Bree slots Southampton winner against south coast derby rivals Portsmouth
Saints play entire second half with 10 men after Bragg second yellow
Saints boss Eckert's first game since suspended ban Spygate verdict
Hosts, who began season on -4pts, up to 11th in Championship
Pompey stay 19th after first defeat in four games
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Southampton 1-0 Portsmouth
Tonda Eckert makes a change for Southampton.
Caspar Jander is on for his first game of the season after recovering from injury. What a time to make your first appearance of the campaign.
He's on for striker Cyle Larin as Saints try and tighten things up a bit more.
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Image source, ShutterstockJohn Mousinho has this idea that playing players out of position is being really creative. It isn't. It never works. It has never worked. Play players in their natural positions.
Paul, Spain
Southampton 1-0 Portsmouth
Ryan Manning's free-kick for Southampton is whipped in but Pompey head clear.
Finn Azaz has a go from the edge of the area and it's deflected through to goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid who just about prevents the corner.
Southampton 1-0 Portsmouth
Pompey full-back Terry Devlin has only just come on but he's already into the book. He's late to the tackle as Ryan Manning just nicks it past him on the Southampton left.
Dangerous position for a free-kick for the Saints now.
Southampton 1-0 Portsmouth
Jo Tessem
Ex-Southampton midfielder on BBC Radio Solent
If Portsmouth had a quality finisher, they'd be a couple of goals up.
That chance was from another cross from Abu Kamara from the right. It was deflected into the path of Zak Swanson, who hit it over the bar from the centre of the box.
Southampton 1-0 Portsmouth
Pompey are having a lot of efforts now.
Abu Kamara pulls it back from the right byeline and Zak Swanson is racing in to meet it on the left edge of the area but he can only smash his effort a long way high and wide.
Southampton 1-0 Portsmouth
Guy Whittingham
Former Portsmouth manager on BBC Radio Solent
The goalkeeper was done for that Tyrese Shade shot. Another opportunity.
Southampton are just going to get a lot of men behind the ball and in front of the goal.
Odin Bailey's gone into midfield with Marlon Pack.
Southampton 1-0 Portsmouth
No messing about from John Mousinho. Triple sub.
Terry Devlin, Marko Milovanovic and Odin Bailey are all on.
Jayden Meghoma, Ebou Adams and Ryan Kavuma-McQueen make way.
Southampton 1-0 Portsmouth
Porstmouth continue to knock at the door. Abu Kamara has a shot blocked and then moments later, Tyrese Shade cuts in from the right and sends an effort just wide of the near post and into the side-netting.
Southampton 1-0 Portsmouth
Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent commentator
The referee's done well in this game. It is not an easy assignment.
Southampton 1-0 Portsmouth
Abu Kamara tries to stand a cross up to the back post but Daniel Peretz is up high to make the catch in the Saints goal.
It's pretty end-to-end stuff at the moment.
Southampton 1-0 Portsmouth
Ryan Manning floats the Saints free-kick to the back post and it runs out of play for a goal-kick despite James Bree's efforts to keep it alive.
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Image source, Getty ImagesFinn Azaz has got away with that. Straight red, every day of the week.
Mick, Great Ayton
RE the scoreboard – I love it. They’re the rivals! Take it as far as you can without it getting silly. Makes the game even better.
A Lou, London
How is that not a red card? Very lucky boy.
Glen, Bristol
Southampton 1-0 Portsmouth
The nine men of Southampton break away with Kuryu Matsuki but he opts to slow things down on the left.
Saints then recycle possession and win a free-kick midway inside the Pompey half, with Zak Swanson bringing down Matsuki.
James Bree can now come back on.
Southampton 1-0 Portsmouth
Saints right-back James Bree has been bandaged up and the game will continue.
But the home side will be with nine players for a minute until Bree can come back on.
Southampton 1-0 Portsmouth
Leo Scienza makes way for Southampton and is replaced by Kuryu Matsuki.
We've got a break in play now as James Bree is down getting treatment for a head injury.
Southampton 1-0 Portsmouth
And now Adrian Segecic has a crack for Pompey, cutting in from the right to let fly with his left foot, but his effort is deflected away.
Southampton 1-0 Portsmouth
Portsmouth are really turning the screw against the 10 men of Southampton here.
Zak Swanson pulls it across the face of goal but Saints manage to clear it off the line.
Southampton 1-0 Portsmouth
Jo Tessem
Ex-Southampton midfielder on BBC Radio Solent
Finn Azaz's yellow card is correct. It was an ugly tackle - a derby tackle.
Southampton 1-0 Portsmouth
Adam Blackmore
BBC Radio Solent commentator
Jayden Meghoma is lucky there isn't VAR.
He can't be racing in from 30 yards away to get involved, there.
Bree scored in the first half to give Southampton the lead
Southampton battled to beat Portsmouth in the Championship and win their first league match against the Blues for 21 years.
Saints scored the game's only goal in the first half when James Bree was found dashing into the box by Finn Azaz, taking a touch before slotting the ball past Pompey keeper Nicolas Schmid.
The hosts were reduced to 10 men before the break when Cameron Bragg was shown a second yellow card for pulling Ebou Adams to the ground.
But Saints held on to see the game out and claim the bragging rights over their bitter Hampshire rivals, moving up to 11th in the table in the process.
Portsmouth enjoyed some possession in the Southampton final third early on, with the best chance falling to Ryan Kavuma-McQueen, who darted down the right-hand side of the box and sent a powerful strike across the face of goal.
But it was Saints that broke the deadlock as Azaz played an in-swinging pass into the box where Bree was making a run into space at the far post.
The defender then took a touch with his right foot before using the instep of his left to send the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the net, running off to taunt the travelling Portsmouth fans in celebration.
Saints looked on course to end the first half well but were reduced to 10 men when Bragg received a second yellow card after pulling Adams down.
The academy graduate looked distraught as he came off and was consoled by Leo Scienza and boss Tonda Eckert as he left the field.
Despite being a man down, Saints carved Pompey open early in the second half when Scienza was played through on goal but was denied by Schmid who made a brilliant save.
The Southampton players then wanted a penalty for handball from the resulting corner but referee Adam Herczeg waved the cries away.
Azaz went into the book for a heavy challenge on Adams just before the hour mark and this resulted in a melee with some Portsmouth players furious it was not a more severe punishment for the attacker.
Pompey substitute Marko Milovanovic came close to a late equaliser when he was found in the middle by a cross from the left but his effort went into the side netting.
Southampton defended well in the second half, limiting Portsmouth's chances and remaining a compact unit deep inside their own half.
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| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 20 |
| |
| 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 12 | 5 | 18 |
| |
| 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 16 |
| |
| 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 13 | 2 | 16 |
| |
| 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 14 |
| |
| 9 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 14 |
| |
| 9 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 14 |
| |
| 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 16 | 15 | 1 | 14 |
| |
| 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 14 |
| |
| 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 13 | -1 | 14 |
| |
| 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 13 |
| |
| 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 11 | -3 | 13 |
| |
| 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 13 | 1 | 12 |
| |
| 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 12 |
| |
| 9 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 13 | -3 | 11 |
| |
| 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 11 | -4 | 11 |
| |
| 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 17 | -5 | 10 |
| |
| 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 17 | 19 | -2 | 9 |
| |
| 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 11 | -2 | 8 |
| |
| 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 14 | -7 | 8 |
| |
| 9 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 14 | -3 | 7 |
| |
| 9 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 17 | -4 | 7 |
| |
| 9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 15 | -7 | 6 |
| |
| 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 16 | -8 | 4 |
|
Manager: Tonda Eckert
Formation: 4 - 4 - 2
Manager: John Mousinho
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Manager: Tonda Eckert
Formation: 4 - 4 - 2
Manager: John Mousinho
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
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