Baggies and Saints still in big trouble after stalemate

West Brom 0 Southampton 0

Albion remain rooted to the foot of the table and have won just once at home since the start of October.

Although the Saints leapfrog Norwich into 18th, they have now not won in 16 away matches, stretching back to April last year.

Albion had an early opportunity when Rory Delap brought down Earnshaw on the edge of the area after seven minutes.

Zoltan Gera’s right-foot free-kick struck the wall, only for the ball to run to Kevin Campbell but his shot from 12-yards was blocked by Jakobsson.

The woodwork then saved Albion as Peter Crouch’s downward header was tipped onto the post by Russell Hoult and hacked away by Paul Robinson.

The Baggies responded and Richardson’s 18th minute curling shot from a free-kick beat the wall and forced Paul Smith into an awkward save underneath the crossbar.

Midway through the half, a stroke of ingenuity from the in-form Henri Camara almost led to the striker making it five goals in four appearances since his arrival.

Delap whipped a pass in behind the Albion defence for Camara to race onto and his attempted lob over the stranded Hoult just drifted wide.

A few minutes later Robinson’s hesitation almost let Quashie in, but an alert Hoult cleared.

The first booking followed for Delap after barging into the back of Jonathan Greening, before Richardson then twice came close to breaking the deadlock.

Richardson became the second name to be taken by referee Mike Riley after he hauled down Redknapp who was breaking away.

The visitors almost went in front six minutes before the break when Quashie fed Le Saux out wide on the left. The former England defender crossed for Camara to power a header goalwards from seven yards, but he was denied by a brilliant reaction save from Hoult.

The half ended with Gera booked for a late challenge on Olivier Bernard.

Inside two minutes of the second half, Bernard was also cautioned, blocking Gera after he had made his way into Riley’s notebook just before the break.

After a fifth booking of the game, this time for Redknapp for his block on Richardson, Camara should have given Southampton the lead midway through the half.

Bernard delivered a raking pass down the left for Camara to chase, and with his pace he first left Thomas Gaardsoe on the seat of his shorts before cutting inside Neil Clement, but with only Hoult to beat from 12 yards he scooped his shot over the bar.

Worse was to follow for the Saints 10 minutes from time after Quashie and Bernard had combined superbly down the left, with the latter delaying a cross to the far post where David Prutton sidefooted over.

WEST BROM: Hoult, Albrechtsen, Gaardsoe, Clement, Robinson, Gera (Scimeca 81), Wallwork, Richardson (Koumas 74), Greening, Campbell, Earnshaw.

SOUTHAMPTON: Smith, Delap, Lundekvam, Jakobsson, Bernard, Prutton, Redknapp, Quashie, Le Saux, Camara, Crouch.