Southampton claimed a 3-1 victory over Premier League strugglers Newcastle United to claw themselves right into contention for a top-five finish.
The Saints had Shane Long, Graziano Pelle and Victor Wanyama to thank for establishing a three-goal lead with just 55 minutes on the clock.
Andros Townsend pulled back a fine individual consolation strike for his side, but defeat for the Magpies leaves them six points from safety with time fast ticking down.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Southampton and Newcastle United at St Mary's Stadium. Victory, you feel, has to be on the agenda for both sides this afternoon if they are to achieve their overriding aims for the season - a top-five finish and top-flight survival respectively.
Time is fast running out for the Magpies to claw their way out of the bottom three, as they find themselves six points adrift with just seven games of the campaign left to play. Progress under new boss Rafael Benitez has been slow so far, meaning they really must go all out for a rare three-point haul against a Saints side with one eye on a place in Europe next season.
TEAM NEWS!
SOUTHAMPTON XI: Forster; Martina, Fonte, Van Dijk, Bertrand; Wanyama, Clasie; Tadic, Mane, Long; Pelle
NEWCASTLE UNITED XI: Darlow; Janmaat, Taylor, Mbemba, Anita; Shelvey, Wijnaldum; Townsend, Perez, Sissoko; Mitrovic
Starting with a look at the visitors, and manager Rafael Benitez has opted to make two changes to his side on the back of last weekend's disappointing 3-2 reverse at fellow strugglers Norwich City. There is a recall to the starting lineup for Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has scored three in his last two - including both goals in that loss at Carrow Road - to match his previous scoring tally across the last 18 league outings.
Mitrovic is joined by Ayoze Perez in the Magpies' starting XI, meaning Papiss Cisse and Cheick Tiote make way from last time out. Newcastle are expected to begin with a 4-2-3-1 formation at St Mary's, with a big afternoon ahead for stand-in skipper Jonjo Shelvey alongside Georginio Wijnaldum in the middle of the park. Karl Darlow continues to deputise in goals, meanwhile, following the loss of Rob Elliot and Tim Krul already this season.
In terms of the home side, Ronald Koeman has also shuffled his starting pack slightly by making three alterations from the slender defeat at the hands of league leaders Leicester City six days ago. Shane Long, Dusan Tadic and Cuco Martina all earn recalls this afternoon, but Charlie Austin and Jay Rodriguez remain only fit enough for a place among the Saints' subs.
Long is back after a recent knee injury layoff, and will provide a welcome boost for the hosts in attack playing just off Graziano Pelle in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Steven Davis is among those to miss out for Southampton due to an ankle problem, which will now likely keep him absent for the next few weeks. Victor Wanyama and Jordy Clasie will man the engine room in the Irishman's absence.
BENCH WATCH!
SOUTHAMPTON SUBS: Stekelenburg, Cedric, Yoshida, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Rodriguez, Austin
NEWCASTLE UNITED SUBS: Woodman, Dummett, De Jong, Lascelles, Tiote, Obertan, Cisse
Newcastle can call upon full-back Paul Dummett this afternoon for the first time in five weeks, as he has sufficiently overcome a hamstring injury to take his place on the bench. Massadio Haidara is no closer to a return, though, meaning that left-back spot is still perhaps not as strong as it should be. Gabriel Obertan and Siem de Jong provide some attacking options, meanwhile, should Benitez need some additional firepower.
As already touched upon a little earlier, both Austin and Rodriguez are among the Saints' subs for this one and could play a part as the match unfolds. James Ward-Prowse is another of those who will be desperate to make an impact if called upon, aiming to add to his goalscoring collection for the season which currently stands at just two. Maya Yoshida is the most likely candidate to provide defensive cover if needed.
Shane Long, back after a knee injury layoff, is one of three new faces in the Southampton starting lineup this afternoon. Newcastle United make two changes, meanwhile, as Aleksandar Mitrovic's positive recent form earns him a place up top from the off at St Mary's.
Southampton were a little unlucky to lose ground on the top five last weekend when falling to a slender 1-0 defeat away at Leicester City, bringing an end to their solid run of form over the past month or so. That was their first loss in six outings, with wins over Stoke City and Liverpool prior to that - the latter coming after falling two goals behind, remember - lifting the Saints right into European contention of late.
Consistency has not quite been there for the Saints across the duration of the season, though, as a profitable run between the start of January and mid-February aside they have not really done enough to challenge the leading pack of teams. It is now just two wins in six overall if we are to skew the figures slightly and, with West Ham looking on course to pick up a point against Arsenal in the day's early kickoff, that gap is only widening.
That is not to say finishing seventh would not be a great achievement, however, especially with Chelsea and Liverpool among those now hot on the Saints' heels in the race to finish in the top third. The gap on the top five, not taking into account the match currently taking place between West Ham and Arsenal, stands at six points. It is still a realistic target for the South Coast side, as Koeman has reminded us this week, but a win is essential this afternoon.
Southampton have failed to keep a single clean sheet in their previous six outings, having shut out the opposition in each of the previous six matches prior to that. Fraser Forster's return to action appeared to provide the spark needed for the Saints to string together some impressive results, culminating in that 3-2 win over Liverpool prior to the international break, but since then the defensive unit has not been quite as strong as it once was.
On a more positive note, Koeman's charges have tasted victory in five of their last seven games on home soil; winning four and drawing one. The Saints also have a nice enough run of fixtures to see out the season, with a trip to take on Everton next weekend preceding matches against Aston Villa, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace - three games, on paper, that are winnable to say the least.
While Leicester may be receiving all the plaudits this season, many - including Koeman - argue that it was the relative success of Southampton last time around that has paved the way for the Foxes' shock title pursuit. The Saints did brilliantly last season, although they struggled to maintain their form across the duration of the campaign and eventually missed out on a top-four finish. As things stand, they find themselves nine points less off than their tally of 56 from the same stage last term.
Koeman is still targeting a place in the top six, though, which is pretty much his way of telling his squad that there is still plenty left to play for between now and the season's end. The Dutchman has himself admitted that the only way they will hit their target is to win the vast majority of their games, including today's visit of a seemingly doomed Newcastle side aiming to avoid the drop.
DID YOU KNOW? Newcastle United have lost each of their last eight league games on the road - their longest run without an away win since a nine-game spell in 1977. They last picked up all three points on their travels when prevailing 2-1 at White Hart Lane prior to Christmas at a time when things looked just a little rosier at St James' Park.
The Magpies make the long journey south sitting 19th in the Premier League table and now six points adrift of safety. Worryingly for the Toon Army, results have shown little sign of improving since Benitez was appointed last month, with just six games left to go after today. Anything less than a win at St Mary's, knowing that those around them have a good chance to pick up victories of their own this weekend, could be another nail in the relegation coffin.
Rafael Benitez has taken one point from a possible nine since being appointed as Newcastle United manager last month, but the experienced Spaniard insists that he is at the club for the long term. That surely all depends on results over the next month, though, as the Magpies are now looking increasingly likely to be plying their trade in the second tier of English football yet again next season.
While the gap on 17th place stands at six points, United do in fact have a game in hand on Norwich City who occupy that final survival spot. Great rivals Sunderland are the team sitting directly above them, while Aston Villa are almost certainly down with their fate likely to be confirmed come 5pm this evening if results - as expected - go against them. The heat really is on Newcastle, Sunderland and Norwich heading into this intriguing final stretch.
The damning stat is this: Newcastle have won just six games all season - simply not good enough for a club of this stature, having spent big in an attempt to turn their fortunes around. Bringing Benitez is was certainly a smart move, even if his expertise is more suited to guiding sides at the top end of the table, but it looks like the decision to axe Steve McClaren came too late in the season. One point from nine is not great, though four from 12 will certainly look a little better on the CV.
The last of those six wins came some two months ago now, when United saw off West Bromwich Albion at St James' Park. That triumph did not provide the springboard required to push on, however, and just four points from the last 27 on offers has left the Magpies in this hole of doom (otherwise known as the relegation zone!). The barren record on the road - eight defeats on the spin - certainly does not offer too much hope for today, yet Benitez no doubt picked out a few positives from the defeat to Norwich last week.
Mitrovic has found the net three times in his last two outings to earn himself a starting spot today, but it is at the other end of the field that things need sorting. One clean sheet in 16 outings has certainly not helped the cause, with 14 goals - including five against Chelsea in February - being conceded in the Magpies' last six outings. Remaining tight at the back this afternoon and possibly nicking a goal will surely be the message from Benitez.
The month of April also makes for bleak reading if you are a Newcastle supporter as, since beating Fulham 1-0 in 2013, United have lost 11 of their last 12 fixtures in this month. Benitez may be targeting a long-term stay at St James' Park, yet if he fails to improve that terrible record then surely he will be managing elsewhere next term. The time for talking is very much over; points are needed now.
With less than 10 minutes to go until kickoff on the South Coast, let us check out the pre-match thoughts from both camps heading into this Premier League showdown.
Ronald Koeman: "It's difficult to think how many points you will need to have at least sixth position. I don't know, but if you win your home games you have a possibility. I don't think that nine points is enough to get that European place, we need more we know, and it starts on Saturday. It's not really my focus for the home games, we need to win most of the six and then we will get a good opportunity."
Rafael Benitez: "I can't say anything against the players. They are doing well in every training session and giving everything. In the games, sometimes it is anxiety or the lack of concentration, but you have to improve and learn. The only way is to practice every day and I think they are giving effort. Hopefully we can see a positive approach against Southampton and do well."
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! The Saints have won their last three home meetings against today's opponents, scoring 10 goals without reply. Going further back it is just one defeat in 15 Premier League outings overall, in a run that includes 11 victories and three draws. Newcastle have not actually won in this fixture in the last five meetings, in fact, and have conceded two or more in six of the last seven encounters.
There is just time to bring you the full-time result from the early kickoff in the Premier League between West Ham United and Arsenal at Upton Park. It was a real thriller in East London, but in the end the points were shared in a 3-3 draw. Not the greatest of results for Southampton, who surely would have liked to have seen the Gunners come out on top in that one, meaning the gap on fifth place remains at six points heading into this South Coast showdown.
Both sets of players have now made their way down the St Mary's tunnel, with kickoff around two minutes away. Can Southampton keep their top-five aspirations alive with all three points here, or will Newcastle finally kick into gear heading into this final month of the Premier League season? Plenty on the line, so let us get straight to it...
KICKOFF! Not the greatest of starts for the visitors, to say the least. Southampton win themselves a corner kick with 60 seconds on the clock, which Van Dijk heads on in the direction of Pelle. Both players were unmarked, but the latter's goal-bound attempt was collected by Darlow.
So it took less than two minutes of the match for Southampton to get an attempt on target, which does not bode all that well for the visitors. The Saints still taking control of the contest in these early stages in search of an opener.
GOAL! SOUTHAMPTON 1-0 NEWCASTLE UNITED (SHANE LONG)
We may be just four minutes into the match, but it is fair to say that opening goal has been coming. Right from the off Southampton have been on top, forcing Darlow into a simple save around a minute in and now finding the breakthrough soon after. It was the simplest of goals, too, as Long simply waltzed through a non-existent defence and tucked home with aplomb.
Almost the perfect response from Newcastle, who appear to have finally woken up at long last. Perez gets a decent shot away from close range which is superbly blocked by Fonte in front of Forster. Up the other end Mane fires narrowly wide via a deflection when taking on the volley.
Townsend doing more defending than attacking at the moment, as he gets back to thwart Bertrand in the final third of the field. A third corner of the afternoon proves less profitable than the last two, as the ball sails right through the Newcastle box.
A dominant start by the hosts, then, with United barely being able to get forward thus far. Perez did have one shot a little while ago which Fonte did superbly to block, but that aside it has been a bleak opening 11 minutes or so for those travelling supporters.
Shelvey plays a weak ball back to Taylor which allows Long to pounce. It is then a real 50-50 between Darlow and the Irishman to get on the loose ball, but the United keeper got a touch to it before wiping out his opponent. A close call, that, yet referee Bobby Madley made the right call.
Still Southampton are the side in control of this match, without really troubling Darlow too much since making the breakthrough. Koeman will be delighted with the way this one is panning out, while Benitez must surely be thinking about changing things slightly based on the opening 15 minutes.
Some more worrying signs for the visitors, as Tadic gets in behind the Newcastle defence down the right before picking out Pelle who struggled to adjust his feet in time. Newcastle have to be careful here because a second Saints goal appears to be right on the horizon.
Pelle's acrobatic effort is all wrong, as he gets the smallest of touches to Tadic's cross into the box which ends up going right through to the far touchline. United just cannot relieve the pressure at all so far, in what has been an opening quarter dominated by Southampton.
Clasie whips in one of those shot-cross free kick attempts which is just inches wide of the target. Wanyama felt as though he was being pulled back by Shelvey when trying to get on the end of the cross, but Robert Madley was quick to dismiss the midfielder's call.
It has been one-way traffic in the opening quarter of this contest on the South Coast but, despite having a one-goal lead, Southampton have not really done enough to test Karl Darlow so far. Newcastle United will surely grow into this game as it goes on, although at the moment things are looking very bleak.
What looked like being a promising Newcastle attack comes to an abrupt end when Townsend loses possession, allowing Townsend to quickly break and work a 3-vs-2 situation at one point. The Irishman makes the wrong call on this occasion, however, shooting well over the bar from 25 yards out.
CHANCE! A rare sight out on the left touchline - Sissoko bursting forward to turn defence into attack. Again, it counts for little as the ball is lost, but that is at least some encouragement for the Toon Army. It was the Saints who created the better opening; Mane pulling the ball back for Tadic who took far too long before blasting into a sea of bodies.
Just wave after wave of Southampton attacks at St Mary's, the latest of which sees Pelle shoot tamely towards goal for Darlow to collect. The worry for the Saints is that the scoreline remains at just 1-0 and not three or four which would probably be a fairer reflection.
Clasie's corner is deep into the back-post area, where Wanyama is waiting to meet it. The Kenyan got plenty of power on his attempt to get the ball back across goal, but it ended over the bar in the end to allow United to breathe once again.
The game has gone through a quiet spell over the past few minutes, but you will not be surprised to hear that it is still Southampton who are well on top. More is needed to test Darlow, although for now Koeman will be happy enough with what he has seen from his side.
A lovely flick from Pelle allows Long to burst in behind, but the Irishman's pullback was disappointingly cut out in the centre. Benitez will surely make an alteration at the break should the flow of the game remain like this.
Tadic, like Long 15 minutes or so ago, takes on a shot from 25 yards out which is cut horribly wide. Darlow has had just two saves to make so far, both of which were routine enough, which is the only blight on this first-half performance from the Saints.
GOAL! SOUTHAMPTON 2-0 NEWCASTLE UNITED (GRAZIANO PELLE)
Southampton get a deserved second goal to put another nail in Newcastle's relegation coffin. Shocking defending from the visitors once again, this time Janmaat at fault when losing his footing which allows Long to miscue the ball in the direction of Pelle who superbly tucks the ball into the bottom corner.
NEWCASTLE UNITED SUB! Janmaat picked up an injury when slipping in the build-up to that second goal, so Benitez has been forced into a change. De Jong is on in attack, meaning Sissoko will fill in at full-back for a Magpies side looking very, very weak at the back.
Long has a shout for a penalty turned down by Bobby Madley when going to ground under a challenge from Mbemba, but replays show that there was very little contact made. The Irishman should have tried to stay on his feet there, rather than going for the easier option.
Forster plucks a cross out of the air to mark pretty much his first piece of business of the half. This has been a truly dreadful showing from Newcastle, who have just one blocked shot to show for their attacking work so far.
Add Van Dijk to the growing list of players to have taken on a shot from that 25-yard range and, like Long and Pelle before him, this strike ends well wide of the intended target. A few seconds of added time left to play on the South Coast.
HALF TIME: SOUTHAMPTON 2-0 NEWCASTLE UNITED
A dismal first-half showing from Newcastle, then, as they go into half time at St Mary's two goals down. Just one shot of any note so far for the Magpies, coming around 15 minutes in when Perez saw his attempt blocked by Fonte inside the box. That aside, it really has been one-way traffic.
Just 90 seconds were on the clock when an unmarked Pelle got on the end of Van Dijk's knockdown, which forced Darlow into a routine stop from close range. A minute or so later the ball was in the net, though, as Long simply waltzed through a non-existent Newcastle defence and tucked the ball home to open the scoring on the South Coast.
Southampton continued to dominate the half, without really asking any questions of Darlow between the sticks. Tadic had a chance to change all that when picked out by Mane, but he took too long on the ball inside the area and could only hit the ball into a sea of bodies in the end. The Saints did have a second before the break, though, thanks to Pelle's simple curled finish following some more comical defending from the visitors.
BENCH WATCH!
SOUTHAMPTON SUBS: Stekelenburg, Cedric, Yoshida, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Rodriguez, Austin
NEWCASTLE UNITED SUBS: Woodman, Dummett, Lascelles, Tiote, Obertan, Cisse
It really has been a one-sided contest at St Mary's Stadium so far but, with just two goals in it, Newcastle still have some hope of rescuing themselves a point. Benitez will surely make another change at the break, having seen his side fire away just one blocked shot in that first half.
RESTART! We are back underway on the South Coast, where there is news of a change to bring you at the break. It is another enforced one as far as the visitors are concerned, as Jamaal Lascelles comes on in place of Steven Taylor.
Forster has had barely anything to do all afternoon, so he can maybe be forgiven for this mistake. The Englishman rushes out but only clears 40 yards up field where Sissoko is waiting to collect, but the Magpies midfielder smashes the ball wide of target with an open goal gaping.
Mitrovic completely miscues his volleyed attempt 18 yards out, but Newcastle do win their first corner at the end of the attack. Some promise for those travelling supporters at long last, yet Shelvey's corner is easily dealt with.
Much better from Newcastle, as Pelle drives to the byline and picks out De Jong. The Dutchman can only find a red and white shirt, though, and another move breaks down before a shot can be fired in. Southampton go straight up the other end and win themselves a corner.
Southampton just need to keep the intensity now, which has dropped just a little since the interval. A goal for Newcastle and all of a sudden we have a different game on our hands, but in truth that Magpies breakthrough looks a million miles away at the moment.
GOAL! SOUTHAMPTON 3-0 NEWCASTLE UNITED (VICTOR WANYAMA)
And that should be that in terms of Newcastle's hopes of claiming a point from this fixture. Yet more poor defending, this time from a short corner as Mane bursts into the box and picks out Pelle. The forward had his shot superbly saved by Darlow, but it fell nicely to holding midfielder Wanyama to smash home his first of the season.
SAVE! Forster at long, long last has something to do! Some nice interplay allows Perez to get a shot away from the edge of the box, which the Englishman is quickly down to smother.
SAVE! Why on earth has it taken Newcastle this long to move out of first gear?! A minute after testing Forster for the first time, Townsend's bullet was heading for the top corner if not for the Englishman's intervention. A simple enough stop to make, but a save nonetheless.
SOUTHAMPTON SUB! First home change of the afternoon sees Shane Long replaced by James Ward-Prowse. Newcastle will be delighted to see the Irishman depart - he has been a menace all afternoon getting in behind the defensive line.
Normal service resumed all of a sudden, as Southampton take control of the match once again following that brief scare at the other end. I say 'scare', but this one is all over at this stage with a quarter of the match still to play.
GOAL! SOUTHAMPTON 3-1 NEWCASTLE UNITED (ANDROS TOWNSEND)
It may not change the complexion of this match too much - at least not at this stage - but this is an absolute gem from Townsend. The Englishman cut inside into a central position, before belting the ball into the top corner of the net to deny Forster a rare clean sheet.
Newcastle could very well use that Townsend belter to grow into this match, with a second certainly changing things heading into the final quarter of the match. No sign of that happening thus far, however, as Southampton regain their composure by knocking the ball around.
NEWCASTLE UNITED SUB! Final United sub of the afternoon; Papiss Cisse - without a goal this calendar year - being brought on in place of Ayoze Perez. Benitez's work from the bench is done, so can his group of players now respond?
Shane Long opened the scoring for Southampton early on, before Graziano Pelle and Victor Wanyama added to the Saints' tally either side of half time. Andros Townsend has pulled one back for the visitors, though, which could act as a springboard for United to push on in this final quarter.
Sissoko's tame cross is easily plucked out of the air by Forster to end what could have been a promising Newcastle attack. Martina went to ground a minute or so ago but now appears to have shaken off what appeared to be a knock to his ankle.
CLOSE! A decent opportunity for Mane as the space opens up in front of him. He opts not to pick out Ward-Prowse alongside him but instead curl one towards goal, with his shot ending just a few inches wide of the far post.
SOUTHAMPTON SUB! Ronald Koeman makes his second change of the afternoon, bringing on Oriol Romeu for Jordy Clasie in a like-for-like change in the engine room. The onus very much on Newcastle to make something happen at the moment, which they are struggling to do.
A decent cross into the Southampton box somehow goes right through with a telling touch. Decent spell for the visitors, which again appears to have come just a little too late in the match. The terrible performance in the first hour of this match appears to have cost them dear.
Jay Rodriguez will be joining the action in the next couple of minutes - something the home fans are delighted to see. Not the greatest second-half performance from the Saints thus far, as this one continues to peter out somewhat, but very much job done for Koeman and Co.
SOUTHAMPTON SUB! Rodriguez is indeed introduced for these final six minutes or so, marking his first piece of action in six months. Tadic is the man to be replaced, greeted by a strong applause on his way off the field.
Anita had to be alert to prevent Rodriguez making an instant impact at the end of Mane's cross. Around four minutes of normal time left to play on the South Coast, with little sign of a fifth goal in this contest.
Just a case of going through the motions now as far as Southampton are concerned, knowing that a silly error that allows Newcastle in could prove very costly. "One Ronald Koeman" is the cry around St Mary's now following another impressive afternoon for the Saints.
CLOSE! Romeu is Southampton's most advanced player, but his diving header is wide of the target. The substitute probably should have been doing better there, having been picked out unmarked just eight yards from goal.
Three minutes of added time have been signalled at the end of this second half, with the first two of those already under our belt. So just 60 seconds or so for Newcastle to salvage some more pride, then, but they will remain six points adrift of safety come the end of play.
FULL TIME: SOUTHAMPTON 3-1 NEWCASTLE UNITED
Referee Bobby Madley blows the full-time whistle to end a contest that was essentially over just 10 minutes into the second half. Newcastle, bar a 10-minute spell after going three down, did not turn up on the South Coast this afternoon and will now make the long trek back home sitting six points adrift of safety.
Southampton are still in the hunt for a place in the top five, meanwhile, having clawed themselves to within three points of fifth-place Manchester United, albeit after playing one game more than their rivals. Well that concludes our live text coverage from events at St Mary's, but be sure to stick around for plenty of reaction from all of the Premier League games over the coming hours.
