Mane swoops as Southampton keep up pressure on top four

Premier League

Sadio Mane gave Southampton’s top-four ambitions a timely shot in the arm, ending their 387-minute wait for a goal as they secured a late — and potentially season-defining — win against Crystal Palace.

This performance was a far cry from the impressive, swashbuckling Saints who wowed onlookers earlier in the campaign. They toiled again as a run of one win in five matches looked set to be extended, yet Mane’s late clipped effort moves Ronald Koeman’s men to within a point of the top-four.