Russell Martin says Southampton’s new unbeaten club record will not carry as much importance if the Saints do not return to the Premier League.

Southampton broke a 103-year-old club record on Saturday by extending their unbeaten run to 21 games with a 3-1 victory at Martin’s old club Swansea.

Victory lifted the Saints into second place in the Sky Bet Championship, above Ipswich on goal difference.

“It is a nice moment,” Martin said after his side completed Southampton’s best unbeaten run in all competitions since joining the Football League in 1920, eclipsing the 20 games undefeated achieved the following year.

“I’m really grateful to the players for what they’ve done, the courage they’ve shown. I’m immensely proud.

“The way they did it in the first half, one of the best performances I’ve ever been involved in as coach.

“It’s taken a lot of hard work and they’ve really stepped up. They’ve written themselves in to the history books – and let’s keep it going.

“It will have more significance, importance and standing if we achieve what we want at the end of the season, otherwise it will be just something we’ve achieved together.”

First-half goals from Che Adams, Will Smallbone and Flynn Downes – his first for Saints coming on his 25th birthday and against his former club – put Southampton in control.

However, Saints had to withstand late home pressure as Swansea twice hit the post and Gavin Bazunu made a couple of useful saves.

“We didn’t mix the game up in the last 20 minutes and played with no real purpose,” said Martin.

“We were relentless in the first half and I was disappointed the way we conceded at the end of that half.

“It was handball and offside but we had one offside (goal), so it is what it is.

“It took us a little bit longer to get the wheels in motion. Those two clubs (Leicester and Ipswich) had the two best starts in Championship history, so the fact we are now there and in the fight, in the mix, and hunting them both down, is a real credit to the players.”

Martin was given a warm welcome by Swansea fans on his return to the club he managed for two years and left last June.

Relations between Martin and the Swansea hierarchy had soured after the club had a dismal January transfer window.

“I felt sick this morning and couldn’t eat any breakfast,” said Martin.

“But it was really nice to come back and I enjoyed it more because of our performance and the fact we won.

“Seeing all the backroom staff and lots of people who meant a lot to us – and who we have a lot of love and affection for – was special.”

For Swansea boss Luke Williams, it was a first defeat in charge following an FA Cup victory over Morecambe and a Championship draw at Birmingham.

Jamie Paterson made it 2-1 just before half-time with a close-range header, and Swansea finally shook off the shackles to set up a grandstand finish that almost brought surprise reward.

“First half we were too deep, far too deep,” said Williams, Martin’s former assistant at both MK Dons and Swansea.

“Southampton could push the ball around, take their time and wait for the space and they did that brilliantly.

“Second half, the difference is we play higher up the pitch and we were able to create chances.”

Former Notts County boss Williams was appointed after Martin’s successor Michael Duff lasted less than five months in the job.

He said: “If it was something that was a really quick fix, everyone would be doing it. it’s not going to be that easy.

“I need to try to get the message across to the players in a clinical way because we are not blessed with time at the moment.”

Southampton broke a 103-year-old club record by going 21 games unbeaten as Russell Martin celebrated his return to Swansea with a 3-1 success.

Che Adams, Will Smallbone and birthday boy Flynn Downes scored first-half goals as the Saints secured a Sky Bet Championship victory that should have been by a far greater margin.

Jamie Paterson gave Swansea brief hope in cutting the deficit to 2-1, but this was a sobering defeat for the hosts – their first in four games since losing at Southampton on Boxing Day.

Southampton have now eclipsed their best unbeaten run in all competitions since joining the Football League in 1920, the Saints going 20 games without defeat the following year.

A sixth win in seven league games moves Southampton into second place, above Ipswich on goal difference before they meet Championship leaders Leicester on Monday.

Martin was given a warm welcome by Swansea fans on his return to the club he managed for two years and left last June.

Luke Williams, who worked as Martin’s assistant at MK Dons and Swansea, was in charge in the home dugout for the first time in the league.

Williams had started his reign with an FA Cup victory over Morecambe and a Championship draw at Birmingham, but this was a far tougher proposition against visitors unbeaten since September 23.

Southampton thrashed Swansea 5-0 at St Mary’s and could have matched that total inside the opening half-hour.

Adams volleyed an inviting opportunity wide before Carl Rushworth pushed Stuart Armstrong’s sixth-minute shot into the Scotland striker’s path for his ninth goal of the season.

Rushworth was the busiest man in Swansea, with several stops including a fantastic double save to deny Ryan Fraser and Adam Armstrong.

Swansea’s defence was breached again after 20 minutes, although there was more than a hint of offside about it.

Stuart Armstrong seemed well beyond the last home defender, but he was allowed to continue and his cross was converted by Smallbone from inside the six-yard box.

Josh Tymon had Swansea’s first effort, looping over from 20 yards, but Rushworth kept them in the contest by kicking away Adam Armstrong’s angled attempt at a post.

Southampton’s share of possession was over 80 per cent at times, but Swansea scored out of nowhere four minutes before the break.

Harrison Ashby’s cross ended in a collision between Saints goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu and Jamal Lowe.

The Swansea striker had possibly been offside, but the ball ran kindly to Liam Cullen and his centre was nodded home by Paterson.

Southampton restored their two-goal advantage on the stroke of half-time as former Swansea midfielder Downes fired home from 20 yards with the aid of a deflection.

Downes was celebrating his 25th birthday, but did not salute his first Saints goal out of respect for his former club.

The second period was a far quieter affair until Paterson struck the Saints woodwork twice in as many minutes.

Bazunu also thwarted substitute Yannick Bolasie from close range as Swansea finished strongly, but without success.

Sheffield United’s loan swoop for Mason Holgate has collapsed after Everton’s last-minute demand for a bigger fee.

The Toffees wanted the Blades to pay £250,000 after it was agreed the defender’s loan at Southampton would be cancelled and he would move to Bramall Lane, the PA news agency understands.

United had also agreed to cover a portion of the 27-year-old’s wages but fourth-bottom Everton wanted a late payment as the Blades are Premier League relegation rivals.

It saw the deal fall through – despite Holgate travelling to Yorkshire for a medical – and it remains to be seen if the move can be resurrected.

He remains at St Mary’s, although Southampton are open to cancelling his loan this month.

Holgate has only made six appearances for the Saints this season and has not featured in the Sky Bet Championship since October, with Russell Martin’s side on a record-equalling 20-game unbeaten run in all competitions.

Blades boss Chris Wilder revealed his frustrations at failing to make any further additions before they host West Ham on Sunday.

They have only signed Ben Brereton Diaz on loan from Villarreal in their battle against relegation, with the club bottom on just nine points.

Wilder says he would not have asked his board for reinforcements if he thought there was no chance of avoiding the drop.

“Hopefully a couple more before the window shuts will make us stronger,” Wilder said. “We will be in a better place when the window shuts.

“We are quite frustrated because we felt we could have got them in for the weekend, the deadline was 12pm today but we have worked very hard in identifying a couple of potential signings coming in before next week.

“I always knew it wasn’t going to be a huge window in terms of big numbers coming in. Two or three was the targeted number and I believe we will reach the targets.

“I wouldn’t have asked the club to make those decisions if I didn’t think there was any fight left in us.

“There is definitely a huge fight left in myself and I have seen that in the players. If I didn’t think that I would say to the board, ‘Keep your powder dry and we’ll plan for another season in a different division’.

“That might still happen but it won’t be through a lack of fight and commitment.”

Blades skipper Anel Ahmedhodzic has been linked with a move to Napoli, but Wilder says there has been no bid.

“I have spoken to Anel about it, he is a grounded individual and he loves playing for Sheffield United,” he said. “I don’t think speculation is a bad thing.

“You’d rather be talked about than not talked about. It is speculation, I have not been told from above that there is a potential deal in the offing, it is noise.”

Russell Martin has urged his Southampton players to “make history” after equalling their best English Football League unbeaten run by thrashing Sheffield Wednesday 4-0.

Adam Armstrong scored and set up Che Adams, Ryan Fraser and Sekou Mara to mark Saints’ 19th league game without defeat. They moved into the automatic places for the first time since the opening day of the season, ahead of Ipswich’s evening kick-off.

The unbeaten run is only bettered in the club’s history by a 24-match spell in 1896 and 1897.

Martin said: “We are on an unbeaten run where I’m immensely proud of the players. It is incredible what they have achieved and we have to keep it going as long as possible.

“We have never gone ‘we need to chase Leicester and Ipswich’. We are concentrating on ourselves and we’ll see where it takes us.

“It has never been a conscious focus for us but I want them to go and make some history next week.

“I want them to be remembered for that. I want them to do it and it has been an incredible achievement.

“I told them that the biggest incentive was finishing the game in second, for how long who knows. But it is a reward for the hard work they have put in and we are really in the race and the hunt now.

“For the players to put themselves in that position of 20 games unbeaten in all competitions is amazing.

“The way they have done it has shown they are growing. It has been a pleasure to watch but it is now our job to keep them hungry.

“If they do it then we will be in with a really good chance of achieving what we wanted to achieve.”

Adams opened the scoring after collecting an Armstrong cross before rounding a defender and lashing into the bottom corner.

Armstrong got his goal on the counter after Stuart Armstrong fed him before the former Blackburn man brilliantly provided for Fraser and Mara to make it nine straight home victories at St Mary’s.

Martin said of Armstrong: “If he carries on going I will be happy either way.

“He’s been so good and probably playing in a position he doesn’t really want to play. He wants to be the number nine in the team but he’s playing a role he is playing so well in.

“The goals and the assists are what strikers get judged on but there is so much more to it than that with Adam.”

Wednesday boss Danny Rohl was previously an assistant at Saints and is crossing his fingers for his former employers in their automatic promotion hunt.

Rohl said: “It is a big challenge at the top of the table but when you see what they are doing they are a good team.

“Because of my past I cross my fingers for Southampton but it won’t be easy. If they do a job like today then they’ll stand a good chance.”

He added: “That was hard. Southampton played well. It was a game we had to perform well and make no mistakes.

“Everyone was convinced we could have taken something. It is different to three months ago when we came to games and thought there wasn’t a chance. We had the confidence to try something.

“This team is a different league to us. For us it is about staying in the league and for them it is the Premier League.

“All in all it was a deserved victory for Southampton.”

Adam Armstrong produced an attacking masterclass as Southampton dispatched Sheffield Wednesday 4-0 to equal their longest English Football League unbeaten record.

Top scorer Armstrong scored one and set up Che Adams, Ryan Fraser and Sekou Mara as Saints leapt into the top two for the first time since the opening day and closed the gap to table-toppers Leicester to 10 points.

Saints are now unbeaten in 19 league games and 20 in all competitions, which is their best run since becoming a Football League club in 1920.

The club’s all-time record, the only better than the current run, of 24 in 1896 and 1897 came when they were known as Southampton St Mary’s and had yet to move to the Dell.

The hosts would enjoy the better of the first half but the first two minutes belonged to Wednesday.

First, Saints keeper Gavin Bazunu took a heavy touch and was mugged by Josh Windass, but the attacker could not squeeze in.

From the corner, Michael Ihiekwe headed wide – but the visitors would not have another first-half shot as Saints monopolised the possession.

Centre-back Ihiekwe had to think fast to run back onto his own goal line after Fraser had volleyed into the ground and over goalkeeper Cameron Dawson.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis headed a corner over but otherwise, it was a test in patience until Adams opened the scoring in the 35th minute.

Adams, who is out of contract in the summer and has been linked with a Premier League move this month, latched onto an Armstrong cross via a Bambo Diaby error, beat a defender and lashed into the bottom corner.

It was the Scotland international’s eighth goal of the season, and Armstrong’s 10th assist.

Wednesday brought on Ashley Fletcher and Will Vaulks at the break and rallied when the former pinged a low effort towards the bottom corner, with Bazunu flinging himself to his right to save.

In the 63rd minute, Saints gave themselves daylight with a smart counter which saw Adams nick the ball off Diaby and slot through to Stuart Armstrong. He found Adam Armstrong in acres of space to notch for the 14th time this campaign.

Bazunu battered away a Windass free-kick before Di’Shon Bernard cleared Adam Armstrong’s attempt off the line as the game became open.

Fraser continued from the two goals he scored against Walsall in the FA Cup by adding a third in the 75th minute.

The Newcastle loanee steered in but Adam Armstrong’s burst, stepovers and vision to pick out Fraser across the box was the catalyst for the goal.

Armstrong was at it again with five minutes to go when he squared for substitute Mara to tap in to make it nine straight St Mary’s wins.

Manager Russell Martin admitted Ryan Fraser has done everything possible to start for Southampton after his sensational performance in the 4-0 FA Cup home win over Walsall.

Fraser scored twice and set up another as Saints strolled into the fourth round and moved to a 19th game unbeaten in all competitions.

The Scotland international has been forced to wait for his chances after arriving on loan from Newcastle but with injuries to Kamaldeen Sulemana and Samuel Edozie, he got Martin’s attention at the right time.

Martin said: “He was really good, really brilliant. He has such an amazing attitude and is a good example for the young boys.

“He’s been great coming off the bench recently, now Sam Edozie’s got an injury so Ryan has put himself in the frame to play from the start.

“As long as he brings what he does all the time then he will be a big player of us.

“He maybe hasn’t started as many games as people may have thought or what he’d like but he’s been a huge player for us.

“He’s been frustrated but in the right way. We wouldn’t have signed him if he was a bad character. He is the Ryan I remember playing with.

“He’s a good guy who smiles a lot and knows everything about football, watches every game possible and is in such great shape.

“We had a chat and he understood his role, especially as the other guys have been brilliant. He said he’d do everything he could whilst in that role.

“Of course he wants to start games but now he’s accepted it and has shown what he can do when he’s come off the bench. Days like today will definitely help him.”

Fraser opened the scoring in the sixth minute when he cottoned onto Taylor Harwood-Bellis’ ball over the top.

Championship promotion hunters Saints had to wait until the second half to run riot as Fraser teed up Sekou Mara to swivel and finish.

Fraser then added his second with a sublime finish into the bottom corner before Che Adams showed his strength and finishing abilities to help Saints score four at home for the third time in their last four matches.

The Saddlers had three good chances of their own, with Tom Knowles twice going close and Isaac Hutchinson also forcing a save out of Joe Lumley.

Boss Mat Sadler said: “We were certainly in the game in the first 15 minutes of the second half.

“They are a fantastic team and I’m glad we don’t have to play them every week. We’ve seen Championship sides blown away by them so we were fully aware of the task at hand.

“I wanted my team to give a good account of themselves and they did. I wouldn’t have fancied a replay, though.

“We grew into the game and it was fantastic to see but we didn’t score when we needed to score.

“We had three really good chances and unfortunately we didn’t take any of those.

“We are such a united football club at the moment and that will be hugely powerful going into the next part of the season.

“We wanted to upset it and ideally we didn’t want to go behind so early in the game but the reaction to that was great.”

Ryan Fraser had a hand in three goals as Southampton swatted aside League Two Walsall in the FA Cup with a professional 4-0 victory.

Winger Fraser produced two fine finishes and set up Sekou Mara as Saints eased to a 19th match unbeaten – one off a club record 20 games without a loss in all competitions.

Che Adams jumped off the bench to slide in a fourth to confirm Southampton’s progress to the fourth round and avoid a copy of last year’s exit to fourth-tier opposition.

Saints grabbed the lead in the sixth minute through Fraser and it felt like Walsall were in for a battering.

Newcastle loanee Fraser’s run off the left flank was spotted by centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis and the former Bournemouth man fired in.

Mara headed a free header over from teenage debutant Jayden Meghoma’s cross before Carlos Alcaraz and Sam Amo-Ameyaw tried their luck from range without accuracy.

The barrage on the Saddlers’ goal continued as French striker Mara blazed over from six yards when presented with an open goal.

But Walsall weathered that storm and found chances of their own.

Tom Knowles out-thought Meghoma before lashing wide and Isaac Hutchinson tested Joe Lumley from the edge of the area, although a pass to Douglas James-Taylor on the overlap might have been a better option.

Will Smallbone should have hit the target when teed up by Fraser while Walsall keeper Jackson Smith recovered just before Mara tapped in after he had parried Alcaraz’s piledriver.

The Saddlers came out for the second half with renewed confidence having kept their Championship promotion rivals to just one and twice caught out the lackadaisical hosts.

Knowles picked up Mason Holgate’s wayward throw-in but he smashed over on the angle before Holgate’s loose pass was nicked by Jack Earing but he curled a one-on-one wide.

They were made to rue those misses when Mara made it 2-0 to calm any fears of last season’s exit to Grimsby.

The France Under-21 international swivelled and found the roof of the net after fine wing play from Fraser in the 58th minute for his fourth goal since arriving at the beginning of last season.

Fraser killed off any chance of an upset in the 68th minute when he brilliantly slotted into the bottom corner after being slid through by Alcaraz.

James-Taylor arrowed a shot towards the bottom corner but Lumley prevented the start of a comeback before Adams made it four.

The striker showed strength after being laid on by Alcaraz before displaying his finishing ability to slot past Smith.

Fraser almost completed a hat-trick in stoppage time but Smith blocked his drilled shot.

Russell Martin was left to reflect on what might have been as his Southampton side had to be content with a 1-1 draw in their Championship clash against Norwich at Carrow Road.

The point stretched the Saints’ unbeaten run to 18 matches but with 75 per cent of possession, they were left frustrated after the match as Canaries substitute Josh Sargent’s late goal ensured honours ended even.

“I am really proud of our performance today, even though we have only taken a point,” said Saints boss Martin. “We should certainly have won the game, I don’t think anyone would argue with that. I thought we played really well, there was a good flow to our play. I certainly enjoyed watching my team out there.

“We controlled the game, we played it around really well and I thought our goal was a really good move. We created other good chances and it was frustrating that we didn’t make the most of them. When we did get some on target, Angus Gunn make some good saves.

“I was surprised with the way Norwich set up if I am being honest. This is as quiet as I have known this place and I have played plenty of games here so feel frustrated, but at the same time very proud of the players.”

Martin is sweating on the fitness of Samuel Edozie, who was substituted midway through the first half after being caught late by Jack Stacey.

“That was a naughty challenge, a red card challenge in my opinion,” he said. “If we had had VAR here I think he would have gone, but having said that you never really know with VAR, do you?”

Southampton dominated the match for long periods but had to wait until the 70th minute to get their noses in front.

The excellent Kyle Walker-Peters was the architect as he made it to the byline before delivering a low cross which deflected off Grant Hanley into the path of Adam Armstrong, who had the simple task of volleying home from close range.

The goal was no more than the Saints deserved and they looked well set to take all three points – but Norwich had other ideas and got themselves back on level terms from a rare attack eight minutes later.

A fine move through the middle involving Gabriel Sara and Jon Rowe ended with Sargent slipping the ball past Gavin Bazunu.

It was a sweet moment for the American, who had only been on the pitch for 12 minutes and was playing at Carrow Road for the first time since picking up a nasty ankle injury in August.

“It gives everyone here a big boost to see Josh back on the pitch, he’s a top quality player and a good character too,” said Norwich head coach David Wagner. “He hasn’t had much training but he was ready to come on and showed his quality with a good run and an excellent finish.

“I think it was a solid point for us, a deserved point. I thought it was an excellent defensive performance and we also threatened in transitions.

“We decided to go into this game with a 5-4-1 formation because we thought that was the right approach given the quality of the opposition and the form they have been in.

“We knew that would mean less possession for us but we have taken a point from the game and could even have taken all three, so in the end it was a good decision.”

Southampton extended their unbeaten run to 18 matches as they drew 1-1 with Norwich in the Championship at Carrow Road.

The Saints dominated the game for long periods and looked to be heading for all three points when Adam Armstrong converted from close range midway through the second half.

But Norwich kept battling away and earned themselves a share of the spoils in the 78th minute as fit-again substitute Josh Sargent finished off a slick move to register his first goal for the Canaries since picking up a serious injury in August.

The pattern of the game was established in the opening period, with Southampton dominating possession and Norwich keeping them largely at arm’s length, whilst relying on the occasional breakaway to pose a threat.

The end result was a half of few clear-cut chances at either end, with both keepers largely untroubled.

The Saints came closest to breaking the deadlock two minutes before the break when Jack Stephens hit the woodwork after being set up by a delightful touch inside the box from Armstrong.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis had sent a free header straight at Angus Gunn for the visitors, who were hampered by the loss of Samuel Edozie midway through the half following a poor challenge from Jack Stacey.

Norwich looked a threat on the rare occasions they had the ball in the Southampton half and thought they had scored on 20 minutes when Sam McCallum volleyed home a Stacey cross, but the flag had already gone up for a tight offside decision.

Half-time substitute Che Adams was only narrowly off target with an audacious 45-yard lob as the Saints continued where they left off after the break, with Joe Aribo then sending a back-post header flashing past the upright.

Creating clear-cut chances was once again an issue for the dominant Saints however, and it must have come as relief as much as anything else when they finally got the goal they deserved on 70 minutes.

The dangerous Kyle Walker-Peters did the damage as he burst into the box from the left and got to the byline before sending in a low cross that flicked off Grant Hanley for Armstrong to volley home from close range.

Norwich looked down and out at that stage but they finally put together a decent move of their own with 12 minutes remaining to get back on level terms.

Gabriel Sara and Jon Rowe were both involved as the Canaries worked the ball neatly through the middle to give substitute Sargent the chance to roll the ball past the advancing Gavin Bazunu from just inside the box.

Adams headed a Ryan Fraser cross over in injury-time and Armstrong was denied by a good stop by Gunn as Southampton sought to restore their lead but Russell Martin’s side had to settle for a point.

Russell Martin hopes Prime Minister Rishi Sunak enjoyed the show his Southampton side put on as they beat Plymouth 2-1.

Saints fan Sunak celebrated from the stands as Carlos Alcaraz and Che Adams helped the south coast side go a 17th match unbeaten to bolster their automatic promotion credentials.

Martin, who has been a member of the Green Party, said: “I hope he enjoyed himself just like anyone who comes here I hope they enjoy themselves.

“I have no interest because I’m a football manager. I’m not sure we’re aligned on too much politically but I know he’s a fan and I hope he enjoyed watching the team.

“I’m some people would be excited about him being here but we had a job to do and we were here to win a football match and we did.”

After dominating the first half which had seen Taylor Harwood-Bellis strike a post, Alcaraz curled Saints into the lead for his fourth goal of the season.

Striker Adams then capitalised on a stunning through pass from Harwood-Bellis to double the lead and keep the pressure on top two Ipswich and Leicester.

But a crazy finale, in which Ryan Hardie pegged one back after pinching the ball off goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, took the shine off the seventh straight home win.

“The last few minutes were mental,” said Martin. “We took our foot off the gas and it is frustrating.

“They’ll feel really aggrieved by the decision and it was so touch but it wouldn’t have been deserved. It was attack versus defence for so long. We should have scored before we did.

“It is a big learning curve for the lads as they should have had a clean sheet.”

Seconds before Alcaraz’s opener, Plymouth had the ball in the net after Bali Mumba had headed in on for the offside flag to go up.

Replays showed it was the incorrect decision, and Argyle’s caretaker boss Neil Dewsnip was left bereft by the call which left the Pilgrims without an away win this season.

Director of football Dewsnip, who is in the process of finding Steven Schumacher’s replacement, said: “I thought Southampton were excellent and were conscious the last two teams who came here lost by four and five.

“We had a few scary moments in the first half but a few moments where if we had a bit more quality we could have put them to the sword.

“I’m devastated for the players. I’m really disappointed about the decision. We don’t seem to get the rub of the green.

“In a world of VAR where they put the lines across the pitch, there was a line across the pitch called the six-yard box and it indicates our player was quite clearly on side.

“I don’t think (I’ll go and see the officials), I think that would just tease us.

“That’s the really annoying bit. People make mistakes but the next bit is really disappointing. They take a quick free-kick. Three of our players are celebrating a goal, should have allowed them to get goal side.

“They didn’t need to prove to me or the Green Army their resilience. We got a bit of a lucky goal but we kept going.

“We have to ask our official friends to be a bit kinder across the season.”

Che Adams and Carlos Alcaraz netted as Southampton continued their assault on the Sky Bet Championship automatic places by beating Plymouth 2-1 at St Mary’s.

Alcaraz’s and Adams’ second-half strikes were also given an official seal of approval as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – a Southampton fan – celebrated them from the stands.

Ryan Hardie pulled one back in stoppage time but Saints are now on a 17-league match unbeaten run – two off their 102-year club record – and have scored 12 goals in their last four fixtures to turn up the pressure on Ipswich and Leicester.

The first half was summed up by Southampton having 81 per cent of possession but not legally finding the back of the net.

Striker Adams did roll the ball past Conor Hazard and into the goal in the fifth minute only to see the offside flag raised.

And then Adam Armstrong had the net rippling as he took aim from inside the centre circle but the ball landed on the roof of the goal with a scrambling Hazard beaten.

Saints continued to push. Kyle Walker-Peters twisted and turned in the box but his shot was weak, Alcaraz swivelled on the edge of the area but struck wide and Ryan Manning dragged wide.

They even hit a post as Manchester City loanee Taylor Harwood-Bellis glanced a header from a corner onto the upright.

Argyle had little attacking threat, but Morgan Whittaker was chased down by Samuel Edozie when clean through and their only shot of note saw Ben Waine slice high over the goal.

The visitors thought they had scored 10 minutes into the second period but Bali Mumba was offside before nodding in – moments later Alcaraz had opened the scoring for real and they stared down the barrel of continuing their 100 per cent winless away record.

The Argentinian had already gone close twice since the restart before receiving the ball from Edozie just outside the area before curling sumptuously into the top corner for his fourth goal of the season.

The goal opened the visitors up and after Will Smallbone had glanced a header wide, Adams made it two with some fine strength.

Harwood-Bellis spotted his run and unleashed him with a perfectly clipped ball down the middle, which allowed Adams to hold off his defender and finish past Hazard.

Joe Aribo crashed just wide, Adam Armstrong forced a save out of Hazard while Sekou Mara and Jack Stephens were both blocked on the line.

The Pilgrims did score the first away goal at St Mary’s since November 11 when keeper Gavin Bazunu had the ball pinched off him on his own goalline by Hardie – who tapped in.

Ryan Fraser squandered a one-on-one and Whittaker curled over in a breathless finale but Saints made it seven home victories on the spin.

Southampton manager Russell Martin admitted he took no joy in thrashing old club Swansea 5-0.

Martin took charge of the Swans for two seasons before leaving to join Saints last summer – where he has now overseen a 16-match unbeaten run and seen his side close in on the Championship automatic-promotion places.

The former MK Dons boss, who was making his first reunion with the Swans, did a lap of honour after the match and was applauded by both sets of fans.

“I don’t take any more joy out of beating them,” said Martin.

“That reception from the Swansea fans made me really emotional, it was really incredible and I hope the Southampton fans understand why I applaud them.

“I love some of their players on the pitch. My feeling towards the people who run the football club, who are not in Wales, is completely detached from the feeling I have for the people in Wales.

“I didn’t know what I was expecting, they could have booed, I hoped not but we left.

“I really buy into clubs and so does my family – my son wanted a Jan Bednarek signed shirt for Christmas and he wore it all day, it is down to his ankles.

“We are loving our time here but we also loved our time at Swansea.”

Saints took the lead in the 17th minute when Joe Aribo slotted in for the first time since October 2022.

Samuel Edozie capitalised on goalkeeper Carl Rushworth’s air-kick to back-heel his fifth goal of the season before Ryan Fraser came off the bench to emphatically finish twice, and Che Adams added a fifth.

The performance was a reward for Martin giving his players Christmas Day off.

He said: “I gave the players Christmas Day off because they are human-beings.

“If I’m going to preach to them about how important family is and being able to separate reality from this then to say they have to come in on Christmas Day is unfair.

“It would only have been the right thing if we won, if we lost then it would be the reason why we lost. They really repaid me today.”

Swansea interim boss Alan Sheehan is holding talks over his future later on Saturday.

The Irishman said: “I will be speaking to the owners after the game. Right now, I have to debrief that game.

“I understand everyone wants clarity but I can only get the team prepared.”

Swansea only had one shot on target.

Sheehan added: “We came here with the intention of going toe to toe with one of the best teams in the league.

“For large periods of the game we were massively in the game but the second goal kills us – it was a sucker-punch.

“I didn’t like a lot of the second half to be honest, it was unacceptable. We gifted them goals at times and made it hard for ourselves.

“It was unacceptable but I’ll take responsibility. We want to be brave but we caused ourselves problems at times.”

Russell Martin saw promotion-chasing Southampton equal a 102-year record with a 5-0 victory over his former club Swansea.

Ryan Fraser netted a brace while Joe Aribo, Samuel Edozie and Che Adams also struck to help Saints extend their unbeaten run to 16 matches, their longest stretch without a league defeat since the 1921/22 season.

Southampton, who were watched by owner Dragan Solak ahead of the January transfer window, moved up to third and are only four points adrift of the Championship automatic-promotion places.

It would have been bittersweet for Martin, who managed the Swans in 99 fixtures before switching to Saints last summer.

Swansea had started strongly. Jerry Yates met a Ben Cabango pass from a deep free-kick but fired high and wide on the slide in the second minute.

Then Bashir Humphreys found Jamal Lowe in acres of space at the back post but his attempted side-footed strike ballooned off target.

They were quickly made to pay for their lack of killer instinct as Aribo opened the scoring in the 17th minute, his first goal for 451 days, when he netted against Everton in the Premier League.

Edozie had smartly jinxed his way to the by-line before cutting back to Stuart Armstrong. The midfielder’s shot was blocked but it fell to the Nigeria international who fired in via the post.

Swansea are a rare Championship side Adam Armstrong has failed to score against, and he had two good first-half chances to remedy that.

Firstly, his effort was too tame and central to beat Carl Rushworth after a Kyle Walker-Peters pull back, before properly testing the keeper with a left-footed strike destined for the bottom corner.

Saints consolidated their lead three minutes into the second half but were indebted to a rush of blood from Rushworth to give Edozie a tap-in.

The Brighton loanee swung wildly at Nathan Wood’s back pass, missed and winger Edozie was free to back heel in for goals in back-to-back home matches.

The goal was met with chants of “get out of our club” by Swansea fans as they continued to make their displeasure at their American owners known.

Substitute Fraser made sure of the Saints victory when he curled into the top corner after Adam Armstrong had quickly turned over the ball and played it to the Scot.

Sekou Mara was a toe from sliding in a fourth before Rushworth had to bat away Walker-Peters’ near-post blast.

Fraser crashed into the roof of the net after Mara had played him in and Adams powered in after a Fraser cross to make it four and five – with 310 minutes elapsing since Saints last conceded a goal.

Southampton boss Russell Martin applauded Shea Charles for a “good foul” after the midfielder was sent off towards the end of a 1-0 win at QPR.

With the Saints under pressure, midfielder Charles, on as a second-half substitute, halted a Rangers attack in the 89th minute by bringing down Albert Adomah.

It led to Shea being dismissed for a second yellow card and meant the visitors saw out the final stages with 10 men before securing a valuable three points in the race for promotion.

Martin said: “Shea took one for the team, which is unfortunate for him but was a big moment because such a strength of theirs is on the counter-attack.

“(I’ll criticise) if you get sent off for something stupid – dissent or a wild tackle and all that stuff.

“If you’re on a yellow card and one of their biggest threats is the counter-attack, I think it’s a good foul. There are good fouls in the game and that was one.

“Now he misses a game, but I’m never going to criticise someone for taking one for the team.”

A Taylor Harwood-Bellis header three minutes before half-time was enough to clinch victory for Martin’s side, who are fourth in the Sky Bet Championship and now unbeaten in 15 matches – Southampton’s longest unbeaten run since 1950.

The Saints took their chance to close the gap on second-placed Ipswich, who were thrashed 4-0 by fellow promotion challengers Leeds earlier in the day.

“We had an opportunity to make up some points today and thankfully we took it,” said Martin.

“We limited them to very little in terms of big chances. We defended the box brilliantly. On the whole I’m really delighted.

“We were OK in the first half – a little bit of a lack of energy compared to recent weeks – and in the second half I thought we were great.”

QPR boss Marti Cifuentes insisted he took encouragement from his team’s display despite the loss.

Rangers remain third from bottom and have suffered back-to-back defeats, having recently won three matches in a row under the recently-appointed Spaniard.

“I’m disappointed because of the result. We want to win matches and today we were not good enough to do it,” said Cifuentes.

“At the same time, I can feel proud and encouraged about what’s coming because I saw a team that produced a good performance and tried to play positive, attacking football against one of the best sides in the league.

“We made things very difficult for Southampton. We had a good period in the first half and then unfortunately we conceded a goal from a set-piece.

“At half-time we spoke about putting a lot of pressure on them and I think the guys did that excellently.

“Perhaps we lack this clinical part in the last third, because we got in a lot of situations but should have produced more.

“Overall a very positive performance, but when you lose games you can never be satisfied.

“Now it’s time to look forward. I think if we play at the level we did today then we can collect a lot of points.

“I feel quite calm and the most important thing is that the team keeps progressing and improving.”

A Taylor Harwood-Bellis header gave Southampton a 1-0 victory at QPR to make it 15 matches without defeat – the Saints’ longest unbeaten run since 1950.

The visitors ended the match with 10 men following the 89th-minute sending-off of Shea Charles, but they held on.

Southampton’s fine run has included 10 wins and Russell Martin’s side, fourth in the Sky Bet Championship, remain very much in the race for automatic promotion.

Rangers, meanwhile, have suffered back-to-back defeats and remain third from bottom, having previously won three matches in a row under recently-appointed boss Marti Cifuentes.

The R’s have improved since the Spaniard took over and were on the front foot for much of the first half, with the outstanding Ilias Chair their main threat.

Chair almost embarrassed goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu with an audacious attempt from near the halfway line which drifted just over.

The Rangers forward also dispossessed Will Smallbone to set up Elijah Dixon-Bonner, who shot over, and then set up Andre Dozzell, whose shot was deflected over by Flynn Downes.

Chair worried Southampton again when he tricked his way past James Bree before seeing his low strike saved by Bazunu.

Bree was given a torrid time by Chair and was not helped by sustaining what looked like a hamstring injury early on.

He was replaced just after the half-hour mark by former QPR man Ryan Manning, who made an immediate impact, posing a threat on the left-hand side and delivering a free-kick from the opposite flank which led to the goal three minutes before half-time.

Manning swung the ball in and Harwood-Bellis got away from right-back Reggie Cannon to head Adam Armstrong’s flick-on past keeper Asmir Begovic.

It knocked the stuffing out of Rangers, who tried hard to conjure an equaliser in the second half but struggled to create openings.

Chair remained a handful but fellow playmaker Chris Willock failed to make an impact, sending one effort well over before going off after suffering an injury – a potential concern for Cifuentes ahead of some crucial matches over the festive period.

The Saints were always dangerous on the counter-attack and Begovic prevented a second goal by producing a fine save to deny Stuart Armstrong.

Charles, on as a second-half substitute, was dismissed for a second yellow card following a foul on Albert Adomah.

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