Saints were cruelly beaten by a late stoppage time winner as Bristol Rovers snatched three points at St. Mary's.

Saints: Davis, James, Jaidi, Trotman, Harding, Mellis (Mills 67), Hammond, Schneiderlin (Wotton 87), N'Diaye (Saganowski 80), Lambert, Lallana. Subs: Forecast, Perry, Holmes, Lancashire.

Bristol Rovers: Andersen, Regan, Anthony, Coles, Lescott, Wright (Williams 63), Campbell, Lines, Hughes, Dickson (Duffy 74), Kuffour (Blizzard 90). Subs: Evans, Elliott, Reece, Swallow, Duffy.

Referee: Darren Deadman (Cambridgeshire)

Kick-off: 7.45pm

Attendance: 19,724 (inc. 2,872 away)

Alan Pardew's side kicked off towards the Northam End on a clear evening on the south coast with the visitors lining up in their changed strip of yellow and green.

Both sets of supporters were in fine voice as Southampton started the brightest by displaying some slick passing moves as they sought an early breakthrough. Adam Lallana going closest with an effort which was deflected onto the roof of the net with four minutes played.

In an open start to the game, Morgan Schneiderlin almost released Papa Waigo inside the area with 12 minutes gone, but the Senegalese forward couldn't collect the well weighted pass.

Lallana tried his luck from distance on 18 minutes, but almost immediately afterwards Rovers had their first shot of the match as Jeff Hughes forced Kelvin Davis into a fingertip save to push the midfielder's shot round the post.

Shortly after Chris Lines had had an effort held by Davis, Saints counter-attacked and a cynical challenge from Hughes earned the Rovers midfielder a booking as he took down Dean Hammond in the visitors' half.

Dan Harding took the resultant set piece, and his cross evaded everyone as it almost crept in at the far post on 26 minutes.

The best chance of the game arrived right on the half hour mark, as Lloyd James' cross from the right was powerfully headed narrowly over the bar by Rickie Lambert.

Rovers followed up with a decent move of their own two minutes later, as Chris Dickson got the better of Radhi Jaidi and Neal Trotman before supplying former Bournemouth forward Jo Kuffour with a chance inside the box.
Fortunately Kuffour couldn't get the ball out of his feet which was a let off for the Saints backline who appealed for offside.

Saints broke the deadlock however, on 33 minutes as Lambert provided the killer ball for Lallana which the 21 year-old took in his stride, before firing low past Andersen for 1-0.

Moments after Hammond had picked up a 41st minute booking for a challenge on the edge of the Rovers box, the action had swung up the other end direct from a long free-kick. Davis was stranded on the edge of his area as Chris Dickson was just able to squeeze a shot into the far corner despite Trotman's best efforts to divert the ball into touch.

The equaliser took the sting out of Saints' attacking play as the game headed for a stalemate at the half's end.

Half Time Saints 1-1 Bristol Rovers

Within a minute of the re-start Saints were back in front. A move which was started by Lambert found Lloyd James on the right. The Welshman delivered a pinpoint cross for the former Bristol Rovers man, who crashed a header in off the bar, and Papa Waigo N'Diaye put the ball in to make sure, but the linesman had already flagged it as Lambert's goal.

Rovers had the ball in the back of the net two minutes later, but the flag had been raised long before Kuffour slotted home.

N'Diaye picked out Schneiderlin six yards out five minutes after that, but the Frenchman's shot was pushed behind by Andersen as the midfielder continues to wait for his first goal in Saints colours.

Saints continued to turn the screw at the start of the second half and on 52 minutes they nearly extended their lead when Lambert teed up Mellis, but the Chelsea loanee's shot flew wide.

On 65 minutes though, Rovers levelled again, as right back Carl Regan worked his way towards the by-line. He cut the ball across the box where Kuffour was lurking to cleverly guide the ball past Davis with his instep.

Joseph Mills replaced Mellis not long after the goal and was soon involved as he sliced a ball into the path of Hammond in the area. However, the former Colchester captain's shot was blocked out of play for a corner.

The match swung from end to end once more, with Rovers now pressing forward at will. The best opportunity for them in that spell arrived on 73 minutes when Kuffour teed up Hughes, but the left midfielder smashed his volley over.

On 77 minutes Saints were back in the ascendancy as Mills picked out Lallana on the edge of the area. A neat one-two with N'Diaye led to the first goal scorer on the night to have a strike at goal which was well kept out by Andersen.

Marek Saganowski replaced Papa Waigo with ten minutes to go as Alan Pardew sought a fresh impetus in attack. N'Diaye was roundly cheered for his contribution on the night which seemed to improve as the game wore on.

Inside the last few minutes of normal time, Paul Wotton replaced Schneiderlin as the hosts continued to push for a winner.

With five minutes of stoppage time added on, defender Danny Coles got a rush of blood to the head as he blazed over after a run towards the Saints backline.

Lambert supplied Saganowski for the Pole's first shot at goal in the latter stages, but it was saved low at the near post by the Rovers custodian.

With time added on quickly disappearing, substitute Andy Williams struck a killer blow to Saints as he hit a pearler into the far corner as for the second successive Saints game there was late drama, but this time of the worst kind.

Full Time: Saints 2-3 Bristol Rovers