Report: Saints suffer defeat to Millwall

Having lost by that score to Hull in midweek, Russell Martin's side were looking to make amends when they returned to St Mary's here, but Japhet Tanganga's early goal and Zian Flemming's penalty shortly before half time – either side of a Ché Adams header – put paid to those plans.

The result leaves Saints 11 points behind leaders Leicester and trailing second-placed Leeds, who beat the Foxes a night earlier, by five points. In between them and the automatic spots remain Ipswich, also five points ahead, with 12 games left to play for each of the four sides.

A damaging week, no doubt, but still time remaining.

There were five changes for Saints from the team that lost on Tuesday night, with Russell Martin bringing in Jack Stephens, Joe Aribo, David Brooks, Ryan Fraser and Adams.

Saints captain Jack Stephens was one of five changes to the starting XI (Photo: Matt Watson)

Ryan Manning, Joe Rothwell, Sam Edozie, Adam Armstrong and Sékou Mara were the ones who made way, as they all took up places on the bench, with Martin also shuffling his order in defence, playing Taylor Harwood-Bellis at right back, with Stephens partnering Jan Bednarek in the centre, and Kyle Walker-Peters on the left.

Saints were on the front foot straight away and created a decent opening within three minutes, as Stuart Armstrong went on a sensational run from the left, beating a couple of players on his way to the byline, from where he stood up a cross to the back post. It found its way to Brooks, whose volley bounced into the ground and looped goalwards, with keeper Matija Šarkić scrambling across to palm it off the line.

It was a positive start, but disaster then struck two minutes later.

Will Smallbone was judged to have fouled Flemming in a deep position, with George Saville’s in-swinging free-kick being met by the head of Tanganga just before Gavin Bazunu could punch clear, with the Millwall defender’s touch looping the ball into the net to give the visitors the lead.

Tanganga was really in the thick of things early on, being booked soon after for a foul on Adams, and then saving a certain goal when he cleared off the line from the striker after he had looped a header over Sarkić in the 14th minute.

Saints’ frustration then deepened when they lost Fraser, who had been hurt in an earlier tackle, after only 18 minutes to injury, with Edozie replacing him.

Martin’s side probed away for an equaliser, with their best effort before the half-hour mark coming when Brooks curled wide from the edge of the box, as Millwall, no doubt buoyed by the appointment of Neil Harris during the week for a second spell as manager, provided stubborn resistance.

But it only held out until the 34th minute, when Saints did indeed level the game.

It came via some nice interplay on the left, with the move ending when Stuart Armstrong whipped in a cross from outside the corner of the area, and Adams met it with a glancing header six yards out to beat Šarkić.

Ché Adams after equalising in the first half for Saints (Photo: Matt Watson)

But parity would only last for ten minutes, as Millwall regained the lead from the penalty spot.

They were given the opportunity after a shot from former Saints forward Michael Obafemi hit the arm of Bednarek inside the box, and Flemming made it count from 12 yards as he struck the ball in off the post and sent Millwall into half time with a 2-1 lead.

Saints quickly set about trying to erase that advantage when the action resumed, with Walker-Peters and Stuart Armstrong both having shots from outside the area saved in the opening minutes of the half, while Adams turned over from close range at the near post after being picked out by Brooks’s low delivery.

It was good pressure, but it ultimately didn't have the desired result, and Martin then made two changes just before the hour mark, as Adam Armstrong and Rothwell replaced Adams and Aribo.

Rothwell was presented with a big chance to equalise on 69 minutes, when Stuart Armstrong's low delivery from the left rolled into his path about 12 yards out, but he fired his shot straight at Šarkić.

Into the final 20 minutes, and Martin made his next changes, as Manning and Kamaldeen replaced Stephens and Brooks.

The clock ticked on, and Adam Armstrong saw a header from a Walker-Peters cross drift a yard over in the 78th minute, while at the other end Flemming had a low shot saved by Bazunu.

Ten minutes later and Adam Armstrong did hit the target with a header – this time from a Kamaldeen cross – but Šarkić somehow dived low to his right and tipped the ball wide of the post when it looked almost certain to find the corner of the net.

That was to be it for Saints, as Millwall held on to claim the points.

Southampton: Bazunu, Stephens (captain) (Manning 71), Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Walker-Peters, Smallbone, Aribo (Rothwell 59), S Armstrong, Brooks (Kamaldeen 71), Fraser (Edozie 19), Adams (A Armstrong 59).

Unused substitutes: Lumley, Bree, Charles, Mara.

Goals: Adams (34’).

Yellow cards: Stephens, Edozie, Harwood-Bellis, Walker-Peters.

Millwall: Šarkić, McNamara, Cooper (captain), Tanganga, Mitchell, Flemming (De Norre 86), Longman (Norton-Cuffy 62), Leonard, Obafemi (Bradshaw 46), Saville, Honeyman.

Unused substitutes: Bialkowski, Wallace, Watmore, Emakhu, Esse, Harding.

Goals: Tanganga (5’), Flemming (44’ pen).

Yellow cards: Honeyman, Tanganga, Šarkić.

Referee: Thomas Bramall.

Attendance: 30,629.