Report: Saints beat West Brom to reach play-off final

Every person inside the stadium will no doubt remember this occasion for some time to come, as a spectacular second half sent Saints marching on to Wembley next Sunday, where they will play for the right to return to England’s top division.

After earning a 0-0 draw in the first leg at The Hawthorns, they took full advantage on their return to St Mary’s, securing a 3-1 win that had the ground absolutely rocking, with Will Smallbone’s stunning strike lighting the touch paper ahead of a fine Adam Armstrong double.

Russell Martin will have no doubt watched on with pride, as his side played with the sort of intensity and braveness that he has encouraged from them all season.

Even in the hours before kick-off, there was an incredible atmosphere at the stadium, as supporters provided a feverish welcome to the team coach when it arrived at the stadium around 6.30pm.

Giant crowds assembled outside the front of the ground and extended down Marine Parade, with enormous roars being heard and plumes of red smoke being set off as the bus arrived.

On the pitch, Martin made two changes for the game from the team that played in the first leg.

In came Ryan Fraser and David Brooks, with Ryan Manning and Sékou Mara making way, as they dropped to the bench. Saints retained the same shape as they used the previous weekend, with Fraser playing in an advanced left wing-back role.

Nerves would perhaps have been expected in the early stages, but it was a fast-paced opening to the game, with the incredible atmosphere inside St Mary’s no doubt contributing to that.

Getting a good start would have been viewed by both teams as vital, and it was Saints who looked the more likely to get it in the opening minutes as they dominated the ball and pushed high up the pitch.

To their credit, West Brom navigated that period well – with the biggest scare for the visitors when Brooks almost picked out the run of Smallbone in behind – and they were the ones who created the first real sight of goal, as Grady Diangana headed wide in the 11th minute following a looping cross that came after a short corner.

Only a minute later, Saints had an appeal for a penalty turned down, as a wonderful pass from deep by Taylor Harwood-Bellis found the run of Brooks, who felt he was pulled down by Conor Townsend, but referee Tim Robinson didn’t agree.

What it did display, though, was an avenue by which the hosts could have some success, and another Harwood-Bellis pass in behind the West Brom defence almost led to the opening goal, as he released Armstrong, whose cutback was turned just wide at the near post by Brooks.

Each chance felt as if it carried such weight, and there was a nervy moment for Saints shortly after when a Tom Fellows cross from the right looped towards goal and forced Alex McCarthy into an awkward position, but he dealt with it well and tipped it over.

Much of Saints’ threat in the opening 30 minutes involved Brooks, and he was again at the centre of things shortly before the half hour mark, as his low shot from 25 yards was saved by the diving Alex Palmer in West Brom’s goal.

Brooks’s effort would be the last significant one before half time, as the sides went in level at 0-0.

Less than three minutes after the restart, Martin’s side worked a nice opening, as a good bit of play worked the ball to Kyle Walker-Peters in a central position and he fired in a low shot that went wide, as the hosts made their intentions clear.

Eventually the pressure told, as Saints took the lead on 49 minutes through a goal of magnificent quality.

You might not have picked Smallbone as the likeliest of scorers at the start, but the midfielder delivered in the biggest of moments for his boyhood club, alertly picking off a loose pass from Diangana, finding Brooks on the right, running forward and receiving a return pass from his teammate before uncorking a rising shot that rattled in off the near post from 18 yards.

It was a goal that sent St Mary’s absolutely wild, as supporters sensed the possibility of victory now coming into sight.

They had to endure a huge scare five minutes later, though, as West Brom went close to equalising, with a breakaway down the right culminating in the ball being squared to Alex Mowatt in a fantastic position, but his shot bounced off the turf and was somehow diverted wide by the head of Harwood-Bellis.

Saints then had another big penalty appeal turned down, as Joe Aribo’s pass found Brooks in the area and he looked to have been wiped out unfairly by the sliding Cedric Kipre. Referee Robinson said the West Brom defender got the ball, but replays suggested it wasn’t before he got a good chunk of Brooks’s ankle too.

Back at the other end, McCarthy saved well from Darnell Furlong, tipping his well-struck shot over, with play then swinging in the other direction and Armstrong having a goal correctly ruled out for offside.

There would be no flag to deny him on 78 minutes, though, as he gave Saints the crucial second goal that they had craved. Flynn Downes powered forward with the ball to set things up, finding Armstrong on the left edge of the area, and he slammed a stunning, left-footed shot low into the far corner, with the accompanying roar from the crowd almost blowing the roof off the stands.

Another one would follow on 86 minutes, as Saints finally got a spot kick, with Fellows upending Manning in the box, and Armstrong made no mistake from the spot, thumping the ball into the bottom corner to remove all doubt about the outcome of the tie.

West Brom did net a consolation with what was effectively the last touch, as Cedric Kipre headed home seven minutes into added time, but it did not spoil the jubilant celebrations around the ground at full-time, as fans poured onto the pitch to savour the moment.

Martin's side will now turn their attention to the final hurdle standing between them and the Premier League.

It's an all-or-nothing clash with Leeds United at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

Southampton: McCarthy, Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Stephens (captain), Fraser (Manning 66), Downes, Smallbone (Rothwell 90), Aribo (Charles 90), Brooks (Edozie 73), A Armstrong.

Unused substitutes: Lumley, Bree, Kamaldeen, Mara, Stewart.

Goals: Smallbone (49’), A Armstrong (78’, 86’ pen).

West Brom: Palmer, Furlong, Bartley, Kipre, Townsend (Reach 73), Yokusulu (M’Vila 64), Mowatt (Weimann 82), Fellows, Diangana (Swift 64), Johnston, Wallace (captain) (Thomas-Asante 64).

Unused substitutes: Griffiths, Ajayi, Chalobah, Phillips.

Goals: Kipre (90+7').

Yellow cards: Mowatt, Swift.

Referee: Tim Robinson.

Attendance: 30,712.

Photos by Matt Watson and Isabelle Field.