Southampton 3-0 West Brom
Southampton rediscovered their goal-scoring touch on the day they signed Charlie Austin by thumping West Brom at St Mary’s.
Saints splashed out €5million to land striker Austin from QPR on Saturday morning in a bid to pep up their misfiring attack.
And just a couple of hours later Austin watched from the stands as James Ward-Prowse scored twice before Dusan Tadic wrapped up a comfortable victory.
There were no goals for Ireland striker Shane Long, though he played the full 90 minutes.
It has been speculated that the Tipperary man will be on the move following Austin’s arrival.
On Saturday however, he had a busy afternoon which would have given manager Ronald Koeman plenty to think about.
England Under-21 midfielder Ward-Prowse was an unlikely goal hero, having previously scored just once in the Premier League.
He doubled that tally with just five minutes on the clock after Craig Dawson fouled Sadio Mane on the corner of the penalty area.
Ward-Prowse curled the free-kick up and over the wall, his effort beating Baggies goalkeeper Boaz Myhill far too easily as it flew into the top corner.
West Brom, who came from behind twice to draw at Chelsea in midweek, had chances to equalise but Craig Gardner headed a cross from Ireland’s James McClean cross wide and blazed another chance over.
Yet the Saints looked dangerous every time they attacked and Myhill kept out a Long (above) drive, although the keeper was grateful to Claudio Yacob for hacking the ball clear after making a mess of a corner.
And after 32 minutes the hosts' pressure told with Dawson again the guilty party, although the defender was perhaps unlucky that his collision with Matt Targett in the area was adjudged to be a foul.
Nevertheless, with regular penalty taker Tadic on the bench, Ward-Prowse did the honours and a coolly taken spot-kick sent Myhill the wrong way.
The Saints would have been home and hosed by half-time but for a goal-line clearance by McClean, who scored against Chelsea midweek, from Targett's low drive.
Frustrated Albion boss Tony Pulis made a double change at the break, sending on Chris Brunt and Salomon Rondon, but Southampton continued to create the better chances.
Austin will have been licking his lips at the prospect of getting on the end of some of them, not least when Long sent Mane clean through only for the frontman to shank his shot across Myhill and wide of the far post.
Tadic was introduced from the bench shortly after the hour mark and got on the scoresheet just eight minutes later, finishing with an angled snap-shot after he was played into the area by Steven Davis.
With victory assured, Southampton fans began serenading their former hero Rickie Lambert, who must have been wondering why he ever left the club he could not stop scoring for just to end up on the West Brom benc.
Saints will be hoping they have just snapped up a new goalscoring talisman in the shape of Austin.
"He gives us more competition. We are always trying to make the squad stronger and signing that sort of player is very important," said Koeman, above, explaining the Austin transfer.
"Every Premier League team has competition. And at the moment Graziano Pelle is still not 100 per cent fit, Jay Rodriguez is not training, so if something happened to Shane Long we'd have no one up front.
"Now we are also prepared for next season. He is here now and it's good for the boy. He needs to adapt to how we work and he'll know everything for next season."
