Barclays Premier League

FLETCHER GOAL SEALS THREE POINTS FOR SUNDERLAND

Steven Fletcher might have only scored twice in his last 11 appearances for Sunderland, but it was his goal that separated them from Southampton this afternoon, as Martin O'Neill's side bagged all three points in a spirited encounter at St Mary's. Fletcher's 42nd minute goal, which came after some good work from Adam Johnson on the left flank, came despite the striker nursing a back injury for a large chunk of the first half. Johnson crossed low into the Southampton box and found Stephane Sessegnon, whose shot-cum-pass trickled into Fletcher's path, and the Scotman made no mistake by lashing in from close range. Clearcut chances were few and far between for both sides, and crossing and set pieces were noticably poor all afternoon. Southampton piled on the pressure in the closing stages, with Rickie Lambert and Guly do Prado going close, and despite Kelvin Davis' presence in the box for a late corner, couldn't find that all important equaliser. Sunderland held on to record their fourth win of the season and move up to 15th. Southampton, meanwhile, remain in 17th, teetering on the edge of the relegation zone.

FULL TIME

Despite late pressure from Southampton, Sunderland hold on to claim a priceless 1-0 win at St Mary's, thanks to a first half goal from Steven Fletcher.

AMOUNTS TO NOTHING

Although the corner is directed towards Kelvin Davis, it's a wasted cross and easily dealt with by the Sunderland defence.

KEEPER UP FOR A CORNER!

Everyone is in the Sunderland half, with wave after wave of Southampton attacks lumped on the visitors' defence. Into the final minute and they've got a corner. And Kelvin Davis is up for it!

SUPERB BLOCKS

Martin O'Neill will be delighted by his players' commitment - particularly Fraizer Campbell, who throws himself in front of goal-bound efforts from Lambert and Ramirez to deny the home side a clearcut chance.

WASTED PRESSURE

Good counter from Southampton, as Steven Davis makes precious ground from deep in his own half. Rickie Lambert wins a corner and the home side throw lots of bodies forward, and when the ball is headed out by the Sunderland defence, it falls to Nathaniel Clyne, whose long range half volley sails miles over the bar. Four minutes added on here.

SUNDERLAND SUB

Stephane Sessegnon is withdrawn and on comes David Vaughan.

CLOSING STAGES

Just over five minutes left for Southampton to snatch an equaliser. It's looking unlikely, as they've not really tested Simon Mignolet for 85 minutes, but stranger things have happened.

SOUTHAMPTON SUB

Southampton are going for it. Jason Puncheon is replaced by Brazilian forward Guly for the final 10 minutes.

YELLOW CARD

Phil Bardsley clips the heels of Steve De Ridder on the right flank, and is rightly booked.

LUCKY KELVIN DAVIS

St Mary's lets out a sigh of relief as Kelvin Davis kneels down to claim Craig Gardner's long range free kick, only for him to drop the ball and it to nestle safely between his legs. A wry smile appears on the veteran stopper's face, but he was so close to conceding a freak second.

SUNDERLAND SUB

Johnson can't continue. He gingerly makes his way down the tunnel and is replaced by Fraizer Campbell, who came off the bench against Manchester United last weekend and scored.

JOHNSON DOWN

Adam Johnson is down and receiving treatment after colliding with Steve De Ridder on the right flank. Looks as though he simply clashed knees with the Belgian. Fairly innocuous, but he's off the field for the time being.

PUNCHEON SLOTTED THROUGH

Jason Puncheon is played through on goal for Southampton, but seems to get the ball stuck beneath his feet. He makes his way into the Sunderland box but is greeted by a strong challenge from John O'Shea.

SUNDERLAND SUB

Phil Bardsley is going to enter the fray here, replacing Sebastian Larsson, as Martin O'Neill looks to sure up his defensive ranks.

YELLOW CARD

A scrappy couple of minutes culminates in Adam Johnson receiving a yellow card for tugging back Steve De Ridder, who has looked lively since his introduction.

DE RIDDER SET PIECE

The quality of Southampton's deliveries has been poor this afternoon. But Steve De Ridder - with his first set piece of the day - whips in a delicious corner for the unmarked Jose Fonte, whose header is blocked in the six-yard box by Jack Colback, though replays show it was probably going wide.

SOUTHAMPTON SUB

Another relatively early second half sub for Southampton, who bring on Steven Davis for Morgan Schneiderlin.

SLOPPY SPELL

Bit of a sloppy spell from both sides at the minute, with a few passes going astray here and there. And there's no blaming the sloppiness on the conditions either - just miscommunication.

SOUTHAMPTON SUB

Emmanuel Mayuka is replaced by 25-year-old Belgian midfielder Steve De Ridder, who comes on for his Premier League debut.

SAINTS' DEFENSIVE RENAISSANCE

After shipping 28 goals in their first 10 matches - the most since Barnsley in 1997-98 - Southampton had conceded just four times in six games going into this one, and not more than once in any of those. They've got work to do in order to keep a clean sheet in this second half.

NEEDED A NICK

Craig Gardner picks up the ball on the halfway line and advances into the Southampton half. With lots of space to run into, he pumps a low, dangerous ball into the Saints box but it evades everyone and goes behind for a goal kick. Fletcher and Seesegnon were both in the box, but failed to get anything on it.

EARLY EFFORT

Speculative early second half effort from Rickie Lambert, who attempts to curl one in from miles out. Simon Mignolet simply watches it fly past his far post.

BACK UNDERWAY

Sunderland restart proceedings at St Mary's, where the rain is still falling rather heavily.

HALF TIME

Steven Fletcher's predatory strike in the 42nd minute means Sunderland go into the break 1-0 in front at St Mary's. Decent game so far.

YELLOW CARD

Sebastian Larsson is the first name in Howard Webb's book, as he receives a yellow card for dissent towards the assistant referee.

PENALTY SHOUT

Emmanuel Mayuka is brought down in the Sunderland box by Craig Gardner and the Saints faithful leap up for a penalty. It was a tangle of legs and probably would have been harsh.

MORE ON THAT GOAL!

It wasn't a 'moment of brilliance' as I suggested, but Sunderland won't care one bit. Steven Fletcher makes it eight for the season for the Black Cats, slotting home from close range after Stephane Sessegnon had initially scuffed James McClean's cross.

GOAL!

Steven Fletcher scores for Sunderland!

DEFENCES DOMINANT

Both defences have done a stellar job in breaking down attacks and denying clearcut openings. It might take - pardon the cliché - a 'moment of brilliance' to open the scoring here.

WELL DEFENDED

Craig Gardner's deliveries have been excellent today. He pings in another one first time in the direction of Fletcher, but the Scotsman is denied an opening by a great last ditch challenge from Maya Yoshida.

WHIPPED IN

Fletcher seems to have shaken off that knock, but he points some frustration at the referee Howard Webb after feeling he was held back by a Saints defender as he looked to get on the end of Craig Gardner's cross. Webb is having none of it.

SLIGHT CONCERN FOR O'NEILL

Steven Fletcher looks to be moving about rather gingerly. He passed fit for today after being forced off with a back injury against Manchester United last weekend, and Martin O'Neill certainly won't want to lose his main striker so early on today.

SAINTS ON TOP

Southampton are enjoying much of the worthwhile possession, with Gaston Ramirez pulling all the strings in the centre of the pitch. Sunderland yet to mount a serious, sustained assault on the home side's goal.

WORTH A HIT

Lots of goal-bound efforts to speak of in the first half so far. Ramirez goes close again for Southampton, curling a left-footed shot just over the crossbar from outside the box.

LOVELY FOOTBALL

Nice work by Southampton as Gaston Ramirez and Emmanuel Mayuka combine in the attacking third. The latter lays it off to Ramirez, whose left-footed shot is saved down low by Simon Mignolet. It was a good save from the Belgian, who dealt with a late dip to deny the home side an opener.

WASTED OPPORTUNITY

Absolutely sublime ball into the box from Craig Gardner on the right flank. He curls it beautifully in towards Steven Fletcher, who sticks a leg out but diverts it wide. Should have maybe gone with his head, there.

ANGLED EFFORT

Sunderland play a short corner to Seb Larsson on the edge of the box. The Swede takes a touch and unleashes a low drive at goal, but Kelvin Davis gets down well to claim.

WET CONDITIONS

It's absolutely pelting it down at St Mary's this afternoon. Southampton look to counter after breaking down a Sunderland attack, but the slippery conditions force Gaston Ramirez to miscontrol the ball into touch.

SKIDS WIDE

Lambert is inches away from opening the scoring with his free kick. He hits it low and hard, and it beats Simon Mignolet's dive but ends up skidding just wide of the far corner.

LIVELY START

Decent game this so far. Even though we're only seven minutes in. Chances at both ends, and some good football being played. Southampton have a free kick right on the edge of the Sunderland box. Rickie Lambert is standing over it.

EARLY CHANCES

Chances early on for both sides, as Stephane Sessegnon and Carlos Cuellar go close for Sunderland, before Jason Puncheon pokes wide of Simon Mignolet's post.

HERE WE GO

The game gets underway at St Mary's.

SUNDERLAND TEAM

Danny Rose and Steven Fletcher both start for Sunderland after shaking off injuries. Fletcher's inclusion means Connor Wickham has to settle for a place on the bench. FULL LINE-UP: Mignolet, Gardner, Cuellar, O'Shea, Rose, Johnson, Colback, Larsson, McClean, Sessegnon, Fletcher. SUBS: Westwood, Bardsley, Campbell, Wickham, McFadden, Vaughan, Bramble.

SOUTHAMPTON TEAM

Gaston Ramirez replaces injured skipper Adam Lallana for Southampton, while Zambian international Emmanuel Mayuka comes in for his first Premier League start, meaning Jay Rodriguez drops to the bench. FULL LINE-UP: Kelvin Davis, Clyne, Yoshida, Fonte, Shaw, Puncheon, Cork, Schneiderlin, Mayuka, Lambert, Ramirez. SUBS: Boruc, Hooiveld, Steven Davis, Rodriguez, Do Prado, Richardson, De Ridder.

KICK-OFF - 15:00 GMT

Join us just before kick-off for all the confirmed team news and all the action from St Mary's Stadium.

SUNDERLAND EARLY TEAM NEWS

Steven Fletcher (back), Adam Johnson (dead leg), Danny Rose (ankle) and Phil Bardsley (knee) are all touch-and-go before kick-off for Sunderland. The Black Cats' injury crisis means David Meyler has returned to the club from his loan spell at Hull City, and might feature this afternoon.

SOUTHAMPTON EARLY TEAM NEWS

Influential Saints skipper Adam Lallana misses out after damaging his knee ligament, meaning Jay Rodriguez is in line to start. Goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga looks likely to overcome a shoulder injury and should line up between the sticks, while Richard Chaplow and Frazer Richardson could also return.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

It's almost a decade since Southampton and Sunderland last met in the top-flight. The Saints travelled to the north-east in January 2003 and came away with a narrow 1-0 win, thanks to a 50th minute goal from talisman James Beattie. Needless to say, none of the 32 players in the matchday squads that afternoon will feature today, though the likes of Thomas Sorensen, George McCartney and Rory Delap are still plying their trade in the Premier League nearly 10 years down the line. Sunderland edged the last meeting between these two, visiting St Mary's in The Championship in April 2007 and leaving with a 2-1 victory.

BLACK CATS SEEK POINTS

Sunderland are a point ahead of Southampton going into this one, sitting nervily in 16th. They were well and truly outdone and undone in the first half against Manchester United last weekend, but performed better in the second period, grabbing a goal back and looking increasingly threatening. Their away record isn't great, though, having won just once in 16 outings in the Premier League. And they've scored the fourth fewest goals in the division with 18. But two of Martin O'Neill's men's three wins have come against sides below them – Wigan and Reading – and the Black Cats will be looking to add the Saints' scalp to their wall this afternoon.

RESURGENT SAINTS

Eleven points from their last six games has propelled Nigel Adkins' Southampton out of the relegation zone. But only by the skin of their teeth. The Saints are level on points with 18th placed Wigan but will see their remaining fixtures of 2012 as winnable games. After today's clash with Sunderland, they have away trips to Fulham and Stoke, and while their recent run of form has lifted some of the pressure off Adkins' shoulders, losses in all three of those games could put his position in jeopardy.

THE MATCH

It's a tale of two sides desperately needing points, as Southampton host fellow strugglers Sunderland at St Mary's this afternoon. Kick-off is 15:00 GMT.