Armstrong at the double as Saints dominate Cardiff

Two early goals from Adam Armstrong, which took his tally for the season to 12, proved the difference, as Saints blitzed their opponents before seeing out the game with aplomb.

The result capped a fine week in which Russell Martin’s side took seven points from three games and conceded only once, as they continued to keep the pressure on the trio of teams above them in the table.

The Saints boss made one change from the XI that beat Bristol City here on Wednesday night, as Ché Adams came in for the injured Kamaldeen.

Ché Adams returned to the starting line-up against Cardiff

With Ross Stewart also now facing a number of weeks on the sidelines and Will Smallbone absent from the bench too, there was a place among the subs for youngsters Sam Amo-Ameyaw and Tyler Dibling.

Saints started the game with the confidence of a side that hadn’t lost in their previous ten outings and swiftly asserted complete control of both the ball and the match.

There was a sense of threat around them from the off, with a number of high-quality passages of play, and it was no surprise that they took the lead as early as the 11th minute with a gorgeous team goal.

It started with a throw-in near Saints’ own corner flag on the Itchen side of the ground, with a slick move that travelled the width and length of the pitch and featured a series of one-touch passes, ending with Adam Armstrong curling a left-footed shot into the far top corner from just inside the area after Charly Alcaraz’s pass had been slid into him.

Adam Armstrong (partially obscured) curls in the first goal for Saints

Having gained the lead, Saints showed no sign of letting up, and it was 2-0 only four minutes later.

Again, the move that brought it about was a joy to behold, as Stuart Armstrong and Alcaraz combined for a one-two that set the former running free into the left side of the area. Armstrong then supplied a cross that deflected off a Cardiff defender and looped into the six-yard box, where his namesake Adam was on hand to head home both his and the team’s second goal.

Such was Saints’ dominance that it took Cardiff a full 27 minutes to manage a shot, as Perry Ng fired a free-kick from the edge of the ‘D’ into the wall, after Flynn Downes had fouled Josh Bowler – an infringement the midfielder received a yellow card for.

The visitors did manage to gain a little more of a foothold from that point on, and they had an opportunity when Karlan Grant tried a lob from distance after Gavin Bazunu had rushed out of his area to beat Yakou Meité to a through ball, but he didn’t get enough on it and the well-positioned Taylor Harwood-Bellis was able to clear.

At the other end, Adam Armstrong went close to completing a hat-trick before the break when Runar Rúnarsson could only tip an Adams cross into his path at the back post, but the Cardiff keeper recovered well to save his header from a tight angle.

Saints celebrate after racing into an early lead

Saints continued to press, with a Stuart Armstrong delivery from deep towards Adam Armstrong almost sneaking in at the far post, while Alcaraz headed over from a Downes cross.

It was a strong way to end a dominant half, but the hosts did have one fortunate escape before the whistle blew for the interval, as Grant somehow fired over from close range at the back post after a deflected Ng cross had reached him.

Saints were back on the front foot after the break, though, and had what would have been a third goal ruled out, with Ché Adams firing in from a low Adam Armstrong cross only to have been caught offside.

At 2-0, however, Cardiff weren’t out of it, and they came close to halving the deficit on 59 minutes, when Grant almost pulled off a stunning solo goal, going on a brilliant run down the left before firing a shot from distance that skidded narrowly wide of the far post.

As the game passed the hour mark, Martin then made his first changes, bringing on Joe Aribo and Ryan Fraser in place of Stuart Armstrong and Alcaraz.

Fog descends on St Mary's during the second half

A dense fog was beginning to fill St Mary’s by this stage, but it didn’t seem to be affecting the vision of the Saints players, who were passing the ball around sharply, and substitute Aribo went close to capping another nice move when his low shot from distance beat the keeper but clipped the outside of the post.

His fellow sub, Fraser, also went agonisingly close soon after, when he slid in to meet Adam Armstrong’s low ball to the back post, but he could only divert it wide at full stretch.

Fraser continued to be a nuisance for Cardiff, and he twice again saw efforts fly wide as Saints pushed for a third goal to completely kill the game.

It almost came on 80 minutes, when Armstrong went close to completing a 'perfect' hat-trick, only for Rúnarsson to tip over his fierce strike from just inside the corner of the box, while the Cardiff keeper had to make another smart stop, this time from Fraser, as the game reached its final minute.

Into added time, late substitute Sékou Mara almost flicked in a low cross at the near post, but, despite not being able to add to their total, Saints were completely comfortable seeing the game out and securing a result that means they have now taken 27 points from the last 33 available.

Southampton: Bazunu, Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Manning, Downes, Charles, S Armstrong (Aribo 62), Alcaraz (Fraser 62), A Armstrong (captain), Adams (Mara 81).

Unused substitutes: Lumley, Bree, Holgate, Amo-Ameyaw, Edozie, Dibling.

Goals: A Armstrong (11’, 15’).

Yellow cards: Downes.

Cardiff City: Rúnarsson, Ng, McGuinness, Goutas, Collins, Siopis (Ralls 75), Wintle (captain), Robinson (Colwill 54), Bowler (Tanner 63), Grant (Etete 75), Meite (Ugbo 63).

Unused substitutes: Alnwick, Romeo, Panzo, Adams.

Yellow cards: Colwill.

Referee: James Bell.

Attendance: 28,659.