Soccer Football - Premier League - Southampton v West Ham United - St Mary's Stadium, Southampton, Britain - December 26, 2024 Southampton's Paul Onuachu in action with West Ham United's Tomas Soucek Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge
SOUTHAMPTON, England (Reuters) -Jarrod Bowen scored a second half winner for West Ham United in a 1-0 Premier League victory at Southampton as new Saints manager Ivan Juric suffered defeat in his first game in charge of the struggling club on Thursday.
The visitors led just before the hour-mark when Bowen poked the ball into the net from three yards after Niclas Fullkrug's flick-on into the path of the forward as Southampton failed to clear from a corner needlessly conceded by Yukinari Sugawara.
The home side were the better team in the first half and should have led, but striker Paul Onuachu missed a trio of headed opportunities and Mateus Fernandes was also profligate in front of goal.
West Ham move up to 13th in the table with 23 points from their 18 games, while Southampton are rooted to the bottom with six points from the same number of fixtures and a single victory all season.
Southampton created enough in the final third to at least earn a point and Onuachu’s physical presence up front was a constant threat, but too few of his efforts were on target.
"I think we did a really good game," Juric said. "In a few days, the players are improved a lot. They played good, pressed high and there were really good moments.
"It's a pity that we lost this game and played well. I was thinking that I will need more time and there are details we have to work on."
Carlos Soler should have put the visitors ahead early on but smashed the ball against the crossbar from 10 yards.
Southampton were creating chances from high balls into the box, but were thwarted by two excellent saves from goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, and some wayward efforts.
West Ham midfielder Guido Rodriguez was handed a straight red card by referee Lewis Smith in the second half for a challenge on Kyle Walker-Peters, but it was downgraded to a yellow after a Video Assistant Referee review with the contact minimal.
Fernandes scuffed a shot wide from an excellent shooting position as Southampton searched desperately for an equaliser, while at the other end substitute Crysencio Summerville missed from a tight angle when he should have worked the goalkeeper.
Deep into stoppage time, 18-year-old Tyler Dibling had a final chance to equalise for Southampton but his curling shot was always high and side, summing up their wasteful afternoon.
(Reporting by Nick Said, editing by Pritha Sarkar and Christian Radnedge)
