Southampton coach Ivan Juric has showered praise on Nigerian striker Paul Onuachu, even after what he described as a heartbreaking end to their Premier League clash against Crystal Palace. The match, played at St Mary’s Stadium on Wednesday, ended in a 1-1 draw.
Onuachu gave the Saints the lead in the 20th minute with a powerful header. Southampton looked to be on track for only their third Premier League win of the season, but Matheus Franca scored a late goal in stoppage time to level the score.
This was Onuachu’s second goal in a row in the EPL, following his goal in the 2-1 loss to Wolves before the international break.
The striker has now scored four goals and provided one assist in 20 appearances in the English top-flight this season, earning high praise from his manager.
Juric told BBC Match of the Day that Onuachu was really good when full of energy. He commended the striker’s good work.
Reflecting on the draw and the club’s likely relegation, Juric expressed satisfaction with Onuachu and his teammates, feeling that the result wasn’t fair.
He told the club’s website that it was a really cruel ending because everybody thought they were controlling the game. He said it was a pity not to win the match, but he was very satisfied with the performance.
Juric added that they controlled the match, pressing and winning the ball. He also mentioned that they were tough when defending deep. He believed they did good things moving the ball but can do better, and they will work to improve in the next game.
Southampton are currently at the bottom of the table with just 10 points after 30 games and are likely headed for relegation to the Championship next season.
