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Rickie Lambert's 15th Premier League goal of the season snatched a point for Southampton on the day Stoke striker Michael Owen retired from football.

Peter Crouch headed the visitors in front, only for Lambert to scramble home from close range to bring Southampton level soon after.

Owen made an appearance as a second-half substitute in the final game of a glittering professional career.

But the former England striker was unable to influence the outcome.

Stoke finished with their lowest Premier League points tally.

Southampton had more of the ball and the better chances but failed to capitalise on that dominance to finish 14th, a place below Stoke.

On the face of it, this was a match on which nothing rested. And yet, there was still serious money to play for, with both clubs able to finish as high as 10th or as low as 17th, a difference of £5m in prize money.

In Stoke's case there was also the question of pride after a week in which the club's dressing-room banter and end-of-season pranks had made headlines and their commitment had been called into question.

With the three main protagonists, Kenwyne Jones, Glenn Whelan and Brek Shea, left out by manager Tony Pulis, there was a unity and spirit about the visitors.

The game burst into life after 30 seconds when Southampton found the net after a goalmouth scramble only for Lambert's fierce shot to be correctly ruled out for offside. But if Stoke had been caught cold at the start of the first half, the tables were turned at the beginning of the second.

With many members of the crowd at St Mary's still to get back to their seats, Stoke snatched the lead when Geoff Cameron surged down the right and crossed for ex-Saints striker Crouch to head beyond Southampton goalkeeper Kelvin Davis and into the far corner of the net.

The goal shook Southampton from their slumber. Steven Davis and Morgan Schneiderlin peppered Asmir Begovic's goal in search of an equaliser only to find the Bosnian in majestic form.

He produced a string of tremendous saves as Southampton poured forward but even he was powerless to prevent Lambert from pouncing a few yards from goal and forcing it into the net to level.

It was a significant goal for the 31-year-old as it brought him level with Frank Lampard as the top-scoring Englishman in the Premier League.

Another English striker stole the limelight, albeit briefly, 17 minutes from time as Owen replaced Jonathan Walters in his final game before retirement. The travelling Stoke supporters had spent much of the second half chanting his name and greeted his arrival with a standing ovation which the Southampton fans followed.