Saints are still searching for their first league win of the season after throwing away a one-goal lead against Brentford at St Mary’s.

In a scrappy game with few moments of genuine quality in the final third, Saints eventually found a way to break down Brentford as Dan Harding gave Alan Pardew’s men the lead on 73 minutes.

But they could only hold on to it for ten minutes before allowing substitute Cleveland Taylor to equalise and make it two points from the opening four games of the season for Saints who are on minus eight points.

Matt Paterson had a great chance to give Saints the lead with just 16 seconds on the clock.

Adam Lallana threaded the ball through the Brentford defence and picked out the feet of Paterson. He looked surprised to see no offside flag and after controlling hurriedly did little more than chip his shot straight at Lewis Price from 12 yards out.

Up the other end only a minute later the ball fell to Sam Wood but his low drive went wide.

The game was pretty tense and tight and a real battle.

Saints were by far playing the better football but Brentford were disciplined and well organised and worked hard to get men behind the ball and deny Saints space to play in.

They looked most dangerous from the odd long throw.

Rickie Lambert called Price into serious business for the first time on 14 minutes when he fizzed a free kick from just outside the left corner of the area low and through the wall, but the Brentford keeper got down low to his right to turn it away.

Jacob Mellis was gifted an opportunity three minutes later as a loose back pass played him in behind the right back. Price started to come but quickly back tracked and Mellis could only slash his shot into the side netting.

Danny Foster was the first man in the book shortly afterwards for chopping down Dan Harding.

Myles Weston gave Saints their first real scare of the game on 22 minutes when he tried to lob Kelvin Davis with a half volley on the turn from 20 yards out but the ball dropped onto the roof of the net.

Adam Lallana came agonisingly close to giving Saints the lead three minutes later when some good possession football resulted in him meeting a low left-wing cross with a diving header but it struck the outside of the near post.

Amazingly Brentford did almost the same two minutes later as Weston’s high cross to the far post was met by the head of Wood who looped a header back over Davis but that also struck the post and bounced away.

Weston was suddenly using his pace to get round the back of Saints and from the other wing lofted a ball that was just too high for Sam Saunders to do much with.

Neal Trotman had been dominant in the air at the back but should have given Saints the lead on 37 minutes.

Lallana’s left wing corner was headed back across goal to the far post by Dean Hammond to Trotman who headed over from inside the six yard box.

At the other end Davis got down sharply to his right to save from Kevin O’Connor.

Paterson was the next man booked for a foul on Ryan Dickson.

Weston’s pace got him in two minutes before the break but under pressure from Chris Perry he drove his shot over the bar from inside the area.

That proved to be the last meaningful action of the half and when the referee’s whistle went the teams went to the break goalless.

Pardew made two half-time changes with Jake Thomson and Marek Saganowski coming on for Mellis and Paterson. Thomson went to right midfield with Lallana switching to the left.

Carl Cort had the first effort of the half but from the edge of the area volleyed over the bar while Harding got himself booked for dissent on 50 minutes.

Saints could have found themselves behind on 55 minutes when Wood flashed a low ball right across the face of goal but nobody was there to tap it home.

Morgan Schneiderlin was quick to take aim and fire from 30 yards out on 61 minutes but his shot went wide.

The second period was again very keenly fought but without a great deal of quality from either side.

Chances were at a real premium and in truth the game needed something to bring it to life because it was not much of a spectacle.

Thomson provided a rare spark down the left but Lambert’s sidefooted volley from his cross was blocked.

Finally the game did get the goal it so desperately needed and on 73 minutes it was Saints who were in front.

Hammond chipped a ball from deep to the far post, Lambert headed it back across goal and Harding was the first to react to charge in and slam home a half volley from eight yards out for 1-0.

Brentford responded by bringing on Steve Kabba for Weston and then Cleveland Taylor for Saunders.

Lallana tried his luck with a run and low shot from 20 yards but it was straight at Price who saved.

But Saints’ lead lasted just ten minutes as Dickson got down the left beating two Saints defenders and stood up a cross in the box that Taylor met with a diving header for 1-1.

Cort had a half chance to make it even worse five minutes later but headed over under pressure from Woods’ cross.

Pardew made a final change with two minutes remaining with Grzegorz Rasiak coming on for Lambert.

Saints made a late surge in stoppage time and Price had to make a good save from Schneiderlin before the referee waved away penalty appeals for handball.

But they couldn’t get another breakthrough and had to make do with one point in a game where three was there for the taking.

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