Marek Saganowski rescued a point for 10-man Southampton as they came from behind against Swansea.
Swansea forced to settle for a point against 10-man hosts
Marek Saganowski rescued a point for 10-man Southampton as they came from behind against Swansea at St Mary's.
Saganowski, who secured an important point for Saints in their midweek draw with Norwich, was on target in each half for the home side.
Garry Monk's poor backpass gifted the Polish forward the opener in the 17th minute, only for Swansea to hit back before the interval through Jordi Gomez.
Lee Molyneux saw red for for two bookable offences shortly into the second half as substitute Gorka Pintado's third league goal of the season looked like making it six consecutive wins for the visitors.
Saganowski, however, netted his fourth in three games after 76 minutes to earn a share of the spoils for Saints.
Heading into the game Mark Wotte brought back in Andrew Surman and Saganowski as they looked to improve their abysmal home record, and it was the hosts who started brightest with David McGoldrick winning a free-kick on the edge of the Swansea area only for Simon Gillett to fire into the wall.
Midfielder Andrea Orlandi enjoyed Swansea's opening chance but could only fire at Chris Perry when well placed, and the 35-year-old veteran defender nearly grabbed an unlikely goal at the other end shortly afterwards when he poked a close-range shot against Swans defender Alan Tate following Surman's corner.
However the home side took the lead after 17 minutes when Saganowski took full advantage of Monk's weak backpass to steal in and slide home past backpedalling keeper Dorus De Vries.
Belting
The goal - only Saints' 11th at home in the league this term - was no less than Wotte's side deserved.
But the visitors gradually began to find a foothold in the game and Gomez pulled them back on level terms just after the half-hour with a belting right-footed strike from outside the area that flew past Kelvin Davis.
The visitors thought they had taken the lead shortly before half time as Jason Scotland found the net from inside the area only for referee Steve Tanner to rule out the effort for a pull on defender Perry.
Saints' task was made doubly difficult just minutes in the the second half when Molyneux picked up a needless second yellow card for a foul on Gomez and was summarily dismissed by Tanner.
And the Swans took full advantage just when substitute Pintado slammed home after 65 minutes following Tate's long-range strike that was only parried by Davis.
The goal rocked the home side, who were hanging on until Saganowski neatly beat the offside trap to latch on to Surman's pass and delightfully chip De Vries.
Swansea piled forward in the closing stages and both Scotland and Pintado had chances to win it for Swansea, however Saints' defence held firm as they clung on for a point.
