Southampton 2-0 Cardiff: Armstrong's first-half brace seals victory for hosts

It spoke volumes that the loudest cheer of the day from the travelling Cardiff fans came at half-time when it was announced that two trains back to Wales after the match had been cancelled. Gallows humour had long kicked in by then.

Adam Armstrong’s four-minute brace right in front of them had iced an already bitterly cold afternoon on the south coast.

His first was a goal to marvel at. Teed up just inside the area by Carlos Alcaraz, Armstrong took one motion to sort his feet out before bending the ball into the top right corner of Alex Runarsson’s goal.

There was plenty of annoyance among the Cardiff fans at Runarsson’s selection but he was never getting anywhere near that one.

Southampton had lift off from then on and the breathing room came just four minutes later when Stuart Armstrong broke down the left, and, as he looked transformed into a tricky winger, danced around Dimitrious Goutas to hit the byline.

Lifting a clipped ball into the danger zone saw 5ft’8 Armstrong simply show more desire than 6ft Cardiff left back Jamilu Collins to nod in from a yard out.

Make that league goals 100 and 101 of Armstrong’s career. It’s now 12 for the season for the Championship’s second top scorer.

This should have been a day for pats on the back and a match ball under his arm. How it wasn’t may well keep Armstrong up tonight.

His first real chance came five minutes before the break when he found himself unmarked at the back post, only to be caught by surprise when a cross from the left had been tipped in his direction by a scrambling Runarsson.

Armstrong connected, but only sending it comfortably into the hands of the goalkeeper. Another glorious chance would follow late in the second half when he drifted out to the right, sized up his