Emenike fires blank as Saints nail Hammers

Former Nigerian international, Emmanuel Emenike, failed to hit the back of the net on debut for West Ham United as they fell by a lone goal to Southampton at Saint Mary’s Stadium on Saturday.
Maya Yoshida scored the only goal of the match.
Yoshida made the breakthrough in the ninth minute, but West Ham were boosted early in the second period when Victor Wanyama saw red for a rash challenge on Dimitri Payet.
The visitors could not find a leveller, however, as Southampton made it five consecutive clean sheets in the Premier League with their fourth win in five matches, which has moved them into seventh position in the table, just one spot behind West Ham.
Southampton started on the front foot and had an excellent chance to make the breakthrough in the eighth minute when Cedric Soares met a deep cross from Shane Long, but West Ham stopper Adrian produced a super save.
The Saints had the lead less than one minute later, however, when Wanyama poked a low cross into Yoshida and the centre-back swept his effort past Adrian from close range.
The visitors had a strong penalty claim in the 23rd minute when Enner Valencia went down inside the box under a clumsy challenge from Yoshida, but referee Mark Clattenburg was not interested.
West Ham’s first serious chance of the match came just before the 30-minute mark when Winston Reid met an excellent free kick from Payet, but in-form Fraser Forster was on hand to make a super one-handed save.
The Hammers grew into the game as the first period advanced its latter stages, but Slaven Bilic’s side were guilty of some lacklustre football in the final third, which allowed the Saints to enter the break with a one-goal lead.
It was West Ham that started the second period the brighter and Valencia had the first half-chance after the break. Mark Noble’s through pass reached the striker, but his low effort was saved by Forster.
Southampton were then reduced to 10 men in the 54th minute when Wanyama recklessly dived into Payet.
There was not a great deal of contact between the two players, but Clattenburg deemed it to be serious foul play and took his time before sending the midfielder from the field.
West Ham were the team pressing forward as the second period continued to gather pace and Bilic threw on both Andy Carroll and new signing Emenike in a bid to make the difference in the final third of the field.
Indeed, Emenike had a golden chance from a Valencia cross in the 75th minute, but the striker’s header was just wide of Forster’s post, before Carroll inadvertently blocked a strike from Valencia.
Charlie Austin had a golden chance to make sure of the points for the home team in the 88th minute after smart work from Oriol Romeu, but the Englishman fired wide of the post.
Cedric then almost scored a spectacular own goal late on, but Southampton managed to hold off the aerial bombardment in stoppage time to continue their excellent run of form.