Four in four for Armstrong as Saints win again

Samuel Edozie had given Saints a first-half lead with his first goal in senior football, but the hosts were immediately pegged back by Jack Colback’s long-range daisy-cutter that found the net via the foot of the post.

QPR began the second period on the front foot as Paul Smyth rattled the crossbar before a double substitution, including the arrival of debutant Ryan Fraser, helped turned the tide back in Saints’ favour.

Armstrong duly struck the winner in the 64th minute with a fine left-footed finish from Ryan Manning’s second assist of the day to continue his, and Saints’, flying start to the season.

Russell Martin handed a first league start to 17-year-old winger Sam Amo-Ameyaw, again impressive off the bench in the last-gasp victory at Plymouth last time out.

Carlos Alcaraz was back from injury and fit to start, with Adam Armstrong leading the line in the absence of both of Saints’ Home Park goalscorers in Nathan Tella and Ché Adams.

Amo-Ameyaw’s first contribution was to cut back on to his left foot and cross from the right for Alcaraz, whose header was caught by pantomime villain Asmir Begović in the QPR goal, jeered throughout for his Portsmouth connections.

Equally unpopular with the visiting fans was Manning, once of QPR, who picked up the first booking of the game for halting a Rangers counter-attack.

Samuel Edozie opens the scoring with his first career goal

The hosts may have been a little fortunate when Sinclair Armstrong kept the ball in play on the left touchline only to be penalised for a foul on Jan Bednarek, before Stuart Armstrong joined Manning in the book as QPR again tried to break on Saints once more.

The brightest spark for Martin’s side was the scheming Edozie, a constant threat with his dribbling down the left, whose deflected cross set up Adam Armstrong to shoot into the side-netting.

Saints were dealt a blow midway through the first half when Jack Stephens went down, off the ball, and was unable to continue.

Cue a three-minute delay as Stephens received treatment and slowly limped off, arm in arm with the Saints medical staff, replaced by debutant Flynn Downes, as Shea Charles slotted into the backline alongside Bednarek.

The setback did not deter Saints initially, as Downes’s short free-kick found Manning, whose brilliant pass inside the full-back released Edozie in the box.

From there the winger jinked inside and shot towards the far corner with enough power to beat Begović low to his left and score the first goal of his senior career.

However, as was the case at Plymouth, Saints were unable to hold on to the lead for more than two minutes.

Colback seized on a clearance from Downes and tried his luck from 25 yards, hitting a fierce low drive that crashed against the base of the post, bounced behind Bazunu’s dive and nestled in the opposite corner.

Things might have got worse for Saints when Ilias Chair tiptoed his way into the box, feinting to shoot a couple of times before forcing a superb reaction save from Bazunu low to the keeper’s left, before Armstrong lashed home the rebound only to be flagged offside.

The 20-year-old Armstrong was a menace, always playing on the shoulder of the last defender, and he forced another save from Bazunu from another QPR counter, albeit this one was a routine stop.

Adam Armstrong celebrates his winning goal with debutant Ryan Fraser

Martin would have wanted more from his side after the interval, but it was Rangers who started like a house on fire.

Alcaraz was caught in possession before redeeming himself by half-blocking Chair’s shot, before Bazunu completed the job.

Then Smyth fired into the side-netting, before the same player lashed an angled drive against the crossbar, before Bazunu made another save from Chair.

Martin responded with a double change, introducing Sékou Mara and Fraser, another debutant, for Alcaraz and Amo-Ameyaw.

Fraser’s first involvement was to fizz a low ball across goal that was begging for a finish – the only problem was Adam Armstrong was the man passing him the ball, and Saints did not have a poacher in position to finish the move.

Armstrong’s moment would come just after the hour mark at the end of the sort of patient build-up play around the penalty area Martin’s teams do better than most.

Again Fraser was involved, this time playing the ball back for Manning, who helped himself to another assist with a clever low pass into Armstrong’s feet, where the striker took a touch, swivelled and smashed in a ruthless left-footed finish across Begović’s dive to find the far corner.

Manning was feeling confident against his former club, and nearly helped himself to his first Saints goal, whipping a low shot just past the post from a central position.

Meanwhile, Fraser wanted a first goal of his own when Mara’s quick thinking from a free-kick sent him clean through, but Begović stood tall to deny him, before Mara was penalised for taking it before referee James Bell was happy for Saints to continue, much to the frustration of the home dugout.

With six added minutes to negotiate, QPR pushed for a late leveller, and might have had one but for the indecision of substitute Rayan Kolli at the far post, but Saints held on to move to 10 points from four matches at the start of the new season.

Saints: Bazunu, Walker-Peters, Bednarek, Stephens (Downes 25), Manning, Charles, S. Armstrong, Alcaraz (Mara 56), Amo-Ameyaw (Fraser 56), A. Armstrong, Edozie (Aribo 83).

Subs not used: Lumley, Bella-Kotchap, Bree, Doyle, Djenepo.

Goals: Edozie (30), A. Armstrong (64).

Yellow cards: Manning, S. Armstrong, Alcaraz.

QPR: Begović, Kakay, Cook, Fox, Paal, Field, Colback (Duke-McKenna 74), Dozzell (Kolli 82), Chair, Armstrong, Smyth (Adomah 74).

Subs not used: Archer, Clarke-Salter, Dixon-Bonner, Larkeche, Aoraha, Bala.

Goals: Colback (32).

Yellow cards: Duke-McKenna.

Referee: James Bell

Attendance: 30,401