Saints seal late win against Wrexham

Southampton came from behind to beat Wrexham 2-1 with a late wave of goals after a Windass penalty opened the scoring.

Saints seal late win against Wrexham at St Marys

Wrexham arrived at St Mary's with nine new faces among seven debutants and started the season on the back of a rapid rise through the leagues. A first-half penalty converted by Josh Windass gave the visitors the lead after Ronnie Edwards fouled Kieffer Moore, and the goal line stood as Southampton pressed without reward before halftime. The youngest manager in the English Football League, Will Still, watched his side trail but remain competitive, with Jay Robinson striking the post in stoppage time and Conor Coady delaying a breakthrough for the home team.

The turning point came after the hour when Mateus Fernandes was introduced to a huge ovation and Ryan Manning leveled from a 25-yard free kick. Manning also played a key role in the late winner as he helped control a loose ball in the box and, after Damion Downs failed to convert, Jack Stephens finished at the back post to seal the comeback for Southampton.

The match underscored the broader shift in English football where rising clubs can challenge established floaters on any given day. Wrexham’s high-profile ascent from non-league has attracted attention and investment, yet this contest showed that depth and cohesion matter as much as hype. The late goals illustrate the competitive pressure in the window after signings arrive, testing how quickly a new squad can gel under a young manager.

For Southampton, the result offers a blueprint for an upstart club: stay compact, trust the bench, and strike at set pieces. Fernandes and Downs entering late and Manning delivering a decisive moment suggest the value of a deep squad and adaptable tactics. The win may lift morale and influence recruitment as the season unfolds, signaling that this campaign could be about resilience as much as pedigree.

Highlights

The season has started with drama and the next fixtures will test how both teams convert this moment into lasting form.