Adams strikes late winner on opening night

Saints, particularly on the evidence of a dominant first-half display, should have won more comfortably, as their patient possession football left the hosts chasing shadows for long periods.

But Martin’s side only had a 1-0 half-time lead to show for it, given to them by Adam Armstrong, who fortuitously got the final touch on a sumptuous strike from Nathan Tella that already looked goalbound.

That was eight minutes in, and Saints remained in the ascendancy throughout, but the League One play-off winners levelled things up nine minutes into the second half when Lee Gregory volleyed home from a corner.

Saints continued to probe, but clear chances were proving hard to come by until Adams, a former Sheffield United player who was booed on to the field by the locals, found space in the box to dispatch James Ward-Prowse’s low cross and give Martin a winning start to his reign.

The manager handed a competitive debut to one of his two summer signings, as Ryan Manning started at left-back, with Shea Charles named on a strong-looking bench.

James Ward-Prowse captained the side, alongside Will Smallbone and Carlos Alcaraz in midfield, while Armstrong led the line flanked by Tella and Sam Edozie.

Saints’ dominance was clear from the start. From Gavin Bazunu in goal right through to Armstrong as the spearhead, Saints’ players constantly recycled the ball between one another, leaving the hosts in a trance.

The breakthrough arrived inside eight minutes. Having survived a spot of pinball inside their own box, Saints calmed things down and built another attack.

Working the ball from left to right through Manning and Carlos Alcaraz to Kyle Walker-Peters, the full-back advanced into the box and nudged it back for Tella, who was invited to shoot from 20 yards with his left foot.

Striking it cleanly, the winger’s effort was curling inside the far post even without a glancing touch from Armstrong, but the striker was happy enough to claim the first goal of the new English league season.

Nathan Tella celebrates Saints' opener with Russell Martin and his coaching staff

Saints already looked a confident side, but the goal had them purring. Alcaraz came close to doubling the lead when he was afforded too much space on the edge of the box, shooting inches wide of the foot of the post.

New EFL laws were evident midway through the half when Armstrong and Gregory were both booked for kicking the ball away – no more than a gentle prod to prevent quick free-kicks being taken, but referee Bobby Madley would not stand for it.

From the game’s third yellow card, picked up by Callum Paterson for bringing down the lively Edozie, Ward-Prowse eyed up his first free-kick of the new campaign, only to strike the top of the wall from the left corner of the penalty area.

At the other end, from a rare foray forward, Tyreeq Bakinson tried his luck with an ambitious 30-yard effort that had Bazunu flying through the air, seemingly concerned, but the ball sailed a couple of yards wide of his left-hand upright.

There were further moments of promise for a Saints side who enjoyed a whopping 77 per cent of the first-half possession, as Tella had another go from a similar position that yielded the opener – again it took a touch, this time off a Wednesday head for a corner.

From the resulting set-piece, Saints played it short and Edozie’s trickery in the box set up a chance for Jack Stephens, whose low drive was cleared off the line by Paterson.

Ché Adams keeps his cool to finish off another flowing move and win the game three minutes from time

Martin’s only complaint from an outstanding start could be the slender lead, and Wednesday’s extra intensity was palpable attacking the Hillsborough Kop in the second period, as Will Vaulks hurled in an early throw-in to force a corner on the pitch and a roar in the stands.

It seemed set-pieces were Wednesday’s most likely route to goal, and it was from another corner that the hosts levelled the scores nine minutes after the interval.

Vaulks delivered a deep cross that was met by a powerful leap at the far post from Dominic Iorfa, whose header back across goal was thumped in by Gregory from 12 yards.

Saints were never quite able to rediscover the dominance that saw them string together a Championship record 477 passes in the first half alone.

The visitors remained the team on the front foot, but most opportunities were no more than half-chances, as Tella, Edozie and Walker-Peters all fired off target.

Alcaraz, struggling with an injury since the hour mark, was sacrificed in Martin’s first change, as the manager summoned his former Scotland teammate Stuart Armstrong from the bench.

Armstrong’s impact was tangible, rifling a long-ranger over the top before combining smartly with Edozie down the left, but the substitute was just stretching for the ball as he shot, and could not muster the power to beat goalkeeper Cameron Dawson.

But Saints continued to probe and finally got their rewards three minutes from time. Walker-Peters slid a low pass into the box for Ward-Prowse, whose first-time ball across goal was steered in by Adams, as Martin’s substitution had the Midas touch to give Saints’ new boss a winning start.

There were still nine minutes of added time for his side to negotiate, after six in the first half, but Wednesday had been ground down by Saints’ constant possession, and had nothing left to respond.

Sheffield Wednesday: Dawson, Paterson, Iorfa, Ihiekwe, Famewo, Vaulks (Palmer 77), Bakinson, Delgado (Fletcher 77), Bannan, Windass (James 86), Gregory (Musaba 68).

Subs not used: Wilks, Valentin, Bernard, Smith, Charles.

Goals: Gregory 54.

Yellow cards: Gregory 28, Paterson 30, Delgado 45, Dawson 78.

Saints: Bazunu, Walker-Peters, Bednarek, Stephens, Manning, Ward-Prowse, Smallbone, Alcaraz (S. Armstrong 73), Tella, A. Armstrong (Adams 79), Edozie (Aribo 89).

Subs not used: McCarthy, Lyanco, Charles, Lavia, Djenepo, Amo-Ameyaw.

Goals: A. Armstrong 8, Adams 87.

Yellow cards: A. Armstrong 28, Manning 37, Tella 64, Stephens 84.

Referee: Bobby Madley.

Attendance: 28,558.