off but Stoke aren't giving them any breathing space to do so. Pelle on this occasion is guilty of holding onto the ball too long and he is dispossessed.
82'
Stoke force another corner but it comes to nothing as Peter Crouch is blown up for a foul on Fonte. For such a tall player, Crouch needlessly gets involved in holding and shirt pulling at corners and free-kicks. It must drive Mark Hughes and his countless other manager's over the years absolutely mad.
81'
M. Wilson gets yellow.
80'
If Saints can hang on to this and claim the three points it will be a massive victory for Koeman's men. They have had opportunities in the second half but haven't taken them. Stoke haven't thrown the towel in and are pressing for an equaliser.
Minute
Description
79'
O. Assaidi enters the game and replaces V. Moses.
78'
CLOSE! Diouf is inches away from connecting with Bardsley's cross from the right. Any contact from the ex-Manchester United striker would surely have levelled the scores here at 1-1. Southampton are getting a bit edgy now.
76'
WIDE! Pelle heads wide from about 12 yards out after being picked out by Tadic's corner. By anyone's standards that is a poor effort but it is especially surprising given Pelle's form this season. Saints can't kill this match off. Will these missed chances come back to haunt them?
74'
Diouf goes down just outside the box after racing onto N'Zonzi excellent flighted through ball under the challenge of Clyne. Stoke to the amazement of everyone inside the stadium aren't given a free-kick. Mark Hughes is understandably furious.
72'
Southampton's passes in the final third are continually probing the Stoke backline. Looking for a chink in the armour. Davis and Schneiderlin have tried to play the ball forwards at every available chance. Davis this time nearly releases Tadic but it is just too heavy and Begovic can sweep up.
70'
'Oh when the Saints go marching in!' reverberates around St.Mary's as Stoke look to put some passes together but Wanyama wins the ball back and Southampton charge forward in search of this elusive second goal that would surely put this match to bed.
69'
M. Arnautović enters the game and replaces J. Walters.
68'
Stoke will be kicking themselves after they waste a free-kick opportunity by getting caught offside. Moses had put in a dangerous looking cross that Crouch headed across the area but Diouf had gone too early and was correctly flagged by linesman.
66'
Mark Hughes will be very pleased with how his side have not only kept themselves in the game but are going into the final period of this match with a realistic chance of salvaging something from this entertaining contest.
64'
SHOT! Pelle spanks a half volley over the bar after Mane had cushioned the ball into his path. The Senegalese winger had been excellently picked out by a long pass from Steven Davis.
62'
V. Wanyama enters the game and replaces J. Cork.
61'
Ronald Koeman has looked visibly unhappy with how his side have started this second half and has reacted by making a substitution. Southampton have beefed up their midfield by sending on Victor Wanyama in place of Jack Cork. The Kenyan midfielder will relish the physical battle with Stoke in the middle of the pitch.
59'
There has been a great noise all afternoon inside the stadium and right now the Saints faithful are sensing that their team need their support and they raise the volume as Nathaniel Clyne earns Southampton a corner. yet again the home side take it short but it comes to nothing as Tadic's cross is headed down by Fonte but it only goes as far as Pieters who hacks it clear.
57'
Stoke are noticeably playing a bit higher up the park as a team and that is putting the Southampton midfield under more pressure. As a result Jack Cork and Steven Davis have been guilty of giving the ball away too easily.
55'
At the moment it is Southampton that are struggling to get a hold of the ball which will be of great encouragement to Stoke. With Crouch, Walters, Moses and Diouf all in the side the away team should pose more of a threat as this match develops.
53'
M. Diouf enters the game and replaces C. Adam.
Mark Hughes has seen enough from his side in these opening minutes of the second period and has decided to make a change. Charlie Adam is replaced by Mame Biram Diouf. Stoke seemingly deciding that attack is the best form of defence against Southampton.
50'
Stoke win their first corner of the game but Charlie Adam's delivery is emphatically headed away by Jose Fonte. This is probably the visitors best spell of the match so far, as they are beginning to build some attacking momentum.
48'
OFF THE BAR! Pelle gets on the end of Tadic's cross from the left and his header rattles the frame of Begovic's goal. So nearly 2-0 to Southampton. Stoke had actually started the second period in much more positive fashion, looking to get on the front foot and take the game to the opposition.
46'
No substitutions at the break for either side. The first thing Stoke need to do in this second period is get more of the ball. They have had such little possession it is almost impossible for them to trouble the Southampton backline.
45' +1
That's half-time! 1-0 to the Saints. Southampton have been too hot for Stoke to handle so far. Mark Hughes will be relieved that it is only 1-0 at the break and he has plenty to ponder in the next 15 minutes.
45'
Tadic has been fantastic in this opening forty-five minutes. The Serbian has absolutely tormented the Stoke City defence to the point of cruelty. Erik Pieters and Phil Bardsley have had a torrid time against the fleet-footed attacking midfielder.
42'
Stoke can't clear their lines at the moment and it leads to another Southampton free-kick in a dangerous position. Bertrand has a go this time but his effort is a tame one that goes straight into the wall.
40'
WIDE! Tadic absolutely ties his marker in knots before flashing the ball across the Stoke backline but no-one can get on the end of it and the visitors can breathe a little bit easier now. You feel it is vital for the away side not to concede again before half-time or it might be game over.
39'
R. Shawcross gets yellow.
38'
Stoke need to keep their cool here - Cameron, Adam and Pieters are rather fortunate not to be in the book already and they are certainly testing the patience of the referee Jonathon Moss. Pieters brings down Pelle this time and Tadic takes the resulting free-kick but he fires his effort high, wide and not very handsome.
36'
The dubious goals panel took a goal away from Saido Mane last weekend but there is no doubt about this one. It's Mane's first goal for Southampton. Mark Hughes will be annoyed by the manner of Stoke's defending in the build-up to conceding. City are so well known for their strength at set pieces.
34'
Tadic whipped in a pretty poor free-kick into the Stoke penalty area the ball was headed into the path of Graziano Pelle who half-volley's the ball against the post. The rebound falls kindly to Saido Mane who lashes it high into the roof of the net.
33'
S. Mané has scored a goal for Southampton!
GOAL! Southampton take the lead! Mane opens the scoring.
31'
SHOT! Schneiderlin sends his shot over the bar after Southampton worked the corner short. The French international was in a good position there and perhaps should've made Begovic work there. You feel a goal is coming for the home side if the pattern of the match continues in this fashion.
29'
SAVE! Asmir Begovic gets down low to his near post sharply to turn away Tadic's low drive. The Southampton winger cut inside from the right wing and smashed the ball at goal with his left foot but the Bosnian goalkeeper was equal to the effort.
27'
Pelle almost gets a shot away inside the area being played in intelligently by Tadic but he is snuffed out by Ryan Shawcross. The movement of the Southampton front three has been a joy to watch so far this afternoon. Stoke are doing well just to stay in the game at the moment.
23'
Southampton have the best defensive record in all four professional divisions which is just as impressive as their attacking prowess at the other end of the pitch this season. Nathaniel Clyne and Ryan Bertrand have got forward at every opportunity and that has been a feature of their play so far in this campaign.
20'
It has been a very competitive opening to the game with plenty of strong challenges going in. On this occasion Peter Crouch is on the receiving end of a robust tackle from Saints captain Jose Fonte. Stoke look up for the fight this afternoon. After what happened to Sunderland last weekend they know that they have to be at their best to get a result against Southampton.
17'
CHANCE! Mane jinks down the left wing and cuts the ball back to Pelle who arrives at just right time but the in form striker can't keep his shot down and rather lashes the ball over the crossbar from about six yards out. That was a decent opportunity for Southampton to take the lead.
15'
Moses creates a great opportunity for himself by dancing past two Southampton challenges but his eventual shot is a weak one that is straight at Fraser Forster. There was a bit of contact on Moses has he got into the area but to his credit the winger stayed on his feet. Did the events of last week mean that he didn't want to go to ground?
12'
A good battle is developing in these early stages between Saido Mane and Phil Bardsley. Mane has looked to take the Stoke right back on at every opportunity but the former Sunderland man has stuck to his task well and has put in some excellent tackles.
10'
CHANCE! Peter Crouch meets N'Zonzi's cross from the right wing but the Stoke striker can't get his header on target. That's the first meaningful attack that the visitors have had so far. That will encourage the travelling fans from the Potteries.
8'
SHOT! Steven Davis drags his shot wide after being teed up by Pelle. The Northern Ireland international will be a bit disappointed that he has not hit the target there but more good attacking play from the Saints.
6'
Stoke can't get anywhere near the ball at the moment as Southampton string the passes together. Mark Hughes will be keen for his side to maintain a good shape and not let Southampton get an early goal.
4'
CHANCE! Mane cuts in from the left-hand side and looks to curl his shot into the bottom corner and he doesn't miss by much. Pelle almost got a toe on it which would surely have put Saints in front if he had been able to connect.
2'
Southampton have started very brightly as you migh have anticipated and have won their first corner within 90 seconds of kick off. Tadic already looks very sharp. Cork's set piece is a poor one and Stoke easily clear the danger.
1'
And we're underway Southampton playing in their traditional colours of red and white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks. Stoke are in their away kit which is a light blue shirts, navy shorts and socks. The visitors kick off.
Good afternoon and welcome along to St.Mary's for this Premier League clash between Southampton and Stoke City. I'm Chris Baker and I'll be guiding you through the action today.
The team news is in and we'll start with the host Southampton...
Only one change to the Southampton side that demolished Sunderland last week with Shane Long dropping to the bench in place of Saido Mane. Mane came on as a substitute and scored in the 8-0 thrashing.
As for Stoke they make two changes to the team that beat Swansea in such controversial circumstances last Sunday with Mame Biram Diouf and Stephen Ireland being replaced in the starting lineup by Geoff Cameron and Jonathan Walters.
It will be interesting to see how Victor Moses reacts to all of the negative attention he has been given in the press this week since he was accused of simulation against Swansea City last Sunday. You suspect that the Saints crowd may give the on-loan Chelsea player a hard time this afternoon. Mark Hughes has fiercely defended the integrity of his player and will be hoping that Moses can repay the faith shown in him today.
What more can you say about Southampton at the moment? They are absolutely flying right now. Confidence must be sky high in Ronald Koeman's dressing room after the Saints recorded their biggest ever Premier League victory last weekend against a hapless Sunderland side. The Dutchman has done an outstanding job since taking over from Mauricio Pochettino in the summer and he'll be looking for another three points today.
As usual the playing surface at St. Mary's looks absolutely immaculate as the players come out onto the pitch. There's a very decent atmosphere in the stadium and kick off is just a couple of minutes away. Can Graziano Pelle continue his goalscoring exploits or will former Saint Peter Crouch spoil the party?
Ronald Koeman will be delighted with the intensity that his side have shown so far. There have been no signs that the 8-0 to Sunderland and all the plaudits that Southampton are getting at the moment are going to their heads at all. It has been a very confident performance from the home team. The only disappointment from a Saints point of view is that they are only one goal in front.
Stoke haven't been able to contain this rampant Southampton side so far or impose themselves on the match at all really. A Peter Crouch header and a pretty weak effort from Victor Moses is all they have to look back on from an attacking perspective. That said, it is only one-nil and the visitors should take some heart from that fact. Despite being dominated they are very much still in this game.
Both sides have plenty of decent options to call upon from the substitutes bench this afternoon. You would think that it would be Stoke that would make the first change in an attempt to alter the pattern of the match and get back into it. Victor Wanyama will probably be a bit frustrated to be watching this match from the sidelines after scoring in the rout last weekend.
The players are back out and we are all set for the start of the second half. Southampton will get us restarted.
Would you believe it - Southampton move into second place in the Premier League after this hard fought victory. Many tipped them as outsiders to possibly get relegated after their summer sales and managerial departure but the only place Saints are looking at this moment is up. if they can maintain this sort of form surely European qualification of some kind can be achieved this season.
Mark Hughes can be proud of his player's efforts, particularly in the second half. They were very much on the ropes in the first half but they refused to lie down in the second. If Stoke could have taken a bit more care in the final third then they might have been able to nick an equaliser. On the balance of play though it is hard to argue that Southampton weren't good value for their victory. These sides meet again on Wednesday in the League Cup at the Britannia stadium. The Potters will have revenge on their minds no doubt.
Southampton have been rightly lavished with praise for their attacking swagger this season but Ronald Koeman must be delighted with the grit and determination his side showed today. They were far from their fluent best in the second half but they were defensively solid and ground out what must be a very satisfying victory. Miserly in defence and flamboyant upfront - in anyone's book that is a winning combination.
Well that's all from me today folks. I've been Chris Baker and thank you very much for joining me. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
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