Southampton saw their hopes of a top-four finish 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 stop their winless run stretching to three games in the league.

Here, Sports Mole rates the individual performances of those involved at The Hawthorns.

WEST BROM

Goal

Ben Foster: Enjoyed a solid afternoon in goal for the hosts. Made a couple of important saves to keep them ahead in the second half. (7/10)

Defence

Craig Dawson: Looked composed at the back throughout. Kept the Southampton attackers at bay with some robust defending. (7/10)

Gareth McAuley: Worked well alongside his defensive colleagues. Helped their back three thwart the visitors when it counted. (7/10)

Joleon Lescott: Was superb at the heart of West Brom's defence. Used all of his experience to make sure that Southampton had little joy in the final third. (8/10)

Midfield

Chris Brunt: Worked hard throughout the game, making sure that play was linked well between the opposite ends of the pitch. (7/10)

James Morrison: Did a good job of supporting Berahino and Ideye in attack while providing the Baggies with some bite in midfield before he was taken off with 20 minutes left. (6/10)

Claudio Yacob: Struggled to get into the game, with play bypassing him on a number of occasions. However, he was needed towards the end of the match when the visitors piled on the pressure. (5/10)

Darren Fletcher: Led by example in midfield and could have got on the scoresheet in the second half. Looks as if he has adapted instantly to the team. (7/10)

Craig Gardner: An unusually tepid display from Gardner, who only got involved in fits and starts. Was at his most effective when he surged forward. (6/10)

Attack

Brown Ideye: Caused the Southampton defence plenty of problems with his pace and power. Had his afternoon cut short by an injury late on. (7/10)

Saido Berahino: Opened the scoring in spectacular fashion with just 72 seconds played. Played a key part for the Baggies after that, though he was forced off just 10 minutes after the break. (8/10)

Substitutes

Youssouf Mulumbu: Was brought on to stabilise the West Brom midfield and helped them to see out the game. (6/10)

Stephane Sessegnon: Added a bit of zip to West Brom's attacking play when he came off the bench for the final 20 minutes. However, he shamed himself by getting booked for a poor dive. (6/10)

Chris Baird: Had little impact when he was introduced during the final stages as the hosts held on for the points. (5/10)

SOUTHAMPTON

Goal

Fraser Forster: Did not do a lot wrong during the 90 minutes as West Brom only rarely mounted serious pressure. Could do nothing about Berahino's goal. (7/10)

Defence

Florin Gardos: Was sacrificed after just 25 minutes as Koeman shook things up tactically. Looked solid enough before he was brought off. (6/10)

Jose Fonte: Sometimes struggled to keep up with West Brom's counter-attacking play on a out-of-sorts afternoon for the skipper. (5/10)

Maya Yoshida: Tried to get forward whenever he could and added an extra dimension to Southampton's play at set pieces. Defended with determination and focus at the other end of the pitch. (6/10)

Nathaniel Clyne: A typically dynamic performance from the right-back, though his crosses were often not met with the kind of finishing that they deserved. (7/10)

Midfield

Victor Wanyama: Found it hard to assert himself during the opening half and was brought off before the restart. (5/10)

Morgan Schneiderlin: Did not dictate play in the way that he so often does. His wayward shooting was symptomatic of Southampton's malaise up front. (6/10)

Ryan Bertrand: Started in a more advanced position before being forced back. Made West Brom sweat when he got forward, putting in some good crosses from the left side. (7/10)

Dusan Tadic: Cut a frustrated figure for much of the match as he failed to provide the spark that the visitors needed. Eventually came off with 15 minutes left. (5/10)

Attack

Graziano Pelle: Another disappointing day for the Italian, who was a peripheral presence in attack for the away side when they needed a more physical approach in the box. (5/10)

Sadio Mane: Was far more lively than Pelle up front, though he also found it difficult to get past West Brom's back line. (6/10)

Substitutes

Eljero Elia: Replaced Gardos on 25 minutes and had a positive impact on the Saints with his running and invention. (6/10)

Steven Davis: Controlled the midfield a lot better than Wanyama when he replaced the Kenyan before the start of the second half. (6/10)

Shane Long: Despite having 15 minutes to make something happen for his side, Long's introduction did not have the desired effect. (5/10)