Ged Scott
BBC Sport at The Hawthorns

Enough there in that final 15 minutes of the first half to make Albion fans think they might have a hope of rescuing a result from this.

Southampton initially looked too pacy and powerful for them - and the Baggies looked lost without the reassuring presence of Carlos Corberan on the touchline - as needless and bizarre a managerial red card as you will ever see.

But the Baggies have looked more of a threat as the half has gone on.

It would have been a harsh penalty, if it had been given. But there are plenty of signs that this game is far from all over yet.

Image source, PA Media

If you're at The Hawthorns or watching on TV, you might have noticed that the match ball is slightly different for this match.

In fact, all English Football League games this weekend will feature rainbow-coloured balls to mark LGBTQ+ History Month.

Since 2017 players, clubs and officials have displayed rainbow colours on bootlaces, flags and stadiums to campaign against homophobia in sport.

Until 24 February, all matches across the Championship, League One and League Two will feature the new Puma Orbital Rainbow ball.

Puma will donate to an LGBTQ+ Fans for Diversity Fund for every goal scored, while EFL sponsors Sky Bet are also donating balls to LGBTQ+ friendly community football clubs and fans.

Read more here.

Ross in Devon: Pleased to see Mara getting his chance for Southampton. Can't have been easy last season as such a young, but clearly talented player in such a catastrophe.

Michael in Nottingham: As a Leeds fan, I’m sporting a West Midlands accent tonight.

Sam from Worthing: Saints have the depth and strength in their squad to hold on to second. I hope it doesn't come down to the last game of the season... Leeds v Southampton. What a game that would be though!

Tony 'Bomber' Brown
West Brom's all-time leading goalscorer on BBC Radio WM

Image source, Getty Images

The referee has made a few bad decisions.

He has been the star of this first-half show, sending off Carlos Corberan in the first 10 minutes and not giving what I thought was a certain penalty there.

The crowd sing 'you're not fit to referee' as he leaves the pitch at the interval.

Image source, Rex Features

And that's half-time.

Ryan Fraser's goal is the difference at the break and it will be sending Southampton back up to second in the Championship if the score is still the same in about an hour.

Image source, Rex Features

Big appeals for handball against Southampton defender Jack Stephens, who blocks Darnell Furlong's shot away for a corner.

It seems to come off Stephens' hand and Albion might just have a case for a penalty, looking at the replay.

From the corner, Okay Yokuslu flicks a header towards the far post and Stephens makes an outstanding clearance - definitely legal, that time.

Tony 'Bomber' Brown
West Brom's all-time leading goalscorer on BBC Radio WM

Inches away.

It's a delicious ball in from Jed Wallace, it just needed a touch, he could not get a connection.

He has missed it completely.

Much better from Albion, now they won't want the half-time whistle to go as they have ground a way back into this game.

All of a sudden Southampton have a few problems.

Albion will be encouraged with the way they've ended this half, even if they fail to find an equaliser before the interval.

Jed Wallace's low cross from the right causes problems for the Southampton defence but just evades the onrushing Conor Townsend.

Brandon Thomas-Asante then pulls back an advancing Kyle Walker-Peters and the Baggies front man is booked.

Tony 'Bomber' Brown
West Brom's all-time leading goalscorer on BBC Radio WM

Bazunu was scrambling, I thought for a moment it was going to nestle in the corner but it has just gone the wrong side of the post.

Great strike.

Image source, Rex Features

Oooof, a great hit from John Swift.

The Albion midfielder has a dig from 30 yards and it swerves just past Gavin Bazunu's post.

Inverness' finest Stuart Armstrong sprints back to cut out a right-wing cross and put it behind for a West Brom corner.

It's not the best delivery and Southampton clear to halfway once more.

Tony 'Bomber' Brown
West Brom's all-time leading goalscorer on BBC Radio WM

At least they have pushed up further towards the Saints goal.

It has just been petering out before the Southampton box, they just can't get that final opportunity.

This is Albion's best spell of the game so far but we're seven minutes before half-time and Southampton goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu hasn't had to make a save yet.

Paul: I think the top three is most likely sorted. Leicester obviously champions but Leeds need to hope they finish second because I don't think they'll survive the play-offs. Southampton will go up either route, in my opinion.

Jim: Excellent start from the Saints after the disappointment at Bristol on Tuesday. Hope this is the spur for another long unbeaten run.

Anon: Albion have conceded all the momentum again. No shots at goal in 20 minutes. They've created positions where they might get a shot away and messed around with it. How many chances do they think they'll get against Southampton. Saints have had seven attempts on goal.

Anon: Re Martin's message at 20:27- keep writing Ipswich off by all means, we're on our way out of a bad run with the joint fewest defeats in the league.

Please remember to include your names on messages...

Steve Hermon
BBC Radio WM commentator

The man born in the most northern city of the UK mainland, Inverness, is Stuart Armstrong, now playing on the south coast for Southampton.

Four goals and four assists he has this season already and he has been superb again already tonight.

An Albion corner is easily cleared and then Okay Yokuslu's powerful shot from the edge of the box is blocked away for a throw-in.

Better.

West Bromwich Albion just cannot get a foothold in this game from an attacking point of view.

They do have options should this pattern continue; Grady Diangana is back from Africa Cup of Nations duty with DR Congo and tricky young winger Tom Fellows is also on the bench, as is also Andreas Weimann, who has scored in each of the past two home games.

Steve Hermon
BBC Radio WM commentator

Darnell Furlong is on nine yellow cards, so that would mean a two-game suspension if he were to get one tonight.

No Championship player has more goal involvements this season than Southampton's Adam Armstrong, who has just shot well off target from about 20 yards when trying to curl a shot into the far corner.

Armstrong's tally of 16 goals puts him one behind the division's joint-leading scorers, Morgan Whittaker of Plymouth and Sammie Szmodics of Blackburn, while only Leicester's Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (12) has provided more assists than Armstrong (11).

With the way the first half-hour has panned out, he'll fancy his chances of adding to those numbers tonight.

Image source, Getty Images

Just past the halfway point of the first half and it's been an eventful start.

West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan was sent off after just seven minutes for moving out of his technical area and kicking the ball before it had gone out of play.

Shortly afterwards, Ryan Fraser volleyed Southampton into a deserved lead.

Frustrations are growing among the home supporters.