Southampton beat Sunderland 0-1 at the Stadium of Light with Dusan Tadic scoring a penalty

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Dusan Tadic’s second half penalty was the difference between the teams, but the scoreline didn’t tell the full story of a game in which Saints dominated possession.

Victory moved Saints to within one point of fifth placed West Ham.

Sunderland showed their intentions early by playing a looping diagonal ball from the kick off and winning a corner.

It was long and it was direct and it was going to be an aerial battle for Saints.

Sunderland won the ball from the corner but Younes Kaboul could only loop it tamely to Maarten Stekelenburg.

Jordy Clasie was the first to try his luck for Saints, opting to shoot from distance after Sunderland allowed him time on the ball but his effort went over the bar.

Saints were dominating possession in the early stages, clearly trying to remain patient, take the sting out of the Black Cats and frustrate the home crowd.

Sadio Mane collected a booking after just 12 minutes for a sliding tackle which scythed down Billy Jones.

Saints created a fantastic chance to take the lead on 16 minutes thanks to some slick football.

Dusan Tadic won a header from a diagonal ball out to the left and it found Graziano Pelle in the area with his back to goal.

He flicked it back and inside to Tadic, who had continued his run.

However, Costel Pantilimon charged out and spread himself to save as Tadic shot from ten yards out.

Saints threatened again on 22 minutes, this time a half cleared cross finding Mane 12 yards out but his first time half volley on the turn was fairly central and Pantilimon pushed it away.

The tone of the first half really didn’t alter much.

Saints still had most of the possession and looked by far the more incisive going forward.

Sunderland’s biggest threat was down their left hand side with Duncan Watmore trying to get at Maya Yoshida, but they did look short of quality in the final third and were struggling to see much of the ball.

That was really summed up by Ola Toivonen’s effort from 20 yards out which was sliced embarrassingly wide.

Adam Johnson picked up a booking for pulling back Mane as the game fell a little flat.

But at half time it was Saints by far the happier side as they just needed to find a killer touch to go with the strong defensive performance and domination of possession they had planned.

Sunderland made a half time change with Fabio Borini replacing Toivonen.

The Black Cats again came out with purpose and determination but were finding it hard to get through Saints.

Adam Johnson did at least manage a shot from distance, but again it was well wide.

Saints quickly broke and Mane drilled in a shot from 20 yards that was well struck but straight at Pantilimon who pushed it away.

Moments later Mane couldn’t make a connection with the ball six yards out as he stretched to try and finish on the turn after Pelle’s cushioned header back across goal.

Mane was in the thick of the action again on 55 minutes as he collected another half cleared cross but his shot was blocked before Pelle’s follow-up got the same treatment.

DeAndre Yedlin took one for the team as he took a kick in the head from Mane to prevent the Saints man a chance of turning home at the far post after Jose Fonte’s flicked header from a corner.

Saints came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock on the hour mark as Tadic’s left wing cross was headed only as far as Steven Davis at the far post 12 yards out.

He controlled the ball on his chest and fired in a shot that beat Pantilimon but not Sebastian Coates who got back to clear off the line.

They had an even better chance though after winning a penalty.

Tadic fed the overlapping Bertrand on the left wing and Yann M’Vila slid in and took him out, getting nowhere near the ball.

It was an easy decision for referee Michael Jones who pointed to the spot.

Tadic stepped up and though Pantilimon guessed correctly diving to his left it was well struck and in the corner and Saints were 1-0 up.

Sunderland responded with their second change with Jack Rodwell replacing Steven Fletcher.

They certainly rallied with Stekelenburg having to make his first real save of the day to block a fierce drive from Borini at his near post before Johnson’s free kick went close.

Sunderland made an attacking change with Jermaine Defoe coming on for Jordi Gomez.

Saints responded with Oriol Romeu replacing Clasie before Juanmi came on for Mane with seven minutes remaining.

Sunderland appealed for a penalty of their own as Rodwell’s flicked header from a corner struck Yoshida on the arm but he was turning away from the ball and it hit him from close range leading Jones to wave it away.

Saints made a change in the final minute with Steven Caulker providing some extra aerial presence in place of Tadic.

There were five minutes of added time for Saints to see out which they did with relative ease to keep their fantastic away form rolling on.