Southampton 1 West Brom 0 - Report and pictures

Boufal's brilliance was a rare moment of quality during a dreadful evening for Albion that saw them concede yet another late goal and raises further questions about Tony Pulis's ambition with his new-look side and his ability to get it to function.

The Baggies laboured throughout most of the game, and could have lost by more were it not for the returning Ben Foster and the home side's wasteful finishing.

Southampton hadn't scored in eight of their previous 10 home league games, and one win in six matches at St. Mary's this season meant their confidence was low.

But the Baggies invited their hosts onto them, particularly in the first half, and were guilty of played their opponents into form.

Instead of getting the home crowd on their backs, Pulis's tactics handed both their players and their fans belief.

Albion were hardly in the game until Pulis switched to a back three just before the hour mark, ditching the ineffective three-man holding midfield which must surely now be consigned to history.

Last season this Albion team sat deep like like a coiled viper, ready to strike from a deep foundation at any time.

But today, they're wasn't any venom or pace in their counter-attacks.

At times it looked like a training ground match between attack and defence, Albion were so deep.

In the second half, the raucous away end were imploring their team to attack, and they deserve immense plaudits for braving Storm Brian and cheering on their team, when there was so little to cheer on.

The Baggies were handed a big boost before the match when influential No.1 Ben Foster was passed fit to play after missing Monday's trip to Leicester with a worrying knee injury.

In fact, concerns of a keeper crisis failed to materialise as stand-in keeper Boaz Myhill recovered from his hamstring problem to make the bench.

Foster's return was the only change Pulis made to the starting line-up, as he perservered with the same outfield that laboured to a 1-1 at the King Power Stadium.

The only change Mauricio Pellegrino made to his team after their 2-2 draw with Newcastle was to reinstate club captain Steven Davis into the team in place of Nathan Redmond, who dropped to the bench.

Former Baggie Shane Long started up front with Manolo Gabbiadini, who bagged both goals against the Geordies.

Even though Gareth Barry had the first shot of the game, a long-range sighter with his weaker right foot that grazed the side netting, it was the hosts who edged a dull opening.

Albion were guilty of clipping too many balls forward to Salomon Rondon, who was struggling to make it stick, but even though Southampton had plenty of the ball, they didn't know what to do with it at first.

Nothing really happened until Ryan Bertrand's free-kick smacked the Albion crossbar in the 17th minute after taking a little nick of Jonny Evans's head in the wall, but fortunately for the Baggies, the ball bounced clear.

However, that woke the home side up, who got in behind three minutes later when Bertrand nutmegged Craig Dawson and set up Dusan Tadic, but his shot was straight at Foster.

They should have scored soon after when a corner fell at Oriel Romeu's feet three yards out, but the midfielder's back was to goal, and his shot on the swivel went wide.

The corner brushed Rondon's hand on the way through, although there were few appeals from the men in red and white.

Albion then had their own appeal for a penalty just before the half-hour mark when Nacer Chadli's free-kick hit Dusan Tadic on the arm, but once again, referee Graham Scott said no.

Jonny Evans had to be replaced by Allan Nyom shortly after, as the Baggies skipper was unable to shake off the effect of a nasty fall earlier in the match when Shane Long had ran underneath his jump.

Craig Dawson moved inside but the Baggies were still doing more defending than attacking, and their goal was leading a charmed life.

Foster had to tip Maya Yoshida's header around the post before the defender nearly scored an acrobatic goal from the resulting corner, striking a bicycle kick a foot wide of the post.

When Albion did get the ball, they struggled to use it. Last season, this team was clinical on the counter attack, but without the pace of Matt Phillips or James McClean, their breaks laboured up the pitch.

A rare break ended when Nyom, who has never scored an Albion goal, shot when he should have played Kieran Gibbs on the overlap. But they were lucky to go into the break still level.

Something needed to change, and five minutes into the second half Pulis sent on Gareth McAuley for Gareth Barry in order to switch to a back three with Nyom and Gibbs as wing-backs, allowing Rodriguez to join Rondon up front.

That opened the game up, and Albion finally managed an effort on target when Nyom sent a deep cross to the back post where his opposite wing-back Gibbs headed the ball goalwards, although it was easily gathered by Fraser Forster.

And the change in formation seemed to liven up Albion, who created their best chance of the game soon after when Grzegorz Krychowiak sent Rodriguez through on goal against his former club.

The summer signing had all the time in the world, but he misjudged his shot and screwed the bouncing ball wide of the post.

Pellegrino's team then had an even better chance to open the scoring when the ball found its way to Tadic in acres at the back post.

Foster scrambled off his line brilliantly to smother the shot at his feet before slightly tugging Tadic back and clearing his lines.

The Southampton man threw himself to the floor but once again, Scott waved away the appeals.

Both sides were searching for a winner by now, and Forster had to tip over Chadli's long-range curler before Pulis brought the Belgian off and sent Matt Phillips on with his last roll of the dice.

But it was Pellegrino's substitutions that won the game. Ten minutes before the end he brought on Charlie Austin and Boufal, and it was the Morroccan who capped off a poor game with a moment of brilliance.

Picking the ball up in his own half, he fended off two challenges before driving into the Albion half, where he skipped past Craig Dawson, moved the ball to the right of McAuley, and rolled it into the bottom corner of the net.

Dawson hobbled down the tunnel straight after, unable to carry on, leaving the Baggies with ten men.

They were unable to test Fraser Forster in the final minutes, and with Manchester City, Chelsea and Spurs all to come in the next four games, pressure is starting to mount up on Pulis.

Key moments

22 Oriel Romeu should score when the ball falls to him three yards out but his back's to goal and he swivels and puts it wide. The corner brushes Salomon Rondon's hand on the way through but nothing's given.

28 Nacer Chadli's free-kick hits Dusan Tadic's arm in the box but nothing given.

72 Huge save from Foster, who rushes out to smother the ball at Tadic's feet. He tugs the Saints man back before clearing but referee says no penalty.

86 GOAL SOUTHAMPTON - Substitute Sofiane Boufal picks the ball up in his own half, drives forward, skips past three Albion players and rolls it into the net to cap off a fine solo effort.

Albion man of the match

Ben Foster - Made a couple of important saves on his return to the side, but little he could do about the goal.

Teams

Southampton (4-4-2): Forster, Cedric, Van Dijk, Yoshida, Bertrand, Davis (c), Lemina, Romeu (Redmond 69), Tadic (Boufal 80), Long (Austin 80), Gabbiadini. Unused subs: Hoedt, McCarthy, McQueen, Ward-Prowse, Redmond.

Albion (4-5-1): Foster, Dawson, Evans (c) (Nyom 30), Hegazi, Gibbs, Rodriguez, Krychowiak, Livermore, Barry (McAuley 53), Chadli (Phillips 77), Rondon. Unused subs: Myhill, Yacob, Brunt, McClean.

Referee: Graham Scott