Saints are unbeaten in their four Premier League matches against AFC Bournemouth at St Mary's, with two wins and two draws since 2015.

SAINTS 3 BOURNEMOUTH 3

April 27 2019

SAINTS guaranteed Premier League safety with this thrilling draw five months ago.

A see-saw match saw Saints twice lead only to concede an equaliser with four minutes remaining.

However, with Cardiff losing at Fulham the point was enough to preserve Saints’ top-flight status.

Shane Long opened the scoring on 12 minutes with his fourth goal in five games, a classy first-time side-footed finish, from Nathan Redmond’s pass.

After ditching their three centre-halves to match up Saints, Bournemouth equalised with a 20th-minute counter attack involving Josh King and Callum Wilson, whose pass to Dan Gosling was driven low past Angus Gunn.

Following a save by Artur Boruc, Long hit the post from close range with the goal at his mercy and Bournemouth took a 32nd-minute lead when Wilson reacted quickest to Gunn’s save from David Brooks.

Ward-Prowse was allowed time and space to fire in a left-footed,55th-minute equaliser from 20 yards and Saints made it 3-2 on 67 minutes when Matt Targett headed Yan Valery’s cross back across goal into the far corner

Bournemouth, having barely threatened in the second half, nicked a point when Wilson bundled in Ryan Fraser’s cross.

SAINTS: Gunn, Stephens, Bertrand, Bednarek, Valery, Romeu (Targett 45), Ward-Prowse, Redmond, Hojbjerg, Long (Austin 88), Ings (Armstrong 81).

CHERRIES; Boruc, Cook, Ake, Clyne (Solanke 72), Simpson, Mepham (Fraser 23), Gosling (Hyndman 53), Lerma, Brooks, Wilson, King

SAINTS 2 BOURNEMOUTH 1

April 28, 2018

Dusan Tadic was at his imperious best with two goals in a virtuoso performance that helped Saints to a vital win in their battle against relegation.

Saints remained in the bottom three but this result took them to within a point of Swansea, who they beat ten days later to effectively secure their Premier League status.

Tadic gave Saints the lead after a counter-attack from Nathan Redmond and Mario Lemina set up a one-on-one that the Serb finished into the far corner.

Josh King equalised just before half-time but Saints won thanks to Tadic’s left-footed, toe-poked finish across Asmir Begovic in the 54th minute.

SAINTS: McCarthy, Hoedt, Bednarek, Yoshida, Lemina, Bertrand, Soares, Romeu, Tadic (Ward-Prowse 87), Austin (Hojbjerg 72), Redmond (Long 59).

CHERRIES: Begovic, Ake, S Cook, Francis, Cook, Fraser, Gosling (Surman 72), Daniels, Wilson (Ibe 64), King, Mousset (Defoe 64).

SAINTS 0 BOURNEMOUTH 0

April 1, 2017

SAINTS were grateful for a goalline clearance and a 78th-minute penalty miss by Harry Arter, who blazed his spot-kick several feet over Fraser Forster’s cross bar after his standing foot slipped in front of the Northam Stand.

It summed up a match that seemed destined to finish goalless.

Steven Davis denied ex-Saint Andrew Surman with a 33rd-minute goal-line clearance and a brilliant save by Artur Boruc kept out Jay Rodriguez’s stunning 44th-minute volley.

Adam Smith struck a post and Arter nearly made amends for his spot-kick miss but Forster flew to his left to keep out the midfielder’s swerving late cross-shot.

SAINTS: Forster, Soares, Yoshida, Bertrand, Stephens, Davis, Romeu, Ward-Prowse (Boufal 63), Redmond, Rodriguez (Long 63), Tadic (McQueen 80).

CHERRIES: Boruc, Francis, Cook, Daniels, Smith, Gosling, Surman (Arter 46), Pugh, Fraser, Afobe King (Wilshere 70).

SAINTS 2 CHERRIES 0

November 1, 2015

TWO first-half goals won Saints the first match between the sides since their Leagiue One days.

Saints took a 31st-minute lead after a ten-minute spell in which Cherries barely touched the ball.

Ryan Bertrand swept in a terrific cross that found Steven Davis arriving unmarked at the far post to side-foot home a volley which Adam Federici got to but couldn’t keep out.

Just five minutes later it was 2-0. Brilliant work from Dusan Tadic on the left ended with him standing up a cross which Sylvain Distin got caught under, allowing Graziano Pelle the chance to storm in to head home from six yards.

Cherries did not have a shot on target till the 87th minute, when Saints were down to ten men after a second yellow card for Victor Wanyama.

SAINTS: Stekelenburg, Soares, Fonte (Yoshida 45), Van Dijk, Bertrand, Clasie (Romeu 71), Davis, Wanyama (s/o 78), Mane, Tadic (Ward-Prowse 80) , Pelle.

CHERRIES: Federici, Francis, Daniels, Smith, Distin, Gosling, Surman, Pugh (Stanislas 45), Arter (Tomlin 73), Ritchie, Murray (King 45).