MARCUS A CHAMP

Cherries push rivals Saints closer to drop

-  ALEX CROOK

SOUTHAMPTON'S days of looking are over down on Bournemouth after Marcus Tavernier fired the Cherries to the brink of safety and sent their neighbours hurtling towards the Championship.

Barring a miracle, sorry Saints' 11-year stay in the Premier League is coming to a sad end after Tavernier's second-half goal earned Bournemouth only their second win at St Mary's.

Unlike Ruben Selles' rudderless rabble, Gary O'Neil's men have found form at the perfect time of the season to pull clear of the bottom three.

These are heady times for the Cherries, who can now start to embrace the previously unthinkable prospect of being a division above their south-coast rivals for the first time in their history.