Wrexham2-1Southampton

Wrexham 2-1 Southampton

Southampton dominated the ball, created enough chances to leave North Wales with something and still managed to lose 2-1 to Wrexham. An 89th-minute own goal from Keven Schlotterbeck settled a match that Saints had spent most of the afternoon trying to control.

The visitors had early opportunities. Finn Azaz tested Anthony Patterson after eight minutes, Cyle Larin twice headed at the Wrexham goalkeeper and James Ward-Prowse forced another save from distance. By half-time Southampton had enjoyed most of the possession and produced the larger share of the attempts. Naturally, they went in behind.

Wrexham took the lead after 35 minutes. Daniel Peretz had just denied Callum O’Hare when Benjamin Whiteman delivered the resulting corner and Kieffer Moore headed into the top-right corner. Saints continued to press before the interval, but Schlotterbeck and Kuryu Matsuki could not turn good openings into an equaliser.

That equaliser came five minutes after the restart. Samuel Edozie, introduced for the injured Léo Scienza, supplied Ward-Prowse in the centre of the box and the midfielder finished high into the net. Southampton were level and apparently had the platform to turn their territorial advantage into three points.

Wrexham refused to disappear. Moore struck the bar from long range, Peretz saved from Josh Windass and Sam Smith headed wide as the hosts found more space late on. Saints continued to create too: Schlotterbeck headed narrowly wide from a Ward-Prowse corner and Patterson kept out Azaz with three minutes remaining.

Then came the decisive moment. With a minute of normal time left, Schlotterbeck diverted the ball into his own net and Wrexham were back in front. There was no time for another recovery.

The numbers make the result particularly irritating. Southampton had 67% possession, 19 attempts and seven shots on target; Wrexham managed eight attempts and four on target. Saints made Patterson save six times and completed the afternoon with nothing to show for it.

Ward-Prowse’s first league goal since returning was the bright point. The late collapse was the rest of the story. Saints enter the international break 13th on 10 points, having earned 14 before the deduction. Portsmouth visit St Mary’s next for the derby on Sunday 11 October.