SAINTS were this afternoon denied their first league win of the season by a controversial penalty deep into stoppage time.

Rickie Lambert had put Southampton ahead on the stroke of half time after Neal Trotman's header was handled in the area.

Saints hit the woodwork twice in the space of a minute with headers from Lambert and Wayne Thomas in the second half, while Marek Saganowski had a goal disallowed for offside.

In total, Saints had 18 efforts on goal, compared to Stockport's 9.

Despite bossing the game, they were undone by a penalty in the final moments of the match, which Carl Baker dispatched, beating Kelvin Davis.

Neal Trotman was adjudged to have handled in the area, prompting Saints players and management to remonstrate with the referee at the final whistle.

See the Pink for a full match report and reaction and the Echo on Monday for analysis and interviews.

Stockport County: Williams, Mullins, Rose, Raynes (C) Vincent, Tansey, Thompson, Baker, Poole, Pilkington, Havern. Subs: Turnbull, Johnson, Rigby, Griffin, Halls, Edwards, Rowe.

Southampton: Davis (C), Thomas, Perry, Trotman, Harding, James, Mellis, Hammond, Lallana, Saganowski, Lambert. Subs: Bialkowski, Wotton, Schneiderlin, Thomson, Gobern, Lancashire, Paterson.

Referee: Mr C. Boyeson

Key incidents

92+4: Final whistle.

92+4: Baker scores a penalty for Stockport.

76: Saganowski replaced by Paterson.

69: Saganowski has goal ruled out for offside.

53: Lambert and Thomas hit the bar with headers from two corners.

45+1: Lambert scores a penalty for Saints.