Report: Saints well beaten at Boro

It was an end-to-end first half with openings for both sides, but hosts Middlesbrough took control of the game early into the second. Morgan Whittaker grabbed his ninth of the season following a short corner, Matt Targett’s through ball finding his run before Boro's top scorer poked home.

The hosts doubled their lead seven minutes later. Samuel Silvera getting in behind the Saints defence to latch onto a long ball and finish at the near post. By the 66th minute it was three; Whittaker with his second of the afternoon after good work from Aidan Morris to find him inside the six-yard box.

The fourth followed with just under 15 minutes to go, first half substitute Alan Browne profiting from a loose ball in the penalty area to extend the lead.

Tonda Eckert made five changes to the side which drew at home to Millwall on New Year’s Day. Elias Jelert, Jack Stephens, Cam Bragg, Kuryu Matsuki and Cameron Archer replaced by Tom Fellows, Joshua Quarshie, Caspar Jander, Finn Azaz and Adam Armstrong respectively.

It was a first half in stark contrast to that seen at St Mary’s three days ago, with both sides enjoying positive spells and creating good chances. The hosts were dealt a blow inside six minutes with Alex Bangura having to be replaced due to injury, but that didn’t halt their early momentum.

Kim Hellberg’s side enjoyed much of the possession during the opening moments, Saints throwing bodies on the line to block former Saint Matt Target after a goalmouth scramble in the ninth minute. As the visitors looked to weather the early storm they gained their first chance just shy of the 15 minute mark. Adam Armstrong picked the ball up on the edge of the penalty area before volleying just wide.

Adam Armstrong lets fly during the first half, his volley just clearing the crossbar.

Middlesbrough kept coming; Hayden Hackney next to try his luck with a curled effort just wide of the far post following a neat free-kick lay off. Saints needed to make the most of their moments when they arrived during a difficult start. One of those moments came on the half hour mark, when Aidan Morris gifted Finn Azaz the ball 20-yards out. Azaz took a touch and fired towards goal but couldn’t hit the target with 28 played.

Azaz tried his luck again five minutes later, finding the ball out on the left flank before looking to curl an effort into the far corner. Boro ‘keeper Sol Brynn equal to it. An even better chance came minutes after, Azaz involved once more down the left. His ball finding Flynn Downes on the edge of the box who ran onto it, the eventual shot blocked by a Adilson Malanda on the line.

Finn Azaz had more shots (three) than any other player during the first half on his return to Middlesbrough.

The chances kept coming for the visitors who were slowly building into the game. Leo Scienza finding Taylor Harwood-Bellis inside the penalty area, who saw the run of Tom Fellows down the right wing. Fellows took a shot towards the near post, where Brynn was there to tip it behind for a corner. Despite a decent spell for Saints Boro offered a reminder that their threat remained. Morgan Whittaker having a shot from just outside the area crucially blocked behind by Harwood-Bellis with five minutes left in the half.

Azaz continued to be the key man for Saints on his return to his former club. Just shy of the interval his through ball played in Fellows who, one-on-one, cleared the crossbar as the search for his first Southampton goal continued.

The second half started with a huge Saints chance. Azaz once the instigator, his low shot along the floor hitting Armstrong, who took a touch and hit towards goal. Middlesbrough’s Malanda there again blocking the shot at the very last, with Brynn seemingly beaten.

Saints were made to pay for missing these big chances on 54 minutes. A corner on the left side was played short to Targett, who played an inch-perfect ball through the Saints defence for the run of Whittaker. The Boro striker kept his cool to slot past Bazunu for his club’s first goal in four games.

It wasn’t long before the hosts doubled their lead. A long ball from Luke Ayling following a quick free-kick finding the run of Silvera on 61 minutes, who had got in behind the Saints defence. The Australian took a touch before firing in at the near post.

Whittaker added his second on 66. Morris latched onto a poor Saints clearance before bursting into the box. He found the gap inside the six-yard box where Boro’s top scorer was there to finish first time and grab his tenth of the season.

The game fell away from Saints during the second half.

Eckert made a triple substitution with just over 15 minutes to go, with Archer, Welington and Jelert introduced, but it did little to quell the Middlesbrough threat.

A fourth was added on 76 minutes. Gavin Bazunu made a strong save from the initial shot following another short corner. Unfortunately for the Irishman he could only parry the ball into the path of Browne, who scored his first of the season.

With the game wrapped up the hosts managed proceedings well from this moment on. The only moment of note from a Saints perspective was the return of Ross Stewart to the field for the first time since October. Ultimately Eckert’s side fell to defeat, and will now receive some rest bite from their Championship struggles with a FA Cup tie at Doncaster Rovers next time out.

Middlesbrough: Brynn, Ayling, Malanda, Targett, Silvera, Morris, Hackney (Hamilton 90), Bangura (Browne 7), Whittaker (Nypan 90), Conway, Burgzorg (Gilbert 82).

Unused substitutes: McLaughlin, Fry, Gilbert, Hansen, McCormick, Kanté.

Goals: Whittaker (54') (66'), Silvera (61'), Browne (76')

Southampton: Bazunu, Fellows (Jelert 74), Harwood-Bellis, Wood, Quarshie (Stewart 85), Manning (Welington 74), Downes, Jander (Bragg 61), Azaz, Scienza, Armstrong (c) (Archer 74).

Unused substitutes: McCarthy, Stephens, Matsuki, Robinson.

Booked: Manning, Bragg, Quarshie.

Referee: Oliver Langford

Attendance: