Southampton U21 5-0 Fulham U21

Fulham Under-21s’ eight-match winning run came to an end as they were beaten 5-0 away at Southampton.

Dominic Ballard’s brace had put the Saints 2-0 up at the break, before Whites striker Callum Osmand was shown a red card just five minutes into the second-half.

Samuel Amo-Ameyaw’s strike made it three, Ballard added to his brace and Derrick Abu scored another late on to bring our run of impressive results to a close.

Osmand was presented with a chance just five minutes in when the ball was given away by the home defence, but the finish was inches wide. At the other end, Amo-Ameyaw’s left-footed strike from distance went harmlessly over the bar.

In the ninth minute, Southampton’s number nine opened the scoring as Fulham failed to clear a corner and Ballard bundled home from inside the six-yard box.

The next chance could have made it 2-0 when Derrick Abu broke through on goal, but a heavy touch allowed Alfie McNally to come off his line to make the block.

Hayden Mullins’ boys rallied to turn things around in Totton but struggled to create clear-cut chances, although Terrell Works swung in a cross from the left which sailed wide.

When they did carve open the Southampton defence, with Osmand standing up two red shirts before playing the pass, Aaron Loupalo Bi’s effort was deflected into the arms of goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu.

Dangerman Osmand caused problems again as he picked the pocket of his defender before forcing Bazunu into a block, and Loupalo Bi was forced wide on the rebound as the Saints survived.

But the hosts doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time when Ballard was fouled by Chibby Nwoko in the box, and the forward picked himself up to send McNally the wrong way from the spot.

Things went from bad to worse after the break when Osmand was given his marching orders following an off the ball incident, leaving 40 minutes for Fulham to play with ten men.

Undeterred, a the spirited Young Whites continued searching for a way back into the game, with Chris Donnell firing a free-kick into the wall and Nwoko sending an effort wide.

It was soon 3-0 though, as Amo-Ameyaw found the bottom corner from the edge of the box on the hour mark.

And Ballard completed his hat-trick on 69 minutes, nipping in to poke past McNally for the home side’s fourth.

McNally was forced into a smart reflex save by Joe O’Brien-Whitmarsh after Southampton passed their way through the Fulham defence, and they did get a fifth in the dying embers when Abu squeezed in from a tight angle.

Luckless Fulham were even denied a consolation when substitute Bradley De Jesus saw his strike canon back off the woodwork, and Loupalo Bi fired wide on the rebound.