By Ben Campbell

Despite a much improved 2nd half performance Wanderers have fallen to a 2-1 home defeat to Southampton in the Pontins Holiday Combination.

Captain Robbie Rice reduced the deficit on 69 minutes from the penalty spot after Cedric Baseya and Mario Licka had given Saints a two goal advantage before the interval.

Wanderers had started the game brightly and the first chance of the game fell to the skipper, but after a great knock down from John Sutton he shot wide from 20 yards.

Southampton ever so gradually started to take control of proceedings and the visitors took the lead just before the half-hour mark when a great cross from the impressive Mario Licka was headed home by Cedric Baseya.

Despite being behind Wanderers saw a lot of the ball but weren't able to really test Andrej Pernecky in the Saints goal.

And they paid the price when a moment of individual brilliance from Mario Licka doubled the Saints lead. After receiving the ball 25 yards from goal the right midfielder unleashed an unstoppable shot giving 'Youngy' in the Wanderers goal no chance.

But the scoreline could have been halved as early as the 47th minute, but after initially dropping the ball Andrej Pernecky scrambled it away from Lewis Christon in the Saints area.

The Blues really started to take the game to the Saints just before the hour after George Daly and Daniel Fitchett were brought on for Scott Shulton and John Sutton. The double substitution saw the Blues change to a more familiar 4-4-2 formation.

And within five minutes of coming on George Daly nearly got his name on the scoresheet, but his outstretched leg couldn't quite connect with an excellent Martin Bullock cross.

'Cully' threw on the Blues' third and final sub Matty Phillips to try and get a goal, but it was his previous sub Daniel Fitchett who got the Wanderers back into the game after winning a penalty following a foul from Jamie Hatch.

Robbie Rice stepped up and calmly slotted the spot kick to the left of Pernacky in the Saints goal setting up a tense final twenty minutes.

Blues went forward in search of the equaliser and could have drawn level on 81 minutes when Daniel Fitchett went through on goal, but the in-form striker shot narrowly past the left post.

As the Wanderers pushed forward to try and salvage a point Southampton did threaten on occasions but firstly Mike Williamson and then Sam Stockley were on hand to block the visitor's efforts.

Then in the final minute Martin Bullock went close, but his curling shot went agoninsingly over the bar from the corner of the 18-yard box. With that chance went the game for Wanderers but a much improved 2nd performance is a real positive to take into their next game at Watford next Monday.

Don't forget to look back at wwfc.com later on this evening when the Captain Robbie Rice talks about the game.

Wanderers

19 Jamie Young
2 Sam Stockley
3 Chris Palmer
4 Andre Boucaud
5 Lewis Christon
6 Mike Williamson
7 Martin Bullock
8 Robbie Rice
9 John Sutton
10 Scott Shulton
11 Calum Botham

Subs:

12 Tom Cadmore
15 Matty Phillips (replaced Botham, 63rd min)
16 Daniel Fitchett (replaced Sutton, 57th min)
18 George Daly (replaced Shulton, 57th min)
37 James Reading

Southampton

1 Andrej Pernecky
2 Jamie Hatch
3 Joseph Mills
4 Simon Gillet
5 Aarron Racine
6 Jake Thomson
7 Mario Licka
8 Matthew Paterson
9 Cedric Baseya
10 Andrew Giallorrbardo
11 Kayne McLaggon

Subs

12 Michael Bryne (replaced Racine, 72nd min)
13 Liam Hogan
14 Lukas Stiklakis
15 Tom Dunford