UEFA Cup first round, first leg/ Southampton 1; Steaua Bucharest 1: Kevin Phillips saved Southampton from a damaging defeat on their return from European exile against Steaua Bucharest at St Mary's last night.
The former Sunderland man equalised Claudiu Raducanu's vital away goal for the Romanians. Gordon Strachan's side go to the Ghencea Stadium for the return leg on October 15th.
It was a deserved draw for Saints, who were back in continental action for the first time since they lost 2-0 to Kevin Keegan's Hamburg in 1984.
Romanian league leaders Steaua, the 1986 European Cup winners, went in front when the Saints defence went to sleep after 20 minutes. The unmarked Raducanu - the 21-goal top scorer in Romania last season - headed home Florentin Dumitru's cross.
Victor Piturca's side were ahead on merit after starting with plenty of attacking zest in contrast to their expected negative approach.
Saints hit back with Phillips shooting at the feet of goalkeeper Vasili Hamutovski in first-half stoppage-time.
But the striker was not to be denied seven minutes after the break when he cracked home an angled drive from 12 yards.
It was a far from vintage performance from Southampton, but it was good enough to give them a fighting chance for the return game in Bucharest in three weeks.
The Romanians took the lead in the 20th minute, thanks to shoddy Saints marking. Graeme Le Saux allowed Dumitru to sneak in behind him on the visitors' right flank, and Raducanu raced clear of Claus Lundevkam and Michael Svensson to meet the cross with a diving header from six yards.
In the 52nd minute Phillips burst into space on the right side of the box and, after appearing to stumble, regained his balance and rifled a shot through the goalkeeper's grasp and into the net.
SOUTHAMPTON: Jones; Dodd (Delap, 84), Lundekvam, M Svensson, Le Saux; Fernandes (Telfer, 84), Oakley, A Svensson, Marsden (McCann, 67); Beattie, Phillips.
STEAUA BUCHAREST: Hamutovski; Dumitru, Radoi, Rachita, Mutica, Stoica; Falemi; Oprita (Ogararu, 75), Aliuta (Paraschiv, 84), Bostina; Raducanu (Niculescu, 87). Booked: Mutica
Referee: T Skjerven (Norway)
