'I'm really angry' - Manager of Leeds United's promotion rivals laments 'rubbish' goal in boost to Whites

Southampton boss Russell Martin has bemoaned his side's 'rubbish' defending for Middlesbrough's late equaliser on Saturday.

The Saints were handed yet another blow in the race for automatic promotion, conceding in the 90th-minute to draw 1-1 at home to 'Boro. Martin's side dominated for large parts of the game but failed to take one of several second-half chances before Emmanuel Latte Lath's equaliser.

The 'Boro striker was in acres of space inside the box and got on the end of a hopeful cross to head home. The result further slims Southampton's chances of a top two spot and Martin was visibly furious after the full-time whistle.

“We should be out of sight. We have two shots in the middle of the six-yard box, two of them unopposed in the second half, so we should win,” Martin told Southampton’s website. “The [Middlesbrough] goal is rubbish – you’ve got to stop the cross, and then no marking in the box at all is ridiculous, so I’m really angry at that.

“We created so many chances in the second half, so the lads responded really well to that period of the game, but it was just a lack of energy in that period, and at that point we need to go and try to score more, keep turning the screw and make Middlesbrough go in really feeling it at half time.

“But they would’ve gone in feeling there might be a chance in it for them, and then in the second half we created some really brilliant chances, played some great football, the fans were great, the atmosphere was really good, I thought we’d get the second goal and then you get sucker-punched like that.

“If you’re not going to score and put the team to the sword and be really ruthless in front of goal, which we should’ve been, then you need to defend properly and keep a clean sheet, and unfortunately in one moment we haven’t done that. There were some really good moments and really good performances, but of course it’s tinged and tainted with the result and how late it was, which leaves everyone feeling completely different.”

Points dropped for Southampton added to an already positive Good Friday for Leeds, who saw Leicester City beaten by Bristol City earlier in the day. A fourth defeat in six stopped Enzo Maresca's side from reclaiming top spot in the league and heaped pressure on the Foxes. Ipswich Town did manage to take three points from Blackburn Rovers after winning X at Ewood Park.