RUSS RIGHT ON SONG AFTER FIGHTBACK
RUSSELL Martin danced out of the press room singing “25 undefeated” after watching Southampton extend their record run the hard way.
Saints fell 2-0 and 3-2 behind to relegation-threatened Huddersfield before Joe Rothwell’s wonder goal started an unbelievable turnaround.
Bournemouth loanee Rothwell bagged another on his home debut before Tom Lee’s own goal and strikes from Sekou Mara and former Manchester City starlet Samuel Edozie kept Saints in second.
A stickler for calm and precise football, the end-to-end nature of this did not impress the Saints boss.
“I enjoyed the feeling at the end,” he admitted. “But that isn’t my kind of game.
“It was like basketball at one point, it was carnage. I love basketball but not on a big football pitch!”
The Terriers were two up at half-time through Sorba Thomas, and David Kasumu as the hosts fell behind at St
Mary’s for the first time in more than 21 hours.
Alex Matos’ deflected effort put the visitors back ahead after Rothwell’s quick-fire double – which included a sweet first-time volley from the edge of the box.
Martin admitted: “We got spooked there for the first time in a long time.
“Getting back from 2-0 was great and then we got caught up in the emotion.
“But I have immense pride of the players and the resilience they showed today.”
Lees put Rothwell’s cross through his own goal before Mara and skilful Edozie took the roof off – with all Saints’ goals scored and assisted by players coming off the bench.
Martin added in his promotion bid: “We are 25 unbeaten and still only a point ahead in second.
“The truth is we need to keep on winning.”
Huddersfield caretaker Jon Worthington secured a victory against county rivals Sheffield Wednesday last week and came incredibly close to claiming a major scalp here.
He said: “I enjoyed the game very much. The lads gave me every single thing I asked of them and followed the plans to a tee.
“Having said that, we are disappointed with the result.
“I want to win every game and I hate losing and so do the players.” SOUTHAMPTON: Bazunu 6, Walker-peters 6, Harwood-bellis 6, Bednarek 6, Manning 7, Downes 6 (Rothwell (32) 9), Smallbone 7, S Armstrong 6 (Sulemana (71) 6), Fraser 6 (Edozie (71) 8), Adams 5 (Brooks (46) 8), A Armstrong 6 (Mara (79) 8) HUDDERSFIELD: Nicholls 5, Kasumu 7 (Radulovic 87), Pearson 6, Lees 5, Nakayama 6, Spencer 6 (Jackson (67) 6), Matos 7 (Wiles (87) 6), Hogg 6 (Diarra (87) 6), Thomas 7, Koroma 6 (Jones (76) 6), Rudoni 6 STAR MAN: Joe Rothwell – one of the best volleys you’ll ever see started a crazy second-half. REF: David Webb 6