Southampton triumph over Chelsea

Southampton earned a vital win in their bid for Premier League survival with a 2-1 triumph over Chelsea at St Mary's Stadium this afternoon.

The hosts started impressively, with both Jay Rodriquez and Rickie Lambert testing Petr Cech in the early stages.

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It was Rodriguez who opened the scoring when he exchanged passes with Steven Davis before slotting the ball past Cech from inside the box.

Despite dominating possession for most of the first period, Southampton conceded an equaliser when John Terry was given too much space to head home from a Chelsea corner.

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However, the Saints regained the lead just two minutes later thanks to a free kick from Lambert.

Artur Boruc was forced off at half time but substitute goalkeeper Kelvin Davis earned praise from his teammates when he tipped a Victor Moses shot against the crossbar and to safety.

Chelsea enjoyed more possession as the second half progressed but Southampton looked comfortable in defence.

Frank Lampard was inches away from claiming a point for Chelsea but his free kick flew wide and Southampton survived some late pressure to secure a crucial victory.