Saturday 16 April 2016 18:39, UK
Sadio Mane netted the equaliser for Southampton to rescue a deserved point in a 1-1 draw at Everton.
Ramiro Funes Mori had given the home side the lead midway through the second half, but Mane struck back soon afterwards for the Saints.
The result leaves Roberto Martinez's side in the bottom half without a win in six games in the Premier League, while Southampton stay seventh.
Martinez made six changes from the side that drew 0-0 at Crystal Palace on Wednesday night, with Romelu Lukaku among those dropped to the bench, and Everton certainly started the better, creating the first real chance of the game after 18 minutes.
Gerard Deulofeu did well down the right before crossing into the path of Kevin Mirallas, who should have done a lot better than slam his effort from 12 yards straight into Jose Fonte.
The opening appeared to wake Ronald Koeman's side up, and the away side had two opportunities themselves soon afterwards, with both Dusan Tadic and Shane Long flashing efforts over the bar when they should have at least tested the Joel Robles.
Southampton then suffered a blow as Fonte was forced off after 37 minutes with what appeared to be concussion but, despite losing their captain, the away side still ended the half stronger and could have taken the lead twice in first-half stoppage time.
First, Long rose to meet Ryan Bertrand's corner at the near post, but could only strike the back stick, before Virgil van Dijk flashed an effort over after another corner had found him in the area.
Southampton began the second half as they ended the first, and six minutes after the break they rattled the woodwork again as Tadic skipped inside before seeing his effort from the edge of the area deflected onto the bar.
Against the run of play, though, it was Everton who took the lead after 68 minutes as Funes Mori's shot was deflected past the helpless Fraser Forster after his initial header from Mirallas' corner had rebounded back to him in the box.
Everton's lead, however, lasted just eight minutes as they showed off their soft centre once again. Tadic charged into the box from the right for Southampton before the balled ricocheted in the path of Mane, who swooped in to slot home from inside the six-yard box.
There looked like there would only be one winner in the final stages as substitute Jay Rodriguez was denied a near-certain goal by Funes Mori's late challenge, and Robles was forced into a stop at his near post after Mane had cut in from the byline.
In the end, though, Everton held out and even had the chance to hand second-half debuts to 17-year-old Tom Davies and 19-year-old Callum Connolly.
Martinez and Co will now turn their attention to the Merseyside derby at Anfield on Wednesday night, before a trip to Wembley for their FA Cup semi-final with Manchester United three days later.
Soccer Saturday verdict - Paul Merson
"I thought Southampton were the better team. They went for it a lot more and they went behind against the run of play. I do feel sorry for Roberto Martinez this week because they have got a massive football match coming up next week and they have had to play at home, where he is getting a bit of stick. You don't want to play your best team and now you have to go to Liverpool on Wednesday night. What do you do? If they play a team as weak as that, they will get ripped apart.
"But I don't see how you can play a strong side when you have got an FA Cup semi-final. No good beating Liverpool and then getting beat by Man United. I think the only way he has got a chance of keeping his job is winning the FA Cup. Everton brought Davies on, who is 17, and he did something that made you think 'this kid is going to be good'. In his own box, he threw a little dummy, and then rolled it out wide, and you thought 'hmm, he can play'."
Player ratings
Everton: Robles (6), Coleman (6), Funes Mori (7), Stones (6), Oviedo (6), Gibson (6), Besic (5), Mirallas (6), Osman (6), Deulofeu (5), Kone (4)
Subs: Barkley (5), Connolly (5), Davies (n/a)
Southampton: Forster (5), Martina (6), Fonte (6), Van Dijk (6), Bertrand (7), Wanyama (6), Clasie (6), Mane (7), Tadic (7), Long (6), Pelle (5)
Subs: Yoshida (6), Davis (5), Rodriguez (5)
Man of the match: Ramiro Funes Mori
