10-man Southampton battle to derby win in Tonda Eckert’s first game since Spygate punishment

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Tonda Eckert praised Southampton’s players for digging deep with 10 men to beat arch-rivals Portsmouth at the end of a week that finally drew a line under the ‘Spygate’ scandal.

Saints began the campaign under a cloud as their coach sweated on the outcome of the Football Association’s investigation into his role in the snooping that saw them booted out of the Championship play-off final.

Head coach Eckert this week found he had escaped with a six-week suspended sentence and on Sunday oversaw Southampton’s first league win in the south coast derby since 2004.

James Bree put the hosts ahead against Pompey, who were unable to capitalise on Cameron Bragg’s sending off for two bookings just before half-time as Saints held on for a memorable 1-0 victory.

“I think there’s always different considerations that go into a game,” boss Eckert said.

“Sometimes those considerations are a little bit more on a tactical level. Sometimes they are a little bit more on an emotional basis and connections on the pitch.

“I think that the occasion today just required a little bit more of the second approach, so a big, big compliment to the boys.

“The game just throws a challenge at you that maybe we were not expecting to come and then you need to find a way.

“That resilience very often comes from the connection that you have on the pitch, but also the connection that you have to your supporters in the stadium.

“I think that all came together today and, in the end, I think that we deserved to win.”

Eckert was keen to look ahead to Wednesday’s trip to Norwich rather than reflect on a dramatic week that saw him cleared to carry on before overseeing a victory against Southampton’s bitter Hampshire rivals.

“There is a lot that has been going on over the last weeks and months, and rightly so,” the German coach said. “I’ve made a mistake and I held my hand up for that.

“Then you take the consequence, however it comes, but obviously you have to perform at the same time.

“If you have the ambitions to make the season a season to remember, then you need to be able to push those things to the side and march ahead, and that’s my job.”

Portsmouth counterpart John Mousinho headed back along the M27 having seen narrow margins go against them.

“It’s a dressing room that is unbelievably down because of the result, because of the opportunity and, yeah, it should it should hurt,” the Pompey boss, who felt Finn Azaz should have also been sent off, said.

“It should be a place where we are disappointed and that’ll really, really sting even if we go and get a result on Wednesday night (at home to Sheffield United).

“I think this one will probably still sting until we get the return fixture.”