Saints held at Huddersfield

The suspended Russsell Martin watched from the stands as his side outplayed the struggling Terriers throughout the first half, deservedly taking the lead through Armstrong’s poacher’s finish in stoppage time.

But Saints were unable to reach the same heights after the interval, and were hit by a late sucker punch when Ben Jackson’s cross eluded everybody in the box and nestled cruelly inside the far post three minutes from time.

Martin made two changes from the 2-1 win over West Brom that extended Saints’ unbeaten run to eight matches ahead of the international break.

Jan Bednarek was back from injury to retake his place at the heart of the defence, replacing Mason Holgate, while Ryan Fraser was preferred to Carlos Alcaraz on the right of the front three.

Saints needed no time to settle, immediately wrestling control of the game, which was played entirely in the Huddersfield half for the first ten minutes.

Only 70 seconds had elapsed when Kamaldeen set off down the left, Stuart Armstrong found room to cross and Fraser’s knockdown was fired wide by Will Smallbone from 20 yards.

Adam Armstrong gets in front of his man to give Saints a timely lead

After Adam Armstrong forced a first save from goalkeeper Chris Maxwell from a long ball over the top, Saints reverted to their more patient build-up play with a brilliant piece of football that nearly prised open the Terriers defence.

Kamaldeen twice traded passes with Adam Armstrong, before Stuart Armstrong’s one-two with Smallbone invited the Scot to shoot, but Huddersfield had enough bodies back to make a block, even if they were powerless to prevent the intricate passing sequence.

That was after the hosts had their first sight of goal in the 16th minute, when Jaheim Headley drilled a shot wide of Gavin Bazunu’s near post, but this was a dominant display from the away team.

A typical Stuart Armstrong dribble nudged the ball into the path of Fraser, whose shot was rushed and blazed over, but Saints kept coming, continually asking questions of the opposition.

Already on the back foot, Darren Moore’s side were dealt another blow when striker Kian Harratt was forced off with injury, replaced by a defender in Japanese international Yuta Nakayama.

Armstrong celebrates Saints' deserved opener in first-half stoppage time

For all their control, Saints had struggled to test Maxwell, but a late first-half flurry must have had the keeper worried.

Stuart Armstrong had him diving to his right, unable to reach his curling shot that struck the base of the post, before Kamaldeen fired one into the side-netting via a deflection, while Smallbone forced Maxwell to parry one to safety when he connected sweetly with a vicious left-footed drive.

Just as Huddersfield thought they had done enough to get through to half time unscathed, Saints struck the crucial opener in the first of two added minutes.

Smallbone’s pass down the left released the influential Stuart Armstrong, whose first time cross, low to the near post, was met by the onrushing captain, who was too sharp for his marker and too cute for Maxwell with a clever finish from six yards, guiding the ball into the far corner with the outside of his right boot.

It was richly deserved at the end of a half in which Saints had 82 per cent of the ball, but Huddersfield were transformed after the interval, pinning the visitors back for the first time in the game.

James Bree needed a crucial touch to prevent a far-post tap-in, before Kamaldeen overplayed inside his own box and conceded a dangerous free-kick, while Josh Koroma saw a deflected shot loop over.

Kamaldeen, booked for that challenge, was withdrawn soon after, replaced by Samuel Edozie, before Bazunu made his first save from the stretching Koroma and Taylor Harwood-Bellis blocked from Sorba Thomas.

Substitute Samuel Edozie forced a fine save from goalkeeper Chris Maxwell

Having weathered the storm, Saints regained a foothold. Edozie, teed up by Stuart Armstrong, sent Maxwell sprawling to his left to make the best save of the game to date, before Ryan Fraser’s follow-up was blocked.

Harwood-Bellis also came close before Huddersfield carved out their clearest sight of goal, as Koroma crossed from the right for the flying figure of Thomas, but the Welsh winger could not direct his diving header on target from eight yards.

Saints had been unable to reassert their first-half dominance, and Moore’s men still had hope as they pushed for a late leveller.

Thomas floated in a free-kick that was headed wide by Michal Helik, before a vital intervention from Kyle Walker-Peters prevented another chance for the hosts to equalise.

But Huddersfield did capitalise on their late pressure when Jackson curled in a hopeful cross that somehow found the far corner, with no touch along the way, to leave Saints ruing their inability to finish off a depleted home team.

Huddersfield: Maxwell, Jackson, Pearson, Helik, Lees, Headley (Burgzorg 65), Kasumu (Edmonds-Green 73), Hogg (c), Thomas, Harratt (Nakayama 21), Koroma (Diarra 73).

Unused substitutes: Chapman, Edwards, Austerfield.

Goals: Jackson (87’)

Yellow cards: Kasumu, Headley, Lees, Jackson.

Southampton: Bazunu, Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Bree (Manning 80), Smallbone (Adams 90), Downes, S Armstrong (Stewart 80), Fraser (Charles 80), A Armstrong (c), Kamaldeen (Edozie 55).

Unused substitutes: McCarthy, Holgate, Aribo, Alcaraz.

Goals: A Armstrong (45+1’)

Yellow cards: Kamaldeen

Referee: David Webb

Attendance: 19,387