Nhamoinesu concedes penalty

ZIMBABWE international defender Costa Nhamoinesu conceded a penalty as his Czech club Sparta Prague were hammered 0-3 by Southampton in the UEFA Europa League in England last night.

The Warriors centreback was adjudged to have handled in the box, as he slid for a tackle in the penalty area and Charlie Austin converted from the spot to give the Saints the lead.

Sparta Prague never recovered and were comprehensively beaten on the night with Austin grabbing a brace while Jay Rodriguez added a late third.

Austin opened the scoring with a controversial penalty after Nhamoinesu was harshly adjudged to have handled while challenging the striker.

Dusan Tadic had to be ushered away after arguing about who should take the penalty, but celebrated with Austin.

Manager Claude Puel has endured a frustrating start to his managerial reign at Southampton after two draws and two defeats, including last Saturday’s last-minute loss at Arsenal.

But this was a highly satisfactory night for the Frenchman as the Saints secured a comfortable Group K win with Austin, who has started just one league game this season, causing chaos with his pace and accurate finishing.

The 27-year-old looked like a player with a point to prove as he scored twice in 22 first half minutes, the first a controversial penalty awarded after Nhamoinesu was ruled to have handled while challenging Austin on the edge of the area.

German referee Manuel Grafe originally awarded a corner only to change his mind and point to the spot. More drama was to follow as Austin’s team-mate Tadic had to be guided away by captain Virgil van Dijk after arguing over who should take the kick.

Austin sent keeper Tomas Koubek the wrong way from the spot before the former QPR striker headed his second from the edge of the six-yard area after Cuco Martina’s clever cross.

Having scored the winner at Manchester United last January, Austin has now found the net on both his Premier League and Europa League debuts for Southampton.

Meanwhile, United produced a lacklustre display as their Europa League campaign began in defeat at Feyenoord last night.

Jose Mourinho made eight changes from the team beaten by Manchester City and an Anthony Martial shot going wide was their only first-half chance.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic came on for the visitors and headed wide as he failed to turn around his side’s fortunes.

Instead, Nicolai Jorgensen, who was offside, crossed for Tonny Vilhena to drive in Feyenoord’s late winner. Ibrahimovic went close to an equaliser with a drilled free-kick but it was saved at the second attempt by former Liverpool keeper Brad Jones.

The defeat means United have lost four successive European away games in a row for the first time.

Paul Pogba, who rejoined United in a world-record £89 million move from Juventus in August, had his lack of discipline and positioning heavily criticised by ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher following Saturday’s derby defeat by City.

If playing alongside Ander Herrera and Morgan Schniederlin in midfield against Feyenoord was supposed to allow him freedom to display his attacking skills, Pogba failed to take the opportunity to do so.

The France international was a peripheral figure in the first half as he epitomised a lack of urgency and intensity from the visitors.

Pogba pushed further up the pitch after the break and despite looking a little more threatening as he attempted two long-range shots which went comfortably off target, he could not find the quality to help find a way through the Dutch side’s defence.

England forward Wayne Rooney has played behind United’s main striker so far this season but was rested for this trip.

United boss Jose Mourinho claimed he had other “solutions” for the role, but the poor performance of his supporting cast of players can have done little to persuade him of the strength of his other options.

The midfield trio of Herrera, Schneiderlin and Pogba, along with wingers Anthony Martial and Juan Mata, left Marcus Rashford too isolated.

Rashford, who burst on to the scene with two goals in a 5-1 Europa League win over FC Midtjylland on his Manchester United debut in February, struggled as he made his first start of the campaign.

He was replaced by Ibrahimovic, who was part of a triple substitution after 63 minutes which also introduced Memphis Depay and Ashley Young and the Swede gave the attack more of a threat but United still did not look like scoring.

Asked if the players who came in failed to take their chance, Mourinho said: “I don’t want to go in that direction. I don’t want to personalise. Obviously, some played better than others. It was the first game for some.”

On his selection for this coming Sunday’s Premier League trip to Watford, the manager added: “We go back to a normal team without so many changes.”

Eredivise leaders Feyenoord came into the game in good form, having won their opening five league games, scoring 15 and conceding twice in the process.

Managed by former Arsenal and Barcelona left-back Giovanni van Bronckhorst, their team included former Liverpool players Dirk Kuyt, who scored a hat-trick against United in 2011 in his time at Anfield and Jones.

Keeper Jones had a much quieter evening than he might have expected and the Dutch side could have taken the lead in the first half when Jens Toornstra blazed high when he had time and space to shoot. — Sports Reporter/BBC.