Report: Record-setting Saints sweep Wednesday aside

Goals from Ché Adams, Adam Armstrong, Ryan Fraser and Sékou Mara made it a ninth consecutive home victory and also stretched the team’s remarkable streak to 20 successive games across all competitions without a defeat – tying a record for the men’s team in the Football League era and matching a feat last achieved in 1921-22.

More important than that, though, was the three points, which closed the gap on leaders Leicester, who lost in the lunchtime kick-off at Coventry, to ten points, while at least momentarily lifting Russell Martin’s team into second place on goal difference, above Ipswich who were playing later in the day.

The result also brought a sixth clean sheet in the past seven home matches, and there was perhaps a poignance to that, on a day that Saints remembered the passing of one of their 1976 FA Cup heroes, centre-back Mel Blyth, with the team wearing black armbands in his honour.

Martin made three changes from the last league outing against Norwich, as Adams, Fraser and Will Smallbone all came into the team.

Ryan Fraser was one of three changes from the last league game (Photo: Matt Watson)

They replaced Joe Aribo, who is away with Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations, the injured Sam Edozie, and Jack Stephens, who was named as a sub.

For Fraser, it was a first league start since the trip to Huddersfield in late November, although it did follow his sublime start in the FA Cup last week, when he scored twice and provided an assist in the 4-0 win over Walsall.

To a casual observer, a glance at the league table pre-match might have told a certain story, with Saints beginning the day in third while their opponents sat 22nd.

Yet this was a rejuvenated Wednesday visiting St Mary’s, with the Owls having won their past three matches under the guidance of their new boss, and former Saints assistant manager, Danny Röhl.

They almost had the perfect start here too, giving Saints a scare within the opening minute, as a slightly heavy touch from Gavin Bazunu allowing Josh Windass to close him down, with the ball taking a ricochet onto the chest of Bailey-Tye Cadamarteri a couple of yards out. Fortunately for Martin’s men, the ball came at him very quickly and he couldn’t control it well enough, as it was scrambled behind for a corner.

Saints wore black armbands in memory of 1976 FA Cup winner Mel Blyth (Photo: Matt Watson)

With that shaky moment out of the way, Saints themselves went close to opening the scoring in the sixth minute, when Ryan Fraser’s volley from a Kyle Walker-Peters cross bounced into the turf and looped over keeper Cameron Dawson, only for defender Michael Ihiekwe to head it off the line.

A shout for a penalty followed on 13 minutes, when Smallbone was brought down by Marvin Johnson’s sliding tackle, but referee Lewis Smith judged it was fair and he had got the ball.

Saints had very much settled by this point and were dominating possession, while probing in and around the Wednesday area.

Still, creating a significant opportunity was proving tricky against a stubborn opponent, with a low Adams strike from distance that went a few yards wide the only real effort of note in the rest of the opening 30 minutes.

But it was a warning of what was to come, as Adams gave Saints the advantage in the 36th minute.

It came from a Walker-Peters throw-in on the right, as he found Adam Armstrong, who lifted a cross into the centre of the area. Adams did the rest, chesting it down and taking another touch to shift it past a defender before firing a left-footed shot into the bottom corner.

Ché Adams fires Saints into the lead (Photo: Matt Watson)

The goal came shortly after a minute’s applause from fans around the stadium in memory of Southampton fan Tom Dreyer, following his passing at the age of 32.

Saints almost doubled the lead a minute after Adams struck, as Walker-Peters hit a low shot across goal from inside the area that Wednesday keeper Dawson did very well to tip wide.

Shortly after half time, it was Bazunu’s turn to make a fine stop, flinging himself to his right to tip away substitute Ashley Fletcher’s fierce, skidding strike from distance that was arrowing towards the corner.

Like they did in the first half after an early fright, Saints got straight on the front foot again.

Jan Bednarek made a big appeal for a handball in the area after his header from a Ryan Manning corner, before Adams fired over from the edge of the area after Adam Armstrong’s lay-off into his path.

The pressure would soon tell, though, as Saints got the second goal on 63 minutes.

Adams played a big part, sniffing out a loose ball in his own half, looking up and playing a magnificent through pass for Stuart Armstrong, who raced down the inside left and fed a low ball across for Adam Armstrong, with the forward taking a touch to set himself, before finishing coolly past Dawson.

Saints wore black armbands in memory of 1976 FA Cup winner Mel Blyth (Photo: Matt Watson)

It was the cushion that Saints wanted, although they were indebted to Bazunu for keeping it in place shortly after, as he made an excellent stop to turn away a thunderous Windass free-kick from just outside the box.

Back at the other end, it was almost 3-0 on 68 minutes when Fraser’s ball across the face of goal found Adam Armstrong at the back post, but he saw his low strike cleared off the line by a defender.

Not to matter, as the third did arrive on 75 minutes.

Smallbone’s glorious pass over the top to Adam Armstrong helped facilitate the captain’s second assist of the day, as he squared for Fraser, who fired a precise low shot from the edge of the box back across goal and into the bottom corner.

Adams and Stuart Armstrong were then withdrawn to a big ovation from the crowd, as Mara and Charly Alcaraz came on in place of them for the closing stages. Another two changes soon followed, as Jack Stephens and Shea Charles replaced Bednarek and Smallbone.

It was Mara who had an instant impact, tapping home at the end of a slick move to make it 4-0, as Adam Armstrong picked him out with a low ball, recording his third assist of the day alongside a goal of his own.

There was yet another ovation soon after, as Fraser was substituted, with youngster Tyler Dibling being sent on for his senior league debut, capping a day of positives all round for Saints.

Southampton: Bazunu, Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek (Stephens 73), Manning, Downes, Smallbone (Charles 73), S Armstrong (Alcaraz 77), Fraser (Dibling 88), A Armstrong (captain), Adams (Mara 77).

Unused substitutes: Lumley, Meghoma, Holgate, Amo-Ameyaw.

Goals: Adams (36’), A Armstrong (63’), Fraser (75’), Mara (85')

Yellow cards: Bednarek, A Armstrong, Downes.

Sheffield Wednesday: Dawson, Palmer (Valentin 82), B Diaby, Ihiekwe, Bernard (Famewo 82), Johnson, Bannan (captain), Musaba (Vaulks 46), Gassama, Windass (Wilks 82), Cadamarteri (Fletcher 46).

Unused substitutes: Beadle, James, M Diaby, Smith.

Yellow cards: Bernard, Bannan, Ihiekwe.

Referee: Lewis Smith.

Attendance: 30,189.