Southampton beat Hull City 2-0 at St Mary’s Stadium with goals from James Ward-Prowse and Graziano Pelle.
The first half was a cagey affair, with few chances for either side. Hull were clearly nervy at the back, playing two loose backpasses that Southampton seized upon, and defended deep for much of the match. Sone Aluko had Hull’s two best chances, sending both of them just wide of the post.
For Southampton, Shane Long wasted an early one-on-one with Steve Harper, and Toby Alderweireld brought a smart save just before half time.
In the second half, Southampton made their breakthrough when Alex Bruce hacked Shane Long in the box, and James Ward-Prowse converted for his first Southampton goal.
Southampton then defended with discipline as Hull attempted to break them down, but Graziano Pelle scored his first goal of 2015 after being teed up by Morgan Schneiderlin.