adminLONDON. — Southampton have had to do a spot of waiting around for airborne vehicles to clear the way in recent weeks — and patience was required once more as they met another flying nuisance in Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton yesterday. A Charlie Austin double and Nathan Redmond’s fine strike all came in the second half to earn them a fifth victory in seven matches, Southampton 3- 1 Burnely all of those unbeaten but, until his goal was breached in the 52nd minute, Heaton had been sensational and that three could easily have been doubled.
A few weeks ago, Southampton were grounded for five hours when they tried to fly back from Israel the morning after their Europa League draw with Hapoel Be’er Sheva. The world’s dignitaries had descended on Israel’s national cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem for former president Shimon Peres’s funeral and their private jets were queuing to leave the country. There is not much that gets priority over Premier League clubs, but Southampton had to wait in the departures lounge as Barack Obama boarded Air Force One and Prince Charles and several others left in their luxury aircraft.
Little else has held them back in the past month, but Heaton did his best. Five minutes into the game he was diving to his left, reaching Austin’s header with fingertips to turn the ball fractionally around the right post. Austin lay on his back, head in hands. He saved well again on 31 minutes, when Fraser Forster’s clearance caught out Burnley’s back line and played Dusan Tadic through one-on-one, but his close-range poke was kept out by the goalkeeper’s chest.
Shortly before the break, Nathan Redmond turned one way and then the next inside the penalty area, to the left of goal, and powered an effort at the near post, but Heaton was in the way once more. When Heaton kept Redmond out again in stoppage time at the near post of the opposite side of goal, after more skilful work from the winger, he was beginning to appear unbeatable. Even though the ball flew across goal from his save, Austin was unable to steer the rebound in and squandered a great chance. There was only so much he could do, however, and he was finally beaten nine minutes into the second half.
Tadic swung in the corner, Virgil Van Dijk headed it back across goal, Austin’s first effort was blocked on the line by Sam Vokes, but he forced the second over it. — MailOnline.
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