Report: Matsuki strikes to give Saints first away win

Matsuki pounced to score a close-range rebound after Caspar Jander’s low shot was parried by Norwich goalkeeper Daniel Grimshaw nine minutes into the second half.

The goal followed a first half of few chances and the second was hardly packed with goalmouth action either, but Saints owed their clean sheet to a vital goal-line clearance from Lewis Dobbin, as Tonda Eckert’s side secured back-to-back 1-0 wins to climb into the Championship play-off places in spite of the four-point deduction imposed on them by the EFL.

Head coach Eckert made four changes to his victorious south coast derby XI, including a debut at right-back for Nottingham Forest loanee Zach Abbott.

Saints played more than half of that famous win with 10 men, perhaps reflected in Eckert’s decision to leave Leo Scienza, Cyle Larin and match-winner James Bree among the substitutes at Carrow Road, while Cameron Bragg was suspended.

That meant a new-look frontline of Matsuki on the right, Samuel Edozie on the left and Dobbin starting as the centre-forward.

There was an early test for Abbott when Anis Ben Slimane slid the ball down the side of the Saints defence, allowing Oscar Schwartau to turn inside the debutant and fire narrowly wide of the far post.

Playing against his favourite opponent, Finn Azaz had a couple of sights of goal in a tight first half

But Saints had good intensity about their pressing and their play, and went close to a 14th-minute opener from a familiar source.

After Dobbin was fouled by Norwich captain Pelle Mattsson in prime James Ward-Prowse territory, Saints’ No. 30 stepped up and beat the wall, but just saw his curling effort veer fractionally wide of Grimshaw’s right-hand post with the keeper beaten.

After Ryan Manning caught Andre Brooks to become the first player to go into the book, Flynn Downes stayed down after what looked to be an awkward fall on his ankle.

The midfielder initially tried to soldier on, but enough was enough midway through the half, as Downes reluctantly hobbled off, replaced by Jander, who made his first appearance of the season as a 72nd-minute substitute against Portsmouth.

Meanwhile, Finn Azaz has scored more goals against Norwich than any other opponent, and the in-form attacker tried an ambitious attempt from a tricky angle that flew over Grimshaw’s crossbar from a raking diagonal pass by Keven Schlotterbeck.

Abbott then followed fellow full-back Manning into the book for pulling back Schwartau in what was proving to be a half of few chances.

The best of them were still to come, as first Norwich midfielder Jacob Wright was fed by a square pass from Brooks along the 18-yard line. Taking the ball neatly in his stride, he tried to slide the ball inside Daniel Peretz’s near post, but the keeper was down sharply to make a stooping save.

Kuryu Matsuki pounces to break the deadlock nine minutes into the second period

Abbott’s best moment was an inch-perfect 37th-minute cross from wide on the right to brilliantly pick out Azaz, whose left-footed volley would have been a Goal of the Season contender but was just off target as he guided the ball back across Grimshaw’s goal.

When Azaz was picked out by Jander in first-half stoppage time, his teasing cross was nodded back by Jack Stephens for Edozie to strike first time with power, but Grimshaw spread himself well to repel the chance.

With both full-backs on a yellow card, Eckert opted to replace the pair at the interval, his second and third substitutions of the night, as Bree and Welington took over from Abbott and Manning.

If the head coach demanded more from his team, he certainly got it. After Schlotterbeck headed wide from a Ward-Prowse corner, Saints edged in front through Matsuki’s close-range finish.

The goal owed much to the wing play of Edozie. Found by Azaz on the left touchline, Edozie slowed down to allow Jack Stacey to get close to him before sharply wriggling away from his marker and into the box.

When Edozie’s cross was pushed out by Grimshaw and not properly cleared, Jander drilled a low shot back into the crowded penalty area and Grimshaw, perhaps unsighted by Matsuki in front of him, could only parry, allowing the Japanese to pounce on the rebound.

Saints celebrate Matsuki's crucial winner

But rather than allowing Saints to enjoy more control, the goal seemed to spark the home team into life.

It would take a goal-line clearance from Dobbin to preserve the lead after Ruairi McConville’s header was nodded goalwards by José Córdoba, sparking a fist pump in celebration from Saints’ emergency defender.

Left-back Ben Chrisene was becoming more involved in an attacking sense, fizzing a low shot just wide before hammering a loose ball goalwards from a corner, only to see a combination of Stephens and Ward-Prowse come to Saints’ aid.

With 20 minutes to go Eckert called on Larin from the bench to give his side a focal point, but it was a Norwich substitute, Anthony Musaba, causing problems when he forced Peretz into a sprawling save and Stephens into a crucial clearance.

The visitors’ final change was to introduce Divin Mubama for Dobbin, who had showed some encouraging flashes on his first league start since the opening day of the season, not to mention a goal-saving contribution from Córdoba’s close-range header.

That left Saints with two recognised strikers on the pitch, but instead it was Jander, outstanding off the bench, who came closest to making the game safe when he slid in to meet Azaz’s right-wing cross but could not keep his shot down.

Ultimately it would matter not, and Eckert’s wish for more clean sheets following Sunday’s first shutout of the season was duly granted.

Norwich City: Grimshaw, Stacey, McConville, Córdoba, Chrisene, Mattsson (c), Wright (Field 77), Brooks (Crnac 72), Slimane (Maghoma 61), Schwartau (Musaba 72), Kvistgaarden (Makama 61).

Subs not used: Ansen, Darling, Mahovo, Yongwa.

Booked: Wright, Field.

Southampton: Peretz, Abbott (Bree 46), Stephens (c), Schlotterbeck, Manning (Welington 46), Ward-Prowse, Downes (Jander 22), Matsuki, Azaz, Edozie (Larin 70), Dobbin (Mubama 82).

Subs not used: Long, Wood, Fellows, Scienza.

Goals: Matsuki (54’).

Booked: Manning, Abbott.

Attendance: 25,633 (1,780 Saints fans).

Referee: Steve Martin.