Daily Echo:

SAINTS are back in the Premier League's relegation zone after Cardiff City inflicted more injury-time heartbreak at a stunned St Mary’s.

Cardiff defender Sol Bamba scored the opening goal in the 68th minute after reacting first to a header from a corner.

Jack Stephens looked to have earned Saints a vital point when he scored at the back post from a corner in the first minute of injury time.

But two minutes later he ceded possession and Cardiff made it count as Kenneth Zohore popped up with the dramatic winner.

The substitute poked the winner into the far corner to end Saints’ unbeaten start to 2019 and take Cardiff a point above their relegation rivals, who dropped into the bottom three following Burnley's win against Brighton.

Saints badly missed Danny Ings, with Shane Long one of four changes to the team that drew 1-1 at Burnley.

Ralph Hasenhuttl selected Ryan Bertrand for the first time in place of Matt Targett, following the  left-back's recovery from a back injury.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg replaced Callum Slattery after missing the Burnley draw with concussion. Yan Valery also returned at right-back, with Stuart Armstrong hamstrung. Stephens kept his place in Saints’ back five despite the return of Maya Yoshida.

In the absence of Ings, Saints lacked the quality needed in the final third against a well-organised Cardiff back line led by the redoubtable Bamba. 

Goalkeeper Neil Etheridge kept out Saints’ only first-half shot on target, diving to his left to claw away Hojbjerg’s 20-yarder.

As ever, Nathan Redmond was Saints’ biggest threat. He fired wide of near post after cutting inside on to his right foot and had a cross deflected at goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.

Aron Gunnarsson’s throws provided Cardiff’s biggest threat but he volleyed their only first-half shot high and wide.

As half-time approached, Romeu failed to get proper contact from inside the area and James Ward-Prowse was booked for hauling back Oumar Niasse.

Saints stepped up a gear at the start of the second half. Hojbjerg’s cross drifted harmlessly across the box before he drove another shot at Etheridge.

Valery also got a shot on target after getting the better of left back Joe Bennett and Shane Long fizzed a 25-yarder wide.

But still Saints lacked the ability to open up Cardiff’s disciplined rearguard.

And then, midway through the second half, Cardiff broke the deadlock.

Callum Paterson won an aerial ball after getting between and outjumping Jannik Vestergaard and Hojgjerg.

Then Bamba reacted first in the penalty area, getting away from Oriol Romeu to stab the ball home from inside the six-yard box, 

Substitute Leandro Bacuna fired a powerful first-time shot that Alex McCarthy clawed away for a corner.

Valery responded with a sensational run that  took him deep into the Cardiff penalty area and left Bamba on his backside.

His shot was saved by a spread-eagled Etheridge and Austin had a shot blocked inside the six-yard box when he fired the rebound goalwards, before Elyounoussi won a corner with the follow up.

Austin headed the flag-kick over but Saints had another when Ward-Prowse’s free-kick was saved.

Cardiff, however, were resolute before more Redmond trickery won another corner in injury time.

Austin rose highest at the near post to flick on Ward-Prowse 's inswinger and an unmarked Stephens was at the back post to score the leveller.

But Cardiff were not done and made Saints pay for a poor pass by Stephens on the right flank. The visitors flooded forward and panic ensued when Harry Arter's volley broke to Victor Camarasa. 

He laid the ball off to fellow sub Zohore, whose shot squirmed past Ward-Prowse, Stephens and Bednarek and inside McCarthy's left-hand post to leave Saints third from bottom.

SAINTS: McCarthy, Valery (Gallagher 83), Bednarek, Stephens, Vestergaard (Elyounoussi 72), Bertrand, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg, Redmond, Long (Austin 72) .

CARDIFF: Etheridge, Peltier, Manga, Bamba, Bennett, Gunnarsson (Bacuna 61), Paterson, Reid (Zohore 61), Arter, Ralls, Niasse (Camarasa 83).