Substitute keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen then came off the bench to make vital saves from Dusan Tadic and Jose Fonte, as the visitors earned a hard-fought point.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the events that unfolded at St Mary's Stadium.

Match Statistics:

SOUTHAMPTON:
Shots 20
On Target 6
Possession 67%
Corners 8
Fouls 12

WEST HAM:
Shots 4
On Target 1
Possession 33%
Corners 2
Fouls 11

Was the result fair?

There can be no denying that Southampton dominated the match, but for all of their possession they were rarely able to open up the West Ham defence. They never really looked like scoring, with their best chances coming late in the game after their opponents had gone down to 10 men. Credit must be given to the Hammers, who battled well until the end and can consider themselves worthy of a point.

Southampton's performance

Despite the great season that Southampton have had, they have now gone three games at home without a win and they have not scored in their last two league outings at St Mary's. With the likes of Tadic and James Ward-Prowse starting on the bench, there was a real lack of creativity and it must be a bit of a worry at the moment for Ronald Koeman. They are still in the top four and well placed to qualify for Europe, but they will need to rediscover the sparkling form that they showed earlier this season.

West Ham's performance

The Hammers have become more well known for their attacking football this season than their rearguard displays, but they held firm to earn a first clean sheet in 18 away matches. Even before they went down to 10 men they were proving tough to break down, although they did struggle to provide a threat down the other end of the pitch. The last 30 minutes were all about hanging on to earn a point and they stayed resolute to leave the South Coast with no more than they deserved.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Cheikhou Kouyate: The Senegal international has been filling in as an emergency centre-back for the Hammers and he produced another fine display today. He was a rock at the heart of the defence and was always dominant in the air.

Biggest gaffe

Adrian must take the blame here for a huge mistake that almost cost his side. He lost possession trying to dribble past Sadio Mane, but ended up losing the ball and in his attempts to recover, he handled just outside of his box. It was a foolish moment, but his teammates rallied and produced a spirited response to earn a draw.

Referee's performance

Craig Pawson was forced into a big decision after Adrian handled the ball outside the area and he really had no other option but to send the goalkeeper off.

What next?

Southampton: The Saints will return to Premier League action on February 22 with a home clash against Liverpool.

West Ham: The Hammers will face West Bromwich Albion in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.