Last updated on .From the section Football

Southampton had lost their last four Premier League matches

Everton's third straight away league loss

Saints end six-match winless run

Toffees stay in 10th in Premier

Southampton with five under-21s in squad

Southampton ended their run of five straight defeats as they comfortably beat Everton to remain in the Premier League top five.

Romelu Lukaku headed into his own net in the first half, moments after Shane Long had a penalty appeal rejected.

Ross Barkley's 20-yard first-half shot for the visitors was the only effort on target from either side after an hour.

But Graziano Pelle doubled the hosts' lead from close range before Maya Yoshida headed in to seal the win.

Southampton 3-0 Everton: Saints outstanding in win - Ronald Koeman

It was Pelle's 11th goal of the season as the Saints made light of the absence of several key players to get back to winning ways in emphatic style after six matches without a victory in all competitions.

Everton were disappointing for the majority and only troubled goalkeeper Fraser Forster in the last few seconds when Lukaku shot straight at him.

Southampton surprised many at the start of the season when, despite having lost five players for a total of £92m and manager Mauricio Pochettino joining Spurs, they were second in the Premier League in November.

With injuries and suspensions mounting up, manager Ronald Koeman was forced to give 19-year-old midfielder Harrison Reed his first Premier League start. Ryan Seager, 18, was also on the bench for the first time, as one of four teenage substitutes.

Everton may have had a mixed start to the campaign but boss Roberto Martinez still had eyes on a top-four finish, external-link a prospect that is looking increasingly unlikely.

Toffees must defend better - Martinez

Last season's 2-0 defeat at St Mary's at the end of April severely dented their hopes of Champions League football. Both goals were own goals that day and they were at it again as Lukaku headed James Ward-Prowse's corner into his own net for the opener.

It was a deserved lead for the Saints, who went close before the break through a Pelle header before he shot into the side-netting, while Shane Long should have been awarded a penalty after being kicked in mid-air by Phil Jagielka.

Pelle pounced on Long's knock-down to prod the bouncing ball home for a second after the break before Yoshida headed in his first goal since February from Steven Davis's exquisite cross.

Southampton boss Ronald Koeman on BBC Sport:

"We were outstanding. As a team, the work was unbelievable and you need that to win games. It is not always about quality. The players showed how you have to fight to win games.

"If you show more spirit you are invariably more lucky. After the goal we had more belief and more confidence after losing four or five games. Hopefully we got some confidence back.

"The energy Harrison Reed put in was one of the keys to win the game."

Everton manager Roberto Martinez on BBC Sport:

"Very disappointing. A game with nothing between the two sides apart from ourselves not being able to defend the six-yard box better.

"It is about how we defended the six-yard box, the other two goals were the same. They didn't have to do much to score three goals. It was not a case of them being superior to us, it is just we were very soft.

"I do feel we need to find a good run of performances. I don't think the performance was too far away from what you need to get good results."

The Toffees have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last seven league matches

Southampton had scored just two goals in their previous five league matches

Everton have won just once in their last 16 visits to Southampton

Graziano Pelle has scored 11 goals in all competitions

Everton have won two out of nine Premier League away games