Lee Barnard's last gasp header deep into injury time earned ten man Saints a 1-0 win at Yeovil.

A fiercely competitive affair at Huish Park seemed to be going against the visitors who were frustrated in the first half, and were then dealt a further blow when Morgan Schneiderlin saw red for a challenge on Glovers' midfielder Gavin Williams with 20 minutes remaining.

The dismissal added extra spice to the match which swung from end to end, until Saints went for an all out attack on the hosts which was rewarded in five minutes of additional time, when half time substitute Barnard crashed home fellow sub Papa Waigo's sweet cross from the right.

Yeovil: McCarthy, Alcock, Forbes, Caulker, Smith, Tomlin, Kalala, MacDonald, G. Williams, Welsh, Bowditch (Murtagh 88). Subs (not used): Jones, Stam, Davies, Martin, Murray.

Saints: Davis, Otsemobor (Papa Waigo 83), Fonte, Seaborne, Harding, Antonio (Barnard 46), Hammond (Connolly 83), Schneiderlin, Lallana, Puncheon, Lambert. Subs (not used): Bialkowski, Perry, Wotton, Jaidi.

Referee: Mr. O. Langford

Attendance: 7,484

Saints lined up in their changed strip of blue and yellow with the same side that started in midweek at Bristol Rovers on a glorious sunny day at Huish Park.

The visitors got proceedings underway defending the open terrace housing the 2,000 or so travelling fans and enjoyed a bright start to the game creating the first chance inside the opening five minutes when José Fonte saw his header from Jason Puncheon's corner cleared off the line.

Michail Antonio, Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert all tested their aim at the Glovers' goal before the hosts got their first effort in when Dean Bowditch laid the ball into the path of Gavin Williams, but Dan Harding did enough to put off the midfielder as he pulled the trigger from ten yards.

The same Glovers duo linked up again on the quarter hour mark, but Kelvin Davis kept a low strike out at his left post.

At the other end, Lambert tested Alex McCarthy from the left side of the area with an arrowed strike which the 'keeper managed to hold on to as he dived to his left.

On 26 Bowditch was played in by Gavin Tomlin on the right but Davis was quickly off his line to thwart the forward from close range.

With half an hour on the clock, Antonio's darting run from his own half then put Lallana through, but the youngster was denied by a divot in the ground as the ball bounced up as he went to strike the ball home. Lallana did his best to rescue the chance, however as he flicked the ball with his heel towards goal, but couldn't quite get enough on it.

As the competitive nature of the game continued, Bowditch perhaps ought to have scored when he was put through on the left, but the in form striker dragged his effort wide.

Three minutes before the break the hosts went close again when Andrew Welsh's sweet delivery from the left was headed narrowly wide at the far post by Tomlin and two minutes later, the same combination saw the latter denied by a fantastic low save from Davis as Yeovil's confidence levels grew.

Half Time: Yeovil 0-0 Saints

Antonio was replaced by Lee Barnard at the start of the second 45 as Saints reverted to a more rigid 4-4-2 formation with Puncheon taking up a place on the right wing.

A quieter start to the new half was broken up in the 52nd minute when Harding and Lallana linked to tee up Lambert who curled an effort just over the top from the left of the area.

Shortly after, Barnard was brought down as Steven Caulker saw yellow for his challenge on the forward as he broke through the middle. From the cleared set piece Puncheon struck a firm effort towards goal which McCarthy managed to hold on to.

Harding had to be alert to clear the danger at the far post on 64 minutes and then Nathan Smith flashed another dangerous cross through the box which fortunately no green and white shirt could get on the end of.

Barnard was the first Saint to go into the book for a late challenge which was quickly followed by a straight red for Morgan Schneiderlin for his reaction to a challenge from Gavin Williams just shy of 70 minutes.

The visiting ten men were put under further pressure when Bowditch got through on one, but his tame shot gave Saints no reason to panic as Davis gathered comfortably. Saints were made to sweat by the official though when Bowditch went down under Fonte's challenge, but thankfully only a booking was dished out for the defender as the home crowd cried out for another red.

Inside the last ten minutes Saints replaced Hammond and Otsemobor with David Connolly and Papa Waigo and immediately set about terrorising the Glovers' backline winning a succession of corners.

However, a resilient Yeovil side continued to frustrate the visitors, but during five minutes of additional time Saints got the priceless winner after applying heavy pressure. With nine outfield players in the home side's half, Papa Waigo sent in a teasing cross from the right which was met at the far post by Barnard to win it.

Full Time: Yeovil 0-1 Saints