Leeds 0 Southampton 1: Adam Armstrong scores the £140million goal as Saints return to Premier League at first attempt
ADAM ARMSTRONG scored his 24th but most priceless goal of the season as he fired Southampton back into the Premier League.
The striker’s coolly converted 24th-minute goal is worth at least £140million to the South Coast club now they are back in the promised land at the first attempt.
And it was no more than the Saints deserved.
Russell Martin did a number on his former Norwich boss Daniel Farke – tactically outwitting the German at Wembley.
Despite being Europe’s pass masters – enjoying more possession than any club in the top five European leagues this season – Southampton won this with less than their opponents.
While everyone has been highlighting Kieran McKenna’s incredible rise from League One to the Premier League with Ipswich, Martin has also enjoyed a huge climb.
Martin less than three years ago was managing MK Dons in League One – in August he will be up against the likes of Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta.
Southampton went into the game with a psychological advantage over their opponents – having done the league double over Leeds during the regular season.
That included a 2-1 win just three weeks ago at Elland Road – having beaten them 3-1 at Elland Road.
For Leeds their play-off jinx continued. They have never been promoted via that route. It is six attempts now.
Southampton had a huge psychological advantage having completed the double over them.
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Leeds started well. After Will Smallbone lost possession, Archie Gray drove forward and fired a low shot just wide of the right post.
Gray – at just 18 years old and 70 days – made Leeds history by becoming the club’s youngest player to appear for them at Wembley.
Ironically, he beat his dad’s record that he set in the 1996 League Cup Final against Aston Villa.
Leeds had made a strong start to the game and Georginio Rutter played in Wilfried Gnonto but he lost his balance as he shot straight at keeper Alex McCarthy.
Southampton had barely touched the ball in the opening 10 minutes – but they almost moved in front with their first attack.
Adam Armstrong found acres of space on the right edge of the Leeds boss but Saints recovered well to herd him out wide and his pull-back across goal was cleared. But Gnonto pulled back Joe Aribo to give them a free-kick 25 yards out.
Smallbone struck it low and with some venom but Illan Meslier pushed it away to safety.
Summerville strangely did not take on a shot when in space 25 yards out, electing to try to play Rutter in.
With the form the Leeds star has been in this season, most would back him to have hit the target from that distance and in the space.
Gray found some space down the right flank and played a peach of a cross into the box but no Leeds player read it and it went out.
Then Saints moved in front with a superb piece of football.
Armstrong rang in behind the two centre-halves to pick up a defence-splitting pass from Smallbone before coolly firing the ball past Meslier and into the bottom corner.
It was his 24th goal of the season for Saints and surely the most important one. Plus it completed a hat-trick of goals against Leeds – having scored in both previous league games too.
But Leeds should have known he was making that run and should have been alert.
History was now firmly on Southampton’s side. Not only have Leeds never been promoted in five previous attempts via the play-offs, 27 of the previous 33 play-off winners scored the first goal.
David Brooks had to hobble off 11 minutes before the break after picking up a groin injury and was replaced by Sam Edozie.
Summerville was harshly booked after he was adjudged to have caught Taylor Harwood-Bellis. He clearly got the ball and the Saints defender fooled ref John Brooks with a ridiculous dive.
Meslier then had to make an outstanding low save to keep out Armstrong.
Farke was getting frustrated and animated on the touchline as his team struggled to make an impression.
After the break, Jack Stephens had a shot charged down.
Leeds, though, charged forward through Joe Rodon and after a quick one-two with Gnonto he elected to shoot despite Joel Piroe being in a better position.
But he could not get the ball out of his feet and eventually it fell to Summerville who curled wide from the edge of the box.
Harwood-Bellis barged Rutter over just inches outside the left edge of the box.
Summerville’s free-kick was headed clear by the Saints defender.
Nothing seemed to be coming off for the Yorkshire side. Despite enjoying more possession, they had only managed to register one shot on target in the first hour.
Aribo had two half-chances but hit tame efforts that Meslier easily saved.
Che Adams – who is out of contract and linked with a move to Wolves – was brought on for Saints in place of the excellent Ryan Fraser.
Conor Roberts and Jaidon Anthony came on for the underwhelming Summerville and Glen Kamara.
But with seven minutes left, substitute Dan James almost scored a sensational leveller.
Picking up the ball from 20 yards he thumped a superb effort that beat McCarthy but the ball bounced back off the crossbar.
James, who got a nasty bash on the head and had to be patched up, was unlucky again when he saw a well-struck curling effort saved by McCarthy.
After the final whistle matchwinner Armstrong said: “I don’t know what to say. Look at this, it’s what we’ve been working on all year. We knew how good the Championship has been this season, what a way to win, what a way to go up.
“I saw the space in behind, I saw Will win the ball back and I knew if I kept it low and hard I would score and it would go in.
“It means everything. The gaffer and his staff came in pre-season, put their marker down on what they wanted and look at this, this is why we’re footballers, we want to be involved in the biggest games, what a way to win.”