Southampton continued to charge towards the play-offs extending their unbeaten run to eight games with a comfortable win at League One bound Sheffield Wednesday.

First-half strikes from full-backs James Bree and Ryan Manning put Saints in control of the contest at half-time with a toothless Wednesday struggling for a foothold.

While Jerry Yates briefly raised the temperature at Hillsborough after the break with only a third goal of 2026 for the hosts, jeopardy proved shortlived with Taylor Harwood-Bellis putting the game to bed.

Another victory for Tonda Eckert's seventh-placed side keeps them four points behind Wrexham, in sixth.

No team in the Championship has greater recent momentum than Southampton and this victory provided yet another moment to marvel at the job done on the south coast by Eckert.

Having taken over a club at the start of November in 20th place and nervously looking over their shoulders at the prospect of joining their hosts here in the third tier, the transformation under the 33-year-old German has been eye-catching, despite a wobble either side of Christmas.

Their unbeaten run has seen them latch on to the coat-tails of the play-off contenders and, if they can keep up this form, there would appear to be every chance of them making the top six.

For Sheffield Wednesday is was a 12th league defeat in a row at the end of another difficult week.

On Sunday they became the earliest ever relegated side from the English Football League with defeat at bitter rivals Sheffield United and in midweek a proposed takeover fell through..

Saints were out of the traps early, Bree opening the scoring with his third goal in four games.

The right-back poked home from seven yards out after a corner, initially cleared, was recycled at the second attempt by Leo Scienza.

His left-sided counterpart, Manning, added a second from a free-kick in stoppage time at the end of the first half after Liam Palmer had upended Kuryu Matsuki on the right corner of the box.

Manning's left-foot hit, whilst well hit inside the near post, should have probably been stopped by the wall.

Yates headed a bit of hope into proceedings after Saints failed to clear their lines from a corner on 57 minutes, finishing off a sequence of headers from seven yards out.

But Saints put the game and the points to bed a quarter of an hour later with Harwood-Bellis replicating Bree's earlier effort from an uncleared corner on 71 minutes.

From there to the final whistle Southampton weathered a spirited finish from Wednesday, Ingelsson seeing a shot blocked and Palmer forcing a fine save from Daniel Peretz in the final few seconds.

Sheffield Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen told BBC Radio Sheffield:

"I think they put all on the pitch what they could today. We played a fantastic team in Southampton with strong individuals and a strong team.

"The boys played a really strong second half and at 2-1, we had possibilities, then again a set-piece goal for 3-1. But at 3-1, we still had a go, we still had chances and put pressure on them.

"I hate to lose but I'm so proud of the players.

"It's easy to show who you are when everything is smooth, everything goes well and you win football games.

"But to show who you are, in a third game in six days when Norwich had one day extra, when Southampton had one day extra, to show so much character, so much personality, I can only be proud of them."

"I think we put in a very good first half, then if you do concede it's a moment you have to get over and we did, so I'm very happy.

"There are still things we need to improve, we know that, but important today to get the three points.

"It was a very good month, the first one on the road with a positive result, three more very important ones coming up and then two at home, so keep pushing until the next break.

"We need to make sure we keep going."