Saints were guilty of missing good chances during the stalemate
Saturday 20 October 2018 18:39, UK
Mark Hughes believes Southampton deserved more than a point after poor finishing cost his side all three in the 0-0 draw with Bournemouth.
The Saints manager was encouraged by the manner in which the Cherries were limited to very few clear-cut opportunities, but Charlie Austin, Stuart Armstrong and Manolo Gabbiadini were all guilty of wastefulness in front of goal.
The stalemate means Southampton remain 16th in the Premier League table, a point above the relegation zone, but Hughes saw plenty of encouraging signs that his side will soon haul themselves away from danger.
He said: "I was really pleased. I think the manner of the performance is what we take from it. I thought on the day we had the clearer-cut chances in general play and obviously could've won it right at the death with a great opportunity for Gabby [Gabbiadini].
"He just couldn't get over it, and I think it would have been no less than we deserved. We came here against a team who were absolutely flying and they didn't get any kind of momentum in the 90 minutes.
"We were always a threat and I think our efforts deserved more than the point. It was important to make a statement after the disappointment last time out against Chelsea."
Southampton have not struggled to produce chances this season, but it has been their finishing that has let them down.
Their profligacy in front of goal was on display once more at the Vitality Stadium, and that will have to change if they are to avoid another season of relegation fears.
But this was a vast improvement on the ragged display at home to Chelsea before the international break, and Hughes added: "Three of the back four have been with us for the past 12 days, so the international break has really helped us.
"If results go against you then people start to doubt what you say, but I've been really pleased with what we've produced in the majority of the games.
"Today, everybody at the game saw that we're a very accomplished side. We more than matched Bournemouth, we just needed a little bit more luck to get the ball over the line."
