The opening 45 minutes in the 2-0 derby win over AFC Bournemouth was Southampton's best display of the season, said manager Ronald Koeman.
Southampton manager Ronald Koeman hailed his team's first-half performance in Sunday's 2-0 south-coast derby win over AFC Bournemouth as its finest of the season.
Goals from Steven Davis and Graziano Pelle gave the hosts a deserved advantage as they dominated the opening 45 minutes at St Mary's Stadium.
Bournemouth was much improved after the interval and Southampton's comparative struggles were underlined by Victor Wanyama's 78th-minute red card for a second booking.
But Koeman's men stood firm defensively as their opponents struggled for clear opportunities - a decisive improvement on their previous home match against Leicester City when a 2-0 lead became a 2-2 draw
"Fantastic - I think the first 45 minutes was our best football this season," Koeman told Sky Sports.