Albion secure precious Premier League point at Southampton

Albion are all but there - thanks to another Neal Maupay goal and some fabulously gutsy defensive moments at St Mary’s last night.

Maupay’s tenth of the season was worth a point thanks to a stunning Maty Ryan save and great work from Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster, though they could do nothing to prevent Danny Ings equalising.

Yves Bissouma might even have restored the lead - but this felt like a point won and survival all but secured.

Albion withstood a barrage of pressure as intense as anything they have faced in this now six-game unbeaten run away from home - an outright club record in the top-flight.

Safety is not quite assured but they can dot the i's and cross the t's when Newcastle United visit on Monday.

Ironically that was the fixture which would have seen them mathematically secure survival last season had Glenn Murray converted a great headed chance late on. 

Murray's role has lessened since then - on the pitch, at least.

But Albion brought him back up front last night for a first start since the 1-1 draw at Sheffield United on February 22.

Dale Stephens and Solly March ware also back in the XI among six changes.

Perhaps more expected were returns for full-backs Tariq Lamptey and Dan Burn as well as Maupay up front.

Albion were the second team in the bottom six in action yesterday.

Aston Villa, six points behind the Seagulls at kick-off, were first up and led at Everton.

Defender Ezri Konsa gave them a precious lead on 72 minutes and they really should have extended their advantage.

However, Villa have not kept a clean sheet away from home in the league this season.

They conceded to a rare Theo Walcott header on 87 minutes, leaving them still in 19th place and opening up the chance for Albion to secure safety without room for any goal difference calculations.

In contrast to Villa, the Seagulls went into last night’s match on the back of three successive shutouts on their travels.

It quickly became clear the search for a fourth involved March operating as a left wing-back, a job he performed right at the start of the season.

He was soon tested – and it was a test he did not pass.

He misjudged the flight of a long, high diagonal, allowing Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in. Hojbjerg has a powerful shot and some history against the Seagulls but this time his blast was too close to Ryan, who stood strong and parried.

March was also heavily involved in a great Albion chance, still inside the first eight minutes.

He beat a man and was then fouled by Oriel Romeu, who was booked.

March worked the free-kick short with Dan Burn, whose low cross reached Maupay. The Frenchman’s first shot was blocked but he would have been more disappointed to put the rebound over the bar.

Maupay, though, made the breakthrough and it was the man just ahead of him who played a big part.

Murray expertly helped on Lamptey’s throw-in and Maupay let it run on to his left foot. The defence were hesitant and Maupay’s low shot was hooked back to wrongfoot McCarthy.

Southampton are neat in possession but Albion were working hard right from the front on a warm, humid, energy-snapping night.

There was a brief VAR check for Andy Madley when Maupay went down as Hojbjerg tackled but the Southampton man got the ball at the end of a good counter involving Propper and Leandro Trossard.

Albion rode out a period of pressure late in the half which saw Saints have the ball in the net.

Lamptey got the final touch when Ings’ angled shot came back off the underside of the bar - but Sian Massey-Ellis had flagged for offside by the top scorer.

Then Ings got in again to the right of goal but Dunk made a terrific block to concede the first of a series of corners.

Southampton made a pair of changes at the break, including the introduction of Che Adams up front.

Adams had half a chance almost immediately but miskicked as a low ball was played in from the left.

Then an angled drive by young left-back Jake Vokins flashed across Ryan and low past the far post.

Albion had a huge double escape approaching the hour.

Ings curled against the inside of the far post and Dunk, on the line, somehow denied Adams from the follow-up.

Albion were hanging on – and Ings thrashed the ball across the face of goal with Adams unable to turn it home.

With that, Graham Potter changed things and sent on Aaron Mooy for Murray.

But the equaliser came on 66 minutes as Ings got in behind Lamptey and finished expertly.

Ryan kept the Seagulls on terms by somehow diverting Jannik Vestergaard’s thunderbolt on to the underside of the bar.

And Webster, in particular, produced some stellar moments at the back.

Then they should have gone back ahead as Bissouma dragged a shot wide when well placed in a chaotic penalty box.

But this was a point gained.

Southampton: McCarthy; Hojbjerg, Bednarek, Vestergaard, Vokins; Smallbone (Armstrong 78), Ward-Prowse, Romeu (Walker-Peters 46), Redmond; Obafemi (Adams 46), Ings. Subs not used: Gunn, Bertrand, Maddox, Danso, Stephens, Long.

Goal: Ings 66. Yellow card: Romeu (7) foul.

Albion: Ryan; Lamptey (Montoya 68), Webster, Dunk, Burn; March (Mac Allister 76), Stephens, Propper (Bissouma 68), Trossard (Gross 76); Maupay, Murray (Mooy 58). Subs not used: Button, Duffy, Bernardo, Connolly.

Goal: Maupay 17. Yellow card: None.

Referee: Andre Marriner.