Smallbone overjoyed after "unreal" night
Will Smallbone reflected on a special night at St Mary’s after his stunning strike early in the second half set Southampton on their way to a famous victory.
Smallbone made the breakthrough four minutes into the second half of the Sky Bet Championship play-off semi-final second leg against West Brom, sending an already raucous home crowd into ecstasy.
It stayed 1-0 until the 78th minute, when Adam Armstrong drilled home Saints’ second, before the striker added a late third from the penalty spot. Cedric Kipré replied deep into stoppage time, but Saints’ place at Wembley was already assured.
“Overjoyed to get to our goal, to get to Wembley,” Smallbone said. “We all knew coming into today it was one more game to get us closer to where we want to be, and where we set out to be at the start of the season. An unreal performance from the boys, and I’m really looking forward to next week.
“I think first half we played well. We started fast and we weren’t too disappointed [not to score in the first half], but we had a few things we could tweak and I think the manager did that at half time.
“We came out firing, all guns blazing in the second half, and to get that early goal and kick on again from there I think sums us up, and stands us in good stead for next week.”
Smallbone has been with Saints since the age of eight, a 16-year association with the club that hit a new high with his sumptuous goal.
Intercepting a stray pass, he strode forward, exchanged passes with David Brooks and found the net with a brilliantly-placed shot off the inside of goalkeeper Alex Palmer’s left-hand post.
“It was unreal, honestly, I can’t describe it,” he grinned. “It will be nice to watch it back at some point tonight. I think that’s the manager’s whole philosophy in one goal – playing out from the back and moving, and to be on the end of it and finish it was unreal.
“Coming through the Academy and growing up, it’s nights like this you really, really want to play in. The fans before the game really turned up in their numbers and we knew coming into the game how big this is for the club, and I think myself more than anyone understands that.
“It was unreal. It was the first time I’ve ever experienced anything like that. I’ve seen on social media through the week the fans building it up and the club as well, telling people to get there, but it was more than I ever imagined it would be.
“Being on the coach coming in, the lads really knew the importance of the game, and as we went out there and put in that performance, we backed it up. I was really happy to put in a performance, and to get a goal as well was unreal.”
