Almost the third! Charlie Austin's wayward shot is instinctively prodded goalwards by Shane Long, almost wrongfooting and catching out Asmir Begovic. But the Cherries keeper sticks out a big size 11 and manages to block it.

Southampton are trying to keep the ball and wear Bournemouth down.

Some Saints fans are trying to provide support in terms of decibels, but I think they are just too tense and nervous to get their vocal cords working properly.

Desperate times call for... Jermain Defoe. The former England goal-sniffer is summoned by Eddie Howe, as is Jordon Ibe, with Callum Wilson and Lys Mousset going the other way.

And Saints fans are relieved/happy a few seconds later when Joshua King's cross-shot from the right is gathered by Alex McCarthy.

Image source, PA

Every positive touch from a Saints player is greeted with an almighty cheer by the home fans. Cedric Soares has them ringing in his ears after booting clear to stop Bournemouth win a corner.

Time for a Saints change. Shane Long was already coming on before that goal went in, I think, replacing Nathan Redmond. Plenty of legs there in Long.

Amrul Choudhury: I can see Bournemouth fans getting bored of "just staying up" next season. Just the way the world works, fans are as ambitious as owners. Eddie Howe will go next season.

Garth Crooks
BBC Sport football expert on Final Score

It's all about holding your nerve at this stage, and Dusan Tadic has done just that. He's picked up the ball 30 yards out, carried it forward, and whipped it in. Great play from Tadic.

That goal wouldn't be enough to lift Southampton out of the bottom three - but it'd be more than useful in their relegation fight.

As it stands (the most important three words in football) Saints are ONE point adrift of safety.

Lewis Cook is back in the thick of things at the end, throwing himself in front of Mario Lemina's 20-yard shot.

Lewis Cook has never scored for Bournemouth. This is about as close as he's come I'd imagine. The newly-capped England international sees grass in front of him, drives forward unopposed and then unleashes a right-footed shot that Alex McCarthy has to push clear with his fingertips.

Saints' Nathan Redmond finds space on the left, crossing into the Bournemouth box and seeing his pass blocked by Simon Francis.

"Handball!" is the shout from the home stands. Referee Anthony Taylor throws his arms away from his chest in a 'not a chance is that a penalty' kind of way.

Bournemouth's Lys Mousset sticks on the burners to get away from Jan Bednarek and surge into the Saints half. Mousset can't control his pass - that's because Bednarek has impeded him. The Poland defender sees yellow for that.

Half-time has flown by... the players are back out. I didn't even have to time to eat my chicken balti pie.

Nathan Redmond is laughing and joking with Bournemouth's Callum Wilson as they wait for the whistle - Mark Hughes' half-time rollicking can't have been as bad as we suspected.

Under way!

Jake: Eddie Howe is so overrated as a manager. Net spend of £100m in the last 3 years, and no progress beyond just escaping relegation. How on earth he’s being linked with Arsenal and Chelsea I do not know.

Dom J: Anon talking nonsense. The Cherries one of the most innovative teams in the league.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Opta

Bournemouth might have edged possession in that opening 45 minutes, but Southampton were certainly the more dangerous.

Saints had created the better opportunities and had seven efforts at goal, while Bournemouth only had their first shot on target seconds before Joshua King levelled with their second.

After three minutes of stoppage time, referee Anthony Taylor brings the first half to a close.

The Saints players are going to get a heck of a rocket from Mark Hughes. I'm shuddering already - and I'm 250 miles away in Salford.

Danny Mills
Former England defender on Final Score

Joshua King drifts into the far post and volleys it in, no-one picks him up because all Southampton's defenders are in their zones, ball-watching - that's the problem with zonal marking for me.

Image source, Getty Images