Southampton continued their ascent up the Championship table with a come-from-behind 2-1 win over fellow play-off contenders Derby at St Mary's. The Saints' unbeaten run now stands at 17 games, courtesy of second-half goals from Leo Scienza and Taylor Harwood-Bellis, which cancelled out Carlton Morris' earlier strike.
The match began with a flurry of activity, as Scienza created an early chance for Tom Fellows, but the latter's heavy touch cost him the opportunity to shoot. Derby, meanwhile, were forced into an early change when Bobby Clark limped off, replaced by Oscar Fraulo.
Despite this setback, the Rams showed intent, with Max Johnston breaking clear down the left channel before shooting wastefully into the side netting. The Saints, however, were creating chances of their own, with Finn Azaz shooting straight at Richard O'Donnell after a sweeping attack involving Casper Jander and Ross Stewart. Derby were dealt a blow with the absence of United States striker Patrick Agyemang, ruled out for nine months with an Achilles injury, and Morris was tasked with leading the line in his absence. Morris scored an unlikely opening goal when Joe Ward's corner deflected off Jander and dropped to him at the far post.
The Saints sought a quick reply, with Harwood-Bellis nodding Ryan Manning's free-kick wide of the post as the wind swirled around St Mary's. In the second half, Southampton made all the running, with Scienza laying on a chance for James Bree, who sliced his shot well wide of the post. Another chance soon came and went when Fellows headed Manning's cross over the bar from close range. Derby were seeing little of the ball in the Southampton half, but they did manage to test Daniel Peretz with a 20-yard shot from Sammie Szmodics.
Moments later, the Saints got the goal they deserved when Scienza finished off a flowing move by curling into the far corner after Jander and Azaz had created the opening. St Mary's erupted once more when the Saints went ahead, as Harwood-Bellis connected perfectly with another Manning free-kick to head beyond O'Donnell.
Derby's John Eustace quickly made changes, but the Saints remained resolute, with Harwood-Bellis reacting superbly to block Morris' effort from the edge of the six-yard box. The Saints are now unbeaten since January 17. In a separate match, Sheffield United's Chris Wilder and Hull's Sergij Jakirovic shared their thoughts on their respective games, with Wilder expressing relief at his team's win and Jakirovic lamenting the decisions that went against his team.