Ten-man Southampton held on to earn all three points – and, perhaps just as crucially, bragging rights – in the south-coast derby with fierce rivals Portsmouth in the Championship.
At an unsurprisingly raucous St Mary’s Stadium, James Bree netted what proved to be the only goal of the game after 20 minutes, finishing well after being picked out impressively by Finn Azaz.
The Saints’ task was made all the more difficult when Cameron Bragg was dismissed for a second yellow on the stroke of half-time.
After the break, Portsmouth, with the man advantage, pushed for an equaliser, but as tempers began to flare as the clock clicked closer to full-time, the visitors were unable to break down their hosts.
It was the first league victory for either side in this fixture for 21 years, and a first league win for Southampton in the derby for 22 years.
Eckert: Spygate scandal ‘changed my life’
The result comes at the end of a week when Southampton boss Tonda Eckert admitted the club’s Spygate scandal “changed my life”.
The 33-year-old was handed a suspended six-week suspension on Wednesday following his involvement in the Saints secretly filming a Middlesbrough training session towards the end of last season.
However, he avoided an immediate touchline ban and so was able to be in the dugout as they saw off their bitter rivals Pompey.
The win sees Southampton, who maintain their perfect league record at home this term, move up to 11th in the second tier, while Portsmouth languish down in 19th.
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