Jay Rodriguez scored the only goal of the first half to give Southampton a 1-0 lead over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Southampton started brightly and a clever piece of play from Adam Lallana produced the first chance as he picked out teammate Rodriguez, who failed to keep his shot from sailing over the crossbar from the edge of the box.

It was the Saints who produced the better football for most of the first half but they struggled to find a cutting edge in the final third of the pitch as Palace frustrated the visitors.

Mauricio Pochettino's side were dealt a blow late in the first half when in-form Jack Cork was forced off the pitch with a foot injury.

However, their mood was improved as they took the lead in the 37th minute thanks to Rodriguez, who took advantage of a Palace mistake to break free before beating Julian Speroni in a challenge and finishing from a position on the ground.

Southampton could have been further ahead when Lallana's header found Rickie Lambert, but the England striker could only hit the post from close range.