Daily Echo:

Sofiane Boufal scored his first goal in ten months to hand Saints a much needed 1-0 victory against West Brom.

The Moroccan international was introduced as a late sub as Mauricio Pellegrino’s side tried in vain to break down a stubborn Baggies backline and executed a sublime piece of individual magic five minutes from time to grab the points.

Boufal’s breath-taking run from deep inside his own half before a brilliant finish into the bottom corner gave Saints only their third win of the season.

Saints started the game in their 4-2-3-1 formation, with Shane Long out on the right, Dusan Tadic in the hole and Steven Davis on the left, with Manolo Gabbiadini as the lone striker through the middle.

West Brom had the first crack at goal as Gareth Barry tried his luck from 20 yards with a shot that hit the side netting.

It was a rare foray forward with the Baggies playing a predictable game, but executing it well.

They were so deep from the off, getting ten men behind the ball and happy to sit two banks of players in front of their own box to make themselves very hard to break down, and then try and hit on the counter attack.

Mario Lemina tried a speculative effort from distance to try and get something going for Saints but sliced well over.

Saints came so close to taking the lead on 17 minutes as they hit the post.

Long won a free kick in a fairly central position 20 yards out that Ryan Bertrand tried to whip over the wall. His left footed curler clipped the head of Jonny Evans in the wall and deflected onto the post.

Tadic forced Ben Foster into a save two minutes later after being found by Bertrand’s left wing cutback but his shot was held at the near post by the Baggies stopper.

Saints were piling on the pressure and possibly should have taken the lead moments later as West Brom failed to clear an inswinging corner and the ball fell to Oriol Romeu in the middle of the six yard box.

He had to try and finish on the spin but couldn’t find the target.

After West Brom had penalty appeals waved away as Tadic clearly handled in the area, Saints broke quickly and spurned a golden opportunity on 29 minutes.

Gabbiadini led the charge with a surging run down the left and produced a perfect low cross to find Long. The striker opted to let the ball run across him and take it with his right foot but from just a few yards out put it wide.

West Brom were forced into a substitution on 32 minutes as Jonny Evans limped off following an earlier clash with Long to be replaced by Allan Nyom.

Maya Yoshida came close three minutes before half time with as he won a header from a corner six yards out but the ball bounced up at a nice height for Foster who dived to his left to turn wide.

That proved to be the final chance of a first half in which Saints had created a few openings but couldn’t break the deadlock.

Saints were knocking on the door at the start of the second period and threatened as Gabbiadini flicked a header from a right wing cross from Cedric Soares narrowly over the bar.

Long tried to force the issue with a low drive from 20 yards out but though it was well struck it was straight at Foster.

West Brom made a second change with Gareth McAuley replacing Gareth Barry on 53 minutes as the Baggies went to five at the back.

Jay Rodriguez had his first effort at goal against his old side after Solomon Rondon knocked the ball down to him outside the area but his shot went tamely wide.

Fraser Forster had something resembling a save to make as West Brom got a first shot on target on 56 minutes with a Kieran Gibbs header requiring stopping even if it wasn’t exactly a taxing stop.

Rodriguez had a great chance for West Brom as a ball over the top saw him burst through on goal and had only Forster to beat but as the ball bounced in front of him he put his half volley across goal and well wide.

Nacer Chadli became the first player in the book for a trip on Tadic.

Gabbiadini had another sight of goal from the edge of the box but he could only guide the ball towards Foster who made a comfortable save.

Saints made their first change on 70 minutes as Nathan Redmond came on for Romeu.

Tadic had a fantastic chance to give Saints the lead two minutes later as a ball from the left came all the way through to him in space at the far post. However, Foster charged out and smothered the finish.

Tadic then appealed for a penalty as he went down chasing the rebound. Foster did touch his thigh but the midfielder went down easily.

Chadli tried an instinctive effort first time at the other end which Forster turned over the bar.

West Brom made a final switch on 77 minutes with Matt Phillips replacing Chadli.

Saints responded with a double change with nine minutes remaining to try and get a goal with Sofiane Boufal and Charlie Austin coming on for Tadic and Long.

The substitution did the trick as Boufal scored a wonder goal five minutes from time.

He picked the ball up midway inside his own half, tricked his way past two players and burst forward.

As he approached the edge of the area he cut inside onto his right footed and steered a perfectly measured shot into the bottom corner.

West Brom were forced to finish the game with ten men as the injured Craig Dawson had to be helped from the field.

It meant Saints were able to finish the game at something of a canter – they came closest to scoring as Austin hit the outside of the post from a very acute angle - and that, deservedly, by far the best moment of the match secured the three points.