Southampton 3-2 Watford: Saints score extra-time winner to sink Hornets

Flynn Downes’ goal in the final seconds gave Southampton a dramatic victory over Watford and kept them in with a chance of automatic promotion.

Ryan Porteous’ deflected strike reduced the deficit and Ismael Kone’s late equaliser appeared to have rescued a point for the Hornets.

But Downes netted in the ninth minute of stoppage time, leaving the fourth-placed Saints seven points behind second-placed Leicester but with a game in hand, and having played two fewer matches than third-placed Leeds.

Russell Martin’s side were helped by some woeful Watford defending in the opening 20 minutes. Smallbone sneaked unchallenged between Wesley Hoedt and Jamal Lewis to head in Adam Armstrong’s cross.

And when Tom Dele-Bashiru made a mess of an attempt to clear Kyle Walker-Peters’ ball in from the left, David Brooks teed up Adams for a simple tap-in – the striker’s third goal in his past four matches and his 15th of the season.

Watford, for all their frailties at the back, looked threatening going forward and responded well to the second goal.

Yaser Asprilla went close to pulling one back when he fired wide, before Porteous’ shot went in after hitting the unfortunate Jack Stephens.

After the interval, Taylor Harwood-Bellis cleared Porteous’ header off the line and Giorgi Chakvetadze volleyed over from 10 yards out as Watford continued to push for a leveller.

It arrived on 85 minutes. Kone controlled the ball midway inside the Southampton half, darted towards the penalty area and superbly side-footed a low shot beyond keeper Gavin Bazunu and into the bottom corner of the net.

But Watford were undone right at the end by more poor defending with Downes poking home at the far post after Ryan Manning’s right-wing corner was not dealt with, although Watford felt Downes handled the ball.

Southampton boss Russell Martin told BBC Radio Solent:

“Ultimately it’s been a really good day, but I’m annoyed it took until the 97th minute to win after the start we had. I’m frustrated about that.

“I said to the players, ‘We can’t afford to come off it for one second’ and at 2-0 we came off it. But I think we were the better team and we deserved to win.

“I said to the players, ‘The emotion we felt in the 97th minute, we have a chance to feel that 10 times over (by getting promoted) as long as we don’t take our foot off the gas at any point.

“It’s my job to be relentless with them. There are going to be twists and turns and we need to take care of (results) ourselves.

“We did that today and we deserved to. It took until far too late, but I’m delighted with that moment at the end.

“There was so much good stuff but also stuff we really need to do better.”

Watford interim manager Tom Cleverley told BBC Three Counties Radio:

“It doesn’t feel like a great comeback because we’ve not won or taken any points. It’s devastating that our second-half performance doesn’t get any rewards.

“I thought we were off it in the first half. The start was poor. We changed to a back four and looked a little bit too open.

“In the second half we came back strongly and had the better chances. The boys showed a lot of character and I never doubted that we could create chances.

“We can get better but the heart and desire has been A1. The squad’s desire can’t be questioned.”