Shane happy Long Saints goal drought is over

Southampton may have fallen to a Hal Robson-Kanu rocket against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, but Shane Long hopes his headed goal will fire him on to a prosperous 2017.

Long’s goal proved to be little more than consolation for Saints as the Baggies leapfrogged them in the table with a 2-1 win, but for the forward – who had not scored for Southampton yet this season – it could prove to be a watershed moment.

“I watched Jay take his chance well and I was the same,” said Long. “It’s been a bit of a frustrating season by getting bits here and there but I knew it was my chance to make an impression and hopefully I did. It was nice to get the goal but it’s a disappointing day.”

(Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

As for Saints’ chances, Long was optimistic that they could turn around a two-game winless run in the Premier League and start to look up the table once more.

“We’re not doing too much wrong, and every goal we concede seems to go into the corners, so it’s tough,” he explained.

“We believe in ourselves and we know we’re good enough to get out of this rut that we’re in. There’s a lot of games to go and if we can go to Everton and get three points then we can kick on in the new year in good form.

“There’s been a lot of ups and downs and the confidence is growing every year and I’m delighted to be a part of that.”