Report: Stewart brace fires Saints to victory

Saints had to come from behind after Tyrese Campbell gave the home team a first-half lead, before Adam Armstrong spurned the chance to equalise by blazing over from the penalty spot seconds before the break.

But Stewart, who won the spot-kick after twice testing goalkeeper Michael Cooper with first-half headers, was Saints’ hero with two goals in seven minutes.

The striker was in the right place at the right time when Armstrong’s header from a corner struck the crossbar, before scoring a sublime second just shy of the hour, arrowing a 25-yard shot into the top corner to win the game.

There was late controversy when Sydie Peck’s 90th-minute equaliser was ruled out, but Saints held on for a much-needed victory.

Will Still named an unchanged starting line-up following Saturday’s 1-1 draw with early season leaders Middlesbrough, up against a Blades side who picked up their first win of the campaign on the same day, giving returning boss Chris Wilder some momentum to build on.

Saints started brightly in South Yorkshire, with Finn Azaz twice threatening an opener inside the first six minutes. First he sent a rising 25-yard drive over the bar, before Tom Fellows reached the byline and delivered a cross that was headed wide by the No 10.

Finn Azaz had two early chances for Saints

The visitors nearly profited from some hesitation by United keeper Cooper, who took too much time on the ball inside his own six-yard box and very nearly had his pocket picked by Stewart.

Saints committed a similar offence when Armstrong’s underhit pass invited Campbell to intercept, but Nathan Wood slowed the hosts down with two excellent tackles in quick succession before Armstrong made up for his error by reclaiming possession inside his own penalty area.

Another misplaced pass would pave the way for Sheffield United to edge in front after 27 minutes.

Saints had been warned moments earlier, when Callum O’Hare perhaps took too long in the box to set up Campbell, who was subsequently crowded out by yellow shirts in the box, but the striker would not have to wait long for another chance.

When Caspar Jander’s pass was intercepted by Japhet Tanganga just inside the United half, Wilder’s side broke at pace.

Gustavo Hamer fed Campbell early this time, allowing him to square up Joshua Quarshie and skip past the German on the outside before burying an unstoppable shot into the top corner from the right corner of the six-yard box.

Saints’ response was to force Cooper into his first save of the night, diving to his right to push away Stewart’s well-directed header from a Fellows cross.

Saints fans snapped up the full allocation of 2,773 tickets at Bramall Lane

Both sets of players were left unhappy with the referee 10 minutes before the interval when Ben Mee thundered into a tackle on Azaz – hard but fair in a bygone era, but referee Adam Herczeg penalised the defender with a free-kick, while Saints felt it was worthy of a card, with Campbell and Ryan Manning both talking their way into the book as a result.

Saints finished the half on top, with Jander chipping an inviting cross from the byline for Stewart to attack, sending Cooper sprawling to his left to make a crucial save on his goal line.

The two would renew acquaintances again in the last of three added minutes, as Stewart took a long ball from Manning in his stride and lured the keeper into a challenge that Herczeg saw as a penalty.

That gave Armstrong the chance to level the scores with virtually the last kick of the half, but the skipper tried to be too precise, missing the target as he eyed up the top corner as Cooper dived the wrong way, to his right, and was grateful to see the ball sail over.

Wilder, still incensed by the decision, was sent off for kicking a ball into the crowd in frustration.

Still, meanwhile, responded to the penalty miss with a double change at the interval, as recent recruits Azaz and Fellows were both replaced, with Jay Robinson and Ryan Fraser entering the fray.

But Saints might have been two down before the new arrivals had even touched the ball, as Shea Charles was immediately booked, before Hamer’s clever free-kick caught Saints unawares and Alex McCarthy had to make an outstanding save with his outstretched left arm to deny O’Hare.

But instead of being 2-0 down, Saints were back on level terms when Stewart pounced to score his first goal of the season.

Ross Stewart buries his first goal of the night to level the scores

Armstrong’s excellent header from Manning’s outswinging corner deserved a goal of its own, as Cooper could only stand and watch the ball drop on to his crossbar, but Stewart was quickest to react and tuck home the loose ball to score the second goal of his Saints career.

This was a much livelier second period, and United soon had the opportunity to retake the lead.

O’Hare slipped the ball into Campbell, who stepped inside on to his right foot but could not find the far corner, shooting wide from 12 yards with McCarthy beaten.

It was to prove a costly miss. Having come close to scoring from a corner moments earlier, Armstrong was left free again only to head over from a corner from the right this time.

But it was quickly forgotten when Stewart’s brilliance turned the game on its head. After laying the ball off for Robinson, the striker allowed the return to roll across his body before firing an explosive first-time shot from 25 yards that soared into Cooper’s top-right corner, sending the travelling fans into raptures behind the goal.

Stewart's second goal was a sumptuous strike from distance

The chaotic nature of the second half did calm down for a while thereafter, with both managers making double substitutions, including the introduction of Mads Roerslev and Flynn Downes in place of Manning and Armstrong, as Fraser switched from right wing-back to the left.

With seven minutes left, Wilder threw Danny Ings into the Blades attack, prompting a few boos from the away end – boos that turned to applause when Stewart was replaced by Cameron Archer.

But despite the home side’s desperation to avoid a fourth straight home defeat at the start of the new season, Saints were able to see the game out.

Alarm bells were ringing when Peck nodded in Hamer’s 90th minute cross from virtually on the goal line, but referee Herczeg came to Saints’ aid, ruling substitute Tom Cannon had impeded McCarthy.

When Ings won United a free-kick deep into stoppage time there would be one last chance, but Hamer clipped the top of the wall and Saints were able to take three points for the first time since the opening day victory over Wrexham.

Sheffield United: Cooper, Tanganga (c), McGuinness, Mee (Ings 83), Ogbene (Seriki 82), T. Davies (Matos 70), Peck, Burrows (McCallum 85), O’Hare, Hamer, Campbell (Cannon 71).

Unused substitutes: A. Davies, Bindon, Soumaré, Barry.

Goals: Campbell (27’).

Booked: Campbell, Tanganga.

Southampton: McCarthy, Edwards, Wood, Quarshie, Manning (Roerslev 75), Charles, Jander, Fellows (Fraser 46), Azaz (Robinson 46), Armstrong (c) (Downes 75), Stewart (Archer 85).

Unused substitutes: Bazunu, Harwood-Bellis, Jelert, Scienza.

Goals: Stewart (51’, 58’).

Booked: Manning, Charles, Armstrong, Wood.

Referee: Adam Herczeg.

Attendance: 27,053.