Impressive Saints deny Pardew winning return

Southampton 2 Newcastle 0

His tired team, weakened by injury and suspension, was no match for a Southampton side fired by the prospect of back-to-back victories in the top flight for the first time since 2004, and the warmth of the welcome from his former supporters disappeared with the first blast of the referee’s whistle.

Southampton leapt out of the bottom three, and, significantly, to within three points of Newcastle, who have won only once in the past eight games, losing the last three — the worst such sequence since September 2008. It was an indictment of Newcastle’s lack of firepower that this was also Southampton’s first clean sheet of the season.

“It was nice of the fans to give me an ovation,” Pardew said. “I thought it was all good until the game kicked off. The intensity and energy that Southampton put on the pitch was a problem for us. We were short of bodies and maybe Thursday [the Europa League tie against Maritimo] took a bit of edge of us and we were second best.”

He added: “Of course we’re worried. Last year we didn’t have many injuries, which was part of why we finished fifth, but this year we’ve had nothing but setbacks.’’

In contrast, Nigel Adkins, the Southampton manager, was understandably effusive. “The players deserve great credit,” he said. “They are improving all the time, and they got a clean sheet against a top forward line. We were punished in a big way at the start of the season and this shows how much the players have learned.”

After 34 minutes, Tim Krul was forced to leave his area to kick clear from Jason Puncheon and was nowhere when Nathaniel Clyne returned the ball into the penalty area. Mike Williamson’s attempt to head clear only directed the ball to Gaston Ramirez and he set up Adam Lallana to score from close in.

Krul erred again on the hour, failing to hold Puncheon’s low cross and allowing Ramirez to score from four yards, but the Newcastle goalkeeper redeemed himself with another string of saves.

SOUTHAMPTON (4-2-3-1): Gazzaniga 6; Clyne 7, Fonte 7, Yoshida 8, Shaw 7 (Hooiveld 90); Cork 7, Schneiderlin 7; Puncheon 8, Ramirez 6 (S Davis 78), Lallana 9; Lambert 6 (Rodriguez 76).

NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-4-2): Krul 8; Simpson 6, Williamson 6, Taylor 6 (Perch 90), Santon 6; Gutierrez 6, Tiote 5, Anita 5 (Marveaux 66, 5), Ferguson 5(Sammy Ameobi ht, 5); Cisse 5, Ba 6.

Referee: M Atkinson.