Southampton vs Burnley match report: Goalless draw leaves both sides with a sour taste
Burnley failed to break down a tough Southampton defence at St. Mary’s Stadium as both sides walked away with a solitary point after a 0-0 draw on Sunday.
Both clubs had their sets of positives and negatives but it was certainly a well-fought game between the two. Joe Hart outshone his teammates and counterpart to a great extent as he notched up a wide array of some exemplary saves to maintain a well-deserved clean sheet.
The Clarets looked like the better team for a good majority of the first-half. Jack Cork scored a goal in the initial stages of the game as well but unfortunately for Burnley, his effort was ruled offside.
If Hart was impeccable on one end of the pitch, Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy did a great job on the other end as well. Burnley had another chance to score as Aaron Lennon fired a close-range shot but McCarthy was there to prevent it from going in.
Once the second half commenced, however, Burnley looked like a completely different team and it was evident that they were playing for a draw. They hardly threatened Southampton and played quite defensively when compared to the first-half.
In fact, towards the dying minutes of the game, the tables had turned completely. Mark Hughes reverted to a four-man back line which provided scope for Danny Ings to get in as a substitute. And the former Liverpool man certainly added a greater attacking flair in the final third.
With about 18 minutes remaining on the clock, Jack Stephens received a sweet cross from Ings and fired the ball into the net. However, Hart leapt forward and made an incredible save to deny the home side, much to the dismay of their supporters.
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Ultimately, the final whistle was blown and both sides walked away with a single point each. The visitors, however, had a lot to say about the game on Twitter. Here are some of the best reactions from Burnley fans:
https://twitter.com/andyburnleyfc/status/1028648597422829569
As for Joe Hart – relatively busy day and faultless. Two clean-sheets in two appearances under Sean Dyche.
— Simon Evans (@sgevans) August 12, 2018
https://twitter.com/dom12983/status/1028661481150144513
https://twitter.com/village_priest/status/1028663716437475328
ITS THE BURNLEY BOYS MAKING ALL THE NOISE EVERYWHERE WE GOOOOO ⚽️🎉😊 https://t.co/9mKVQZJ8AQ
— jakehunter (@jakehunteruk) August 12, 2018
I'm still on a high from Burnley having more than 30% of the possession
— Razz (@FM_Razz) August 12, 2018
Good start to life at Burnley for Joe Hart
— Navdeep Rehill (@WriteNav) August 12, 2018
