Southampton beat Wednesday in morale boosting win

Southampton beat the Owls to win at St Mary's for only the second time in the league this season

Southampton beat Sheffield Wednesday to win consecutive league games during the regular season for the first time since April 2024.

Saints backed up their midweek win against QPR which means that interim boss Tonda Eckert has now won both of his matches in charge after Will Still was sacked last week.

Southampton took an early lead through Caspar Jander, with Owls keeper Ethan Horvath unable to keep out his deflected effort.

Minutes later Saints doubled their lead as Finn Azaz fired home across the keeper to make it 2-0.

Harry Amass then got one back for the visitors with a driven effort from range that made it past Gavin Bazunu in Southampton's goal but Adam Armstrong then extended the home advantage early in the second half with a cute finish using the outside of his right boot.

Southampton move up two places to 17th in the table while the Owls remain bottom of the division having only won once in the league all season.

Saints took the lead just before the 10 minute mark as Jander received the ball in the box and slid to try and poke it towards goal, but his effort jumped up in the air as he was challenged.

Owls keeper Horvath then failed to gather the ball and ended up knocking it into his own net and the referee indicated that it had crossed the line.

Minutes later Saints doubled their advantage as Tom Fellows played a ball into the box for Azaz who then fired low for his first Southampton goal.

But Sheffield Wednesday then struck back as Amass drove through the middle and with his left foot hit a driven shot past Bazunu and into the far right corner of the net.

Bailey Cadamarteri nearly found an equaliser after the half hour mark when he took the ball centrally in the box but his sliding shot was well saved by Bazunu.

Saints should have added to their lead as Fellows then Azaz had shots from close range but Wednesday's Sean Fusire made a brilliant block on the goal-line to keep the latter out.

Southampton had the perfect start to the second half as Armstrong was played through on goal by Taylor Harwood-Bellis down the right.

The forward then cut in from right to left before smoothly finessing the ball into the bottom right corner with the outside of his boot.

Despite another defeat, the Sheffield Wednesday fans were in fine voice throughout the game and towards the end of the game were chanting "we've got our Wednesday back".

It has now been just over two weeks since the troubled club were placed in administration.

A 'pleasing week' for Saints - Eckert

Southampton interim boss Tonda Eckert said:

"It has been really pleasing week for us.

"There were some moments of the game we could have been better, especially in getting over the line.

"But I just told the boys in the room to not underestimate what we have done this week, I have to compliment the players for the resilience they have shown in the last two games.

"I have enjoyed every single day so far here with the football club, it meant a lot to walk out with the team today, there was a lot of humility and dignity for me - it was a special moment."

Sheffield Wednesday boss Henrik Pedersen told BBC Radio Sheffield:

"It's not good enough [the manner of the goals].

"In the last games the opponents really work hard to create chances and especially to make goals against us, but today we didn't give much away.

"But the three goals - the first one is a clear and the second one we are five against two and the third one is a very well-organised press, so it was not because they played through us and we were poorly organised.

"Maybe we missed a few percentages today to have the last small things that decide the game in the two boxes, because between the two boxes we played a strong game today."