CHERRIES’ long wait for a win at Southampton continued after Dusan Tadic’s double condemned Eddie Howe’s side to a third straight Premier League defeat.

Tadic struck on 24 minutes to hand the home side a deserved lead, before Joshua King’s close-range effort on the stroke of half-time silenced a raucous St Mary’s.

Tadic, though, took advantage of a mistake from Steve Cook eight minutes into the second half to give his side a Premier League relegation lifeline.

Boss Howe made two changes to the side that lost 2-0 at home to Manchester United, with Dan Gosling and Lys Mousset coming in for Andrew Surman and Jordon Ibe. Meanwhile, Tyrone Mings made a welcome return to action, named among the substitutes for the first time since succumbing to a back injury during the 3-0 defeat at Arsenal in September.

Cherries edged the best of the opening exchanges, the front three of Callum Wilson, Lys Mousset and King looking to stretch a Saints back three almost certainly still reeling from conceding three against Chelsea in their last game at St Mary’s.

At the other end, though, the home side’s threat was clear, Ryan Bertrand’s inventive ball marginally too strong for Nathan Redmond. Moments later, Redmond’s square ball was misplaced with Charlie Austin in acres of space.

On 10 minutes, Jan Bednarek bizarrely almost put through his own net when under no pressure from King’s hopeful cross, his misplaced clearance narrowly wide of the upright with keeper Alex McCarthy stranded.

Three minutes later, both Steve Cook and Simon Francis were on hand to block efforts from Bertrand and Oriol Romeu as Mark Hughes’s men fed off the intense noise echoing around St Mary’s.

Saints were beginning to get on top, Tadic providing plenty for Nathan Ake to think about, the defender forced to place goalkeeper Asmir Begovic under considerable pressure with a flurry of last-ditch back passes.

Neither Mousset or Wilson were able to get on the end of Ryan Fraser’s cross on 24 minutes, the Scot breaking away superbly down the right and just a minute later Cherries paid the price when Tadic handed the home side a deserved lead.

Lewis Cook lost out in midfield and Redmond was able to break and feed Mario Lemina, whose square ball to Tadic saw the Serb neatly slot past Begovic.

Austin could have made it 2-0 on the half-hour but his well-struck right-foot shot from the inside right channel was beaten away by Begovic, while Lemina’s effort from distance was off target.

On 32 minutes, Begovic was called into action again as Lemina let rip from 25 yards, the Cherries goalkeeper saving well to his right.

The home side’s pressure was relentless, a far cry from the kind of form that had seen them register just three league victories at St Mary’s all season. The fear of relegation finally kicking in perhaps.

Austin’s appeal for a penalty six minutes before half-time, and following a lengthy delay while Saints defender Wesley Hoedt received treatment following a clash with King, was waved away by referee Anthony Taylor, the former Poole Town striker going down under a nudge from Begovic.

McCarthy saved brilliantly two minutes before the break, Ake turning superbly inside the Saints box and poking the ball goalwards and just a minute later Cherries’ late first-half rally paid dividends.

King blasted home from inside the six-yard box after Steve Cook had risen highest to meet Lewis Cook’s corner.

It was a stroke of fortune for Howe’s side, yet also a reward for their persistence, a trait which continued after the restart.

Mousset kept hold of the ball under pressure from Bednarek and fed Lewis Cook, the England man testing McCarthy with a fearsome 50th-minute drive, but three minutes later Saints were back in front.

Steve Cook chested down McCarthy’s long kick from the Saints goalmouth but failed to control the ball well enough and was robbed by Tadic, who surged forward and beat Begovic with an unstoppable right-foot shot.

Cherries, to their credit, shook off the disappointing, needless nature of Tadic’s strike. King was a menace, while Mousset ran hard at the Saints back three. Howe, though, opted for changes, bringing on Jermain Defoe for Wilson and Ibe for Mousset.

Begovic denied substitute Shane Long on 68 minutes, saving with his legs after the Irishman had latched on to Austin’s original shot, while the Cherries keeper got down well to save Bertrand’s stretched left-foot effort moments later.

As Saints turned up the pressure gauge once more, Austin’s shot smashed into the side-netting after Francis had cleared straight to Long in the build-up. On 72 minutes, Francis redeemed himself to deny Lemina a shot at goal having given the ball away to the Gabonese inside the Cherries box.

Steve Cook was forced to do the same seven minutes from time when he carelessly gave the ball away to Long, before his outstretched right leg denied the striker as he closed in on Begovic’s goal.

Cherries substitute Andrew Surman saw his curling left-foot shot from distance fail to test McCarthy as time ticked away and as Cherries pressed for an equaliser, McCarthy saved brilliantly from Ryan Fraser in stoppage time.

Cherries: Begovic, Francis, Ake, S Cook, Fraser, L Cook, Gosling (Surman, 72), Daniels, Mousset (Ibe, 64), Wilson (Defoe, 64), King.

Unused subs: Pugh, B Smith, Mings, Boruc (g/k).

Booked: L Cook.

Saints: McCarthy, Yoshida, Hoedt, Bednarek, Cedric, Romeu, Lemina, Bertrand, Redmond (Long, 58), Austin (Hojbjerg, 71) Tadic (Ward-Prowse, 86).

Unused subs: Stephens, Gabbiadini, Sims, Forster (g/k).

Booked: Bednarek, Ward-Prowse, McCarthy, Cedric, Hojbjerg.

Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire).