A first half goal from Neal Maupay wasn’t enough for Brighton as Danny Ings pulled back a point for Southampton.
Maupay capitalised on a lapse of concentration in the Southampton defence as a long throw in was headed into his path. With deceptive body positioning, he sent McCarthy the wrong way while drilling the ball into the bottom-right corner to put Brighton into the lead in the 17th minute.
The first half was far from a Brighton domination, with Mathew Ryan making a vital stop to deny Hojberg and multiple blocks being made by the Seagulls back four.
Saints briefly thought they’d brought it back with Danny Ings sneaking the ball in at the front post only to be called out for being offside.
Despite these opportunities, Brighton did well to keep Ings and Obafemi out of the game for most of the first half and Southampton looked happy to see the whistle for the end of the half, the game having gone stale and chances becoming few and far between for the Saints side.
With Walker-Peters coming on for Romeu and Che Adams for Obafemi, Saints looked a different side in the second half. The pressure was straight on for Albion, barely surviving efforts from Vokins, Ings, Adams and Hojberg in quick succession.
But it was the bookies’ favourite, Danny Ings, who managed to finally level the game for the Saints. Soon after gaining possession, Redmond slotted a through ball to a rapidly advancing Ings who inevitably rolled the ball past Ryan and into the bottom-right corner for his 20th goal of the campaign.
This perked up Brighton who played with more energy in the aftermath of the Saints goal. However, they weren’t out of the woods yet.
Vestergaard nearly shocked everyone with a thundering shot from far out, being denied by the smallest of touches by Ryan to smack off the crossbar.
Brighton soon got back into the game though and the addition of Yves Bissouma, on for Davy Propper, nearly payed off with him sending a shot just wide of Alex McCarthy’s left post.
The game livening up at both ends, hearts were in mouths as James Ward-Prowse took a free kick in a good range for him which, luckily or Brighton, ricocheted off the wall.
Both teams played desperately into the six minutes of added time but neither could get that decisive breakthrough, the game ending 1-1, a fair score but one that Saints, shooting a total of 20 times to Brighton’s 9, are bound to be have been a bit disappointed with.
Southampton play their final away game of the 2019-20 season as they head to relegation-threatened Bournemouth on Sunday in a New Forest derby with potentially dire consequences – anything other than a win for the Cherries will see them relegated to the Championship.
Southampton: McCarthy, Hojberg, Bednarek, Vestergaard, Vokins, Smallbone (Armstrong 78′), Ward-Prowse, Romeu (booked) (Walker-Peters 45′), Redmond, Ings, Obafemi (Adams 45′). Unused Subs: Stephens, Long, Bertrand, Gunn, Maddox, Danso.
Brighton: Ryan, Webster, Dunk, Burn, Lamptey (Montoya 68′), Stephens, Propper (Bissouma 68′), March (Mac Allister 78′), Trossard (Gross 76′), Murray (Mooy 59′), Maupay. Unused Subs: Duffy, Button, Bernardo, Connolly.
Wessex Scene Man of the Match: Lewis Dunk (Brighton)
Referee: Andre Marriner.
