Southampton head coach Tonda Erkert talks on Saints 1-1 draw against bitter rivals Portsmouth

SAINTS head coach Tonda Eckert insisted his side deserved to beat bitter rivals Portsmouth, after they took the lead in an eventual 1-1 draw.

Saints were on course for a first league win at Fratton Park in 50 years following big celebrations over Leo Scienza’s 57th-minute opener.

But the visitors were denied south-coast derby bragging rights when midfielder Ebbou Adams headed in following an Adrian Segecic corner.

Adam Armstrong had two opportunities to score in the first half, although it was all in favour of Pompey after their levelling goal late in the second.

But after the match, Eckert said: “I think we deserved more today, but in the end, it comes down to that one situation on a corner.

“We must score the second one in that moment when we are on top, or we need to make sure that we defend that corner better.

“That’s the small margins in the end that make a difference. I think that the chances were quite clearly on our side, especially in the first half.

“Then, when we do go up in the second half, we just need to make sure that we bring the game over the line. So, yes, I think that we deserved more.

“I think that the 15 minutes after the first goal, actually, we were on top, clearly on top also. You need to use those moments also to score a second goal.

“If you don’t, you need to make sure you see a game out. It’s a corner scramble in the middle, and we just need to deal better with those situations.”

Eckert hoped his side would have more control, but the tie ended with Pompey having 54 per cent possession and nearly three times as many shots.

“There’s some emotionality to this game, and I think we need to accept this also to a point,” Eckert added, asked about his side’s approach.

“Obviously, every single moment when we managed to bring the ball down on the floor, I think that we looked quite fine.

“For us then to clearly dominate over 90 minutes, I think that we need some more spells. But I can also understand that it’s a fight today.

“It’s a big crowd. It’s a big game. It’s not easy to make it a football-playing game, but then you need to accept that it’s going to be a fight

“There’s a little disappointment because we do want to win this game if we go 1-0 up. I think then it’s clear that there’s some disappointment.”