Despite Saints winning 3-1, Southampton manager Russell Martin expressed frustration over the goal that “changed” the game against Birmingham City.
The hosts won easily at St. Mary’s thanks to goals from Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Carlos Alcaraz, and Adam Armstrong, but Wayne Rooney’s wait for his first win as Blues manager continues.
With a goal from Jay Stansfield to make the score 2-1, Birmingham had hope in the second half. Martin expressed his displeasure with the way Rooney’s team gave up the goal, saying they hadn’t “really done much to hurt us”.
“I think you expect the team to have a spell at some point in the game and it was after they scored and then we wrestled back control and got the third goal which killed the game off. I thought we played some incredible football at times today. I’m really proud of the players.
“I’m really annoyed to concede a goal because at that point, they haven’t really done much to hurt us or open us up or looked too threatening so I’m annoyed with that and the players should be.
“But it’s been a great week for us and as I said, we played some brilliant football today with real purpose, real aggression, real intensity, real energy, which at the end of the week where we’ve had so much travelling and played Wednesday night is not easy.
“And then the subs came on and had a big impact for us and really helped us. Two wingers, one crosses the other one heads it down and, and Army [Adam Armstrong] scores and Joe Aribo was great when he came on so it’s been a big effort from everyone. I’m really proud of them and yeah, it’s put us in a nice position.”
