Premier League: Mauricio Pochettino rues missed chances in Southampton defeat

Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino has rued his side's failure to take their chances against Cardiff City at St Mary's Stadium on Saturday. Saints dominated possession in the first half and created a number of chances, while Gaston Ramirez was denied by the crossbar. The hosts had a number of opportunities in the second half as well, but Juan Cala's goal in the 65th minute won the game for the visiting Cardiff. Pochettino was frustrated that his team could not convert the chances that they created, but insisted that overall they were the better side. "We created many chances, but we could not take them," he told Sky Sports. "They had few chances, but they scored. We are disappointed with our result. "All the possession is nothing if we don't make use of it. We were not aggressive enough in attack and we were not clinical. We were punished for that. "If you analyse the game overall, then they should not have won it. But that's what happens if you are not clinical enough. "Today we played the way we normally play. We played well today, but we lacked efficiency in front of goal. "Although this is no excuse, but we are going through many injuries and that is going to have an effect." Frustrating day Midfielder Steven Davis echoed his manager's words and praised Cardiff goalkeeper David Marshall for his performance against the Saints. "We had a lot of possession," said the 29-year-old. "We found it difficult to break them down, and their goalkeeper made some good saves. "If we could have gone 1-0 up, then it could have made a difference. But fair play to Cardiff: they came with a gameplan and went away with three points. "It was frustrating for us. We are disappointed today."