QPR 0-1 SOUTHAMPTON: Mane fires Saints to third with dramatic late winner

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It looked being a frustrating afternoon for Saints who created a host of first half chances and dominated the majority of the game but had failed to find the net.

However, that all changed three minutes into stoppage time when Mane spun on the outside of Nedum Onuoha and rifled a shot into the top corner.

The only downside of the day was a nasty head injury to Matt Targett that saw him taken to the hospital for a precautionary x-ray.

Saints had an opening just a couple of minutes into the game.

Nathaniel Clyne whipped in a cross from the right that picked out Graziano Pelle but he couldn’t make a clean contact with his effort on the turn with the ball slightly behind him.

Moments later Pelle tried a shot from range but it was a fairly comfortable save for Robert Green.

Saints looked so lively on the break with the pace of Eljero Elia and Sadio Mane and the pair combined to almost give their team the lead on seven minutes.

Mane curled a pass from inside his own half round the back of the QPR defence.

Green charged out but was nowhere near getting to the ball when Elia latched onto it and tried to immediately shoot past the stranded stopper but from 40 yards out it curled wide.

QPR first made an impression on the Saints backline after 11 minutes from a deep left wing free kick but Joey Barton’s half volley from just inside the area went well over the bar.

Barton was the first player in the book moments later for chopping down Mane.

The opportunities just kept coming for Saints with Victor Wanyama presented with the chance to volley goalwards from inside the area after James Ward-Prowse’s free kick was headed straight to him but he dragged his effort wide of the near post.

There was a worrying break in play as Matt Targett appeared to be knocked unconscious by accident collision with the leading arm of Matt Phillips as the pair challenged for a header.

After extensive treatment Targett was stretchered from the field on 26 minutes to be replaced by Florin Gardos. Maya Yoshida switched to left back with Gardos partnering Jose Fonte at centre half.
 

Mane looked lively again after the restart, controlling the ball on his chest and cutting in across the face of the area from the right before dragging in a left footed shot that Green dived to his left to stop.

Mane troubled Green again on 33 minutes as he burst past Clint Hill and managed to toe poke a shot towards goal as he lost balance which Green tipped just wide Ward-Prowse whipped in an outswinging corner that was met by a volley with the outside of the boot from ten yards out by Fonte but it struck the bar.

Mane got in again via a Steven Davis through ball but Hill put enough physical pressure on him not to concede a penalty but to also ensure he could only stab a shot wide.

Adel Taarabt tried to respond for QPR but his rasping drive from distance was straight at Fraser Forster.

There was seven minutes of first half stoppage time after the long break in play following Targett’s injury.

Elia tried to make the most of it as he got in behind but his low drive picked out Green at the near post.

The winger then took a whack where it hurts most from Richard Dunne but won his side a free kick on the edge of the area that Ward-Prowse bent around the outside of the wall and just wide.

The half finally ended goalless but with Saints wondering how they weren’t in front after total domination and a host of chances.

Saints started the second period also on the front foot but were given a reminder when a cross from the left rebounded up off of Clyne to Armand Traore who headed into the side netting from a tight angle.

Hill went in the book for a tug on Mane as Saints’ front three played even higher up the pitch in search of a goal.

Saints made a change on the hour mark with Morgan Schneiderlin replacing Wanyama.

Mane had another half chance moments later as he got onto the end of Pelle’s flick on but from the edge of the area he sliced well over the bar.

Rangers made their first switch with Mauro Zarate coming on for Taarabt.

He made an immediate impact as he stretched to reach Phillips’ right wing cross but he couldn’t get any power behind the shot and from a few yards out it just looped up to Forster.

Ranger made another substitution with Traore replaced by Mauricio Isla.

After all Saints’ pressure they had Forster to thank for keeping the scores level after a wonder save on 73 minutes.

A half cleared corner fell to Barton on the edge of the area, he drove a bobbling shot into the box that was defected six yards out by Charlie Austin but the stopper instinctively threw out his right arm and batted it over the bar.

After Elia went down via the challenge of Hill with nothing given right on the edge of the box Schneiderlin became the first Saints player in the book for a foul on Zarate.

Saints made a final change on 79 minutes with Dusan Tadic coming on for Elia.

QPR responded with Eduardo Vargas replacing Dunne.

Zarate gave Saints a scare as he cut in from the left wing and unleashed a shot from 20 yards out that flew narrowly over the bar.

Just as the game looked as though it was going to fizzle out into a frustrating draw for Saints they finally got a goal three minutes into four of stoppage time.

Tadic paled the ball out to the left and Yoshida immediately who turned it into Mane.

He spun on the outside of Nedum Onuoha and quickly rifled a left footed shot across goal that rocketed past Green and into the opposite top corner.

There was more late drama as QPR scrambled the ball over the line after a melee in the six yard box but the flag was correctly raised for offside.

That proved to be the last action of a game that provided such a vital three points for Saints in their quest for European football.