Dominant Saints hit four at Reading

Saints led 2-0 inside nine minutes through early goals from Jan Bednarek and James Ward-Prowse, and controlled possession from start to finish.

Reading, now under the management of former Saints boss Rubén Sellés, did halve the deficit when Harvey Knibbs finished off a clinical counter-attack totally against the run of play midway through the first half.

Saints extended the lead through Adam Armstrong’s crisp strike five minutes into the second period and substitute Joe Aribo's neat finish, before trialist Olamide Shodipo registered a very late consolation goal for the hosts.

Shortly before kick-off, Russell Martin strode over to greet the near-3,000 travelling Saints fans, applauding them warmly as they welcomed him with open arms. It felt like a meeting with meaning.

Saints were backed by a sizeable and vocal away contingent

Controlling possession from kick-off, Saints forced a corner when Ward-Prowse chanced his arm from long range with a deflected shot that sent the skipper jogging over to the right to take the ensuing corner.

When Ward-Prowse delivered, Bednarek got his head to it and saw the ball deflect beyond Dean Bouzanis’s dive and nestle inside the far post.

Saints kept coming. They kept passing, kept probing, kept pouring forward. The second duly arrived when Tino Livramento carried the ball deep into Reading territory, resisted the urge to shoot and slipped the ball to his right for Nathan Tella, whose cutback was easily finished off by Ward-Prowse, having timed his run into the box to perfection.

“One more year” pleaded the buoyant Saints fans as the goalscorer trotted back towards his own half.

Sékou Mara had the chance to make it 3-0, only to drag his shot wide of the far post, before Reading cashed in on their minimal possession, which could not have been much more than 20 per cent.

When Jack Stephens took fractionally too long to bring down a bouncing ball, Sam Smith nipped in and raced forward, passing the ball between the legs of Bednarek for Knibbs to finish with a firm side-foot past Gavin Bazunu.

Undeterred, Saints resumed control. Tella saw a shot beaten out by Bouzanis at his near post, before he was incredibly unlucky not to score with a curling effort that struck the angle of post and bar.

Bouzanis then saved smartly from Armstrong, who was operating as the centre-forward in Martin’s trusted 4-3-3 formation, and foiled Will Smallbone’s attempted curler.

Saints were dealt a setback shortly before half time when Mara was unable to continue, prompting the arrival of exciting winger Sam Amo-Ameyaw, who turned 17 this week, from the bench.

Adam Armstrong steers home a ruthless finish to give Saints a 3-1 lead

The second half continued to follow a familiar pattern, with Saints dominant with the ball and efficient in front of goal.

A long spell of possession led to Kyle Walker-Peters finding Carlos Alcaraz, whose short pass to his left was confidently dispatched by Armstrong, stepping on to the ball and whipping a first-time shot back across goalkeeper Jokull Andresson, who had only just come on.

Saints remained on the front foot, but Reading found themselves through on goal for the second time in the match when this time Livramento was lax, but Bazunu came to his aid, standing up to deny Femi Azeez.

The hour mark saw a debut for Ryan Manning, on for Walker-Peters at left-back, while Andresson was being kept busy as he made saves from Samuel Edozie and Armstrong, the latter from a chance created by the lively Amo-Ameyaw.

Three substitutes combined to make it four when Edozie raced to the byeline, Ché Adams dummied his low cross and Aribo swept it in from ten yards.

There was another debut for Shea Charles, who came on at centre-back, as Martin changed his entire outfield line-up over the course of a productive afternoon’s work.

Shodipo's 89th-minute shot that squirmed through Bazunu's grasp was no more than a mild irritant on a day when Saints showcased their new possession-heavy approach to many of their fans for the first time.

Reading: Bouzanis (Andresson 46), Abrefa (Abbey 71), Guinness-Walker (Craig 71), McIntyre (Dorsett 71), Holmes (Camara 71), Rushesha (Carson 71), Ehibhatiomhan (Borgnis 71), Senga (Djorkaeff 71), Knibbs (Vickers 61), Smith (Shodipo 46), Azeez (Bindon 71).

Subs not used: Akande, Abdel-Salam.

Goals: Knibbs 22, Shodipo 89.

Saints: Bazunu, Livramento (Bree 71), Bednarek (Ćaleta-Car 46), Stephens (Charles 71), Walker-Peters (Manning 61), Ward-Prowse (Aribo 71), Smallbone (Lavia 71), Alcaraz (Djenepo 71), Tella (Edozie 61), A. Armstrong (Adams 71), Mara (Amo-Ameyaw 42).

Goals: Bednarek 2, Ward-Prowse 9, A. Armstrong 50, Aribo 76.