Southampton saw their hopes of a top-four finish in the Premier League suffer another blow on Saturday with a 1-0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion.

The only goal of the game arrived inside the opening two minutes as Saido Berahino fired an unstoppable half-volley past the helpless Fraser Forster.

Ronald Koeman's side pushed hard for an equaliser as the game went on, but they were unable to get past the dogged West Brom defence.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the action at The Hawthorns.

Match statistics

WEST BROM
Shots: 7
On target: 3
Possession: 36%
Corners: 2
Fouls: 10

SOUTHAMPTON
Shots: 12
On target: 2
Possession: 64%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 17

Was the result fair?

Southampton may feel unlucky not to have come away with a share of the spoils, but some poor finishing in the final third saw them fail to make their dominance count. While the Baggies had to ride their luck at times, they ultimately did enough to claim an impressive victory.

West Brom's performance

Tony Pulis's side got off to a flying start when Berahino found the net with just 72 seconds on the clock, though after that they were forced to defend for long periods as Southampton tried to get themselves back in the game. The Baggies were superb at the back throughout, with the likes of Joleon Lescott and Craig Dawson making it hard for the visitors to find a way through. Meanwhile, the hosts were also dangerous in attack as they continually looked to hit the Saints on the break. Combined with the mettle of Darren Fletcher, Chris Brunt and James Morrison in midfield, this was a typical display from a Pulis team: hard-working, tough to break down and downright belligerent.

Southampton's performance

Ronald Koeman will be disappointed to have seen his players begin the game so sluggishly, but, to their credit, they refused to let it affect them. Instead the Saints remained patient as they looked to find a way back into the match. However, their biggest flaw was a lack of finishing. While the visitors had no trouble in getting at the West Brom goal, multiple shots off target suggested that it was never going to be their day. Other aspects of their play were not so bad: they defended solidly and showed plenty of determination and ideas in midfield. If they could have been that little bit sharper up front then they may well have left The Hawthorns with something to show for their efforts.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Joleon Lescott: Always looked composed at the back for West Brom and allowed his experience to play a big part in their defensive performance. His positional play in particular was impressive as he often popped up in key areas to thwart Southampton.

Biggest gaffe

Graziano Pelle could have equalised for Southampton midway through the second half when he tried to get on the end of Ryan Bertrand's cross from the left, but the Italian completely missed the ball from about three yards out.

Referee performance

Phil Dowd only last 45 minutes before he was replaced at the break by Graham Scott after suffering a calf strain. Both men enjoyed decent displays, though it was Scott who allowed the game to flow better following his introduction at the start of the second half. Fortunately for both of the officials, there were no big calls or moments of controversy to get involved with.

What next?

West Brom: The Baggies are back in action on Tuesday when they travel to local rivals Aston Villa in the Premier League.

Southampton: The Saints continue their Premier League campaign with Tuesday's visit of Crystal Palace to St Mary's Stadium.