Ward-Prowse confident Saints will find their scoring boots

Southampton have struggled to find the net in recent weeks but midfielder James Ward-Prowse is convinced their luck will start to turn.

The Saints have scored more than one goal just once in their last nine matches – when they beat Arsenal 2-0 in the EFL Cup quarter-finals on November 30.

A frustrating 0-0 draw at Stoke in midweek was their latest goalscoring letdown but with a trip to Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon awaiting, Ward-Prowse is confident that resilience will pay dividends.

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“The strikers need to keep making the runs, we need to keep getting in the box and hopefully it will fall,” said Ward-Prowse.

“We maybe need a little bit of luck in front of goal which hopefully we can get this weekend and the goalscoring form can turn around.”

The Bournemouth clash is something of a South Coast derby for Southampton but the Cherries currently hold bragging rights, after prevailing 2-0 when the teams last met back in March.

And Ward-Prowse admits the proximity of the clubs, and the most recent result, will be inspiring the troops on Sunday.

“As players, it’s in the back of your mind and it’s always a game you want to win even more,” he added.

“But we have to be disciplined and controlled in our minds and make sure we’re focused on the task.

“We have to put the South Coast to the side and make sure we focus on what’s going to be a tough game.”