Southampton crush Wrexham 5-1 to gain upper hand in Championship play-off race.

WREXHAM, April 8 — Southampton cruised to a 5-1 victory over Wrexham, taking control of the race for a Championship play-off spot next week.

Kuryu Matsuki, Flynn Downes, Cyle Larin, Ross Stewart, and Finn Azaz all found the net for the Saints, who are now unbeaten in 16 consecutive games across all competitions. This streak includes Saturday’s stunning FA Cup semi-final-qualifying win over Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Although automatic promotion remains unlikely after a poor start to the season under Will Still, Southampton have been revitalised under Tonda Eckert and look well-placed to challenge for a play-off spot. The Saints now sit two points ahead of Wrexham, with a game in hand over their rivals in the top-six race.

Wrexham, meanwhile, are chasing a fourth consecutive promotion following their remarkable rise under Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

Despite making six changes from the side that upset Arsenal, Southampton maintained their momentum. The visitors had earlier struck the crossbar twice through Larin and Azaz before Matsuki capitalised on too much space inside the box to slot home. Downes then added a second goal in the 22nd minute after a free-kick fell kindly for the former West Ham midfielder.

Wrexham briefly responded through Josh Windass, but Southampton quickly regained control. Larin exploited a loose pass from Lewis O’Brien to sprint clear and finish into the far corner, while Stewart, coming on for Larin, rose highest to head in Welington’s free-kick. Azaz completed the scoring from close range, capping a demoralising night for Wrexham’s Premier League ambitions. — AFP