Southampton 5-1 Millwall: Cyle Larin Double Ends Lions’ Perfect Start
Cyle Larin scored twice as Southampton produced a stunning 5-1 win over Millwall to end the Lions’ perfect start to the Championship season.
Mark Sykes fired the visitors ahead early on, but Southampton hit back in style, with Larin’s double either side of goals from Finn Azaz, Leo Scienza and Tom Fellows completing the rout at St Mary’s.
Larin has now scored four goals in Southampton’s opening three league games, taking his tally to 12 in 19 Championship appearances, and boss Tonda Eckert’s faith in the Canadian as the division’s top striker was fully vindicated. The result also means Southampton have made up the ground lost to their four-point deduction over the ‘Spygate’ affair, while Alex Neil’s Millwall suffered their first defeat of the campaign after arriving at the top of the table on the back of two straight wins.
Millwall made the ideal start and looked every inch the form side in the opening quarter of an hour. Tairyk Arconte drew a save from Daniel Peretz, and Josh Coburn headed over, before the visitors’ pressure told. Sykes pounced on a loose clearance on the edge of the box and drilled home via a deflection for his first goal since his free transfer from Bristol City in the summer.
Southampton responded by taking control, Ryan Manning first seeing a short corner routine end with a shot against the post. The equaliser arrived in the 25th minute, Larin powering home a header from Manning’s deep free-kick to extend his perfect scoring record in the league this season.
The hosts completed the turnaround 13 minutes later when Scienza danced past Jake Cooper, drove to the byline and lifted the ball over goalkeeper Max Crocombe for Azaz to tap in unopposed. Millwall should have levelled before the break, though, as Kyrell Lisbie somehow struck the post from close range after being played clean through by Arconte.
James Ward-Prowse’s return from the bench at the start of the second half lifted the home crowd further, and their mood improved again when Cooper brought down Azaz in the box, allowing Scienza to convert the resulting penalty with confidence.
Southampton then produced the pick of the goals in the 62nd minute, Larin lifting the ball over Cooper before volleying home from the edge of the area. The striker was denied a hat-trick soon after when Crocombe, deputising for the injured Lukas Jensen, stood tall to block his one-on-one effort.
Fellows completed the scoring late on, marking a year since his move to St Mary’s with a finish past Crocombe, as Southampton extended their unbeaten home league run to 12 matches.
