29.04.2017 18:17 h

Jakupovic penalty save inches Hull closer to safety

Eldin Jakupovic saved an injury-time penalty as Hull City inched closer to Premier League safety and condemned Sunderland to relegation by drawing 0-0 at Southampton on Saturday.

Southampton were given an opportunity to claim victory when Alfred N'Diaye was penalised for wrestling with Maya Yoshida, but Jakupovic plunged to his left to parry Dusan Tadic's spot-kick.

The result at St Mary's left Marco Silva's Hull three points clear of the bottom three ahead of third-bottom Swansea City's trip to Manchester United on Sunday.

It also served to relegate basement club Sunderland, who were left 13 points from safety with only 12 points to play for after losing 1-0 at home to Bournemouth.

Sunderland visit Hull next weekend.

Beaten League Cup finalists Southampton, who have won only two of their last eight home games, remain ninth.

Hull were unchanged from their 2-0 win over Watford and they went close to taking an early lead in the seventh minute.

From a long-range free-kick, Kamil Grosicki curled a shot over the wall and against the outside of the post.

There was little else to write home about in the rest of the first half, save for a tame shot from Grosicki in stoppage time that Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster gathered comfortably.

Chances proved equally elusive in the second half.

Seeking to shake his side out of their torpor, Saints manager Claude Puel made a double change just before the hour, with Josh Sims and Shane Long replacing Sofiane Boufal and Manolo Gabbiadini.

Silva, meanwhile, turned to Markus Henriksen, who replaced Evandro for the last 18 minutes.

Hull goalkeeper Jakupovic almost gifted Southampton an opener when he spilt the ball at a corner, but he atoned by spreading himself to block from Tadic.

Henriksen's knock-down created a gilt-edged late opportunity for Oumar Niasse, but the on-loan Everton striker blazed over.

Jakupovic's penalty save kept Hull in the game and they almost snatched victory at the death, only for Niasse's effort to be bundled off the line by Cedric.