Mubama’s late strike secured Southampton’s first win over Stoke City, ending a streak of draws. The 1-0 victory came after a 27th-minute equaliser by Ethan Galbraith and a penalty goal by Ryan Manning in injury time.
Stoke City began the match with a strong attack, earning ten shots in the first half against Southampton’s three. The hosts opened the scoring in the eighth minute when Cyle Larin slipped past Ben Gibson to find the net, a move that left goalkeeper Daniel Peretz with no chance. Southampton responded quickly, with Bae Junho’s playmaking and a low cross from Sam Gallagher finding Galbraith, who calmly clipped the ball past Peretz to level the score.
Mark Robins made five changes to his starting XI, recalling Ben Gibson at centre-half and giving Bae Junho his first start of the term. New signings Ben Johnson, Djibril Soumare and George Hirst made their debuts, while Wilmot moved to the centre of defence and Sam Gallagher drifted wide. The early period was dominated by Stoke’s pressure, but Southampton’s disciplined defence and counter-attacks kept the game close.
In the second half, Robins introduced fresh legs, bringing on Robert Bozenik for Hirst and Svante Ingelsson for Gallagher. Ingelsson’s energy was evident, but his aggressive play led to a foul on Samuel Edozie, earning him a second yellow card and a penalty for Southampton. Ryan Manning stepped up and fired the penalty into the bottom-right corner, securing the win.
The match’s drama peaked in the final minutes when former Stoke striker Divin Mubama, now a Southampton player, linked with Finn Azaz and found space in the box. He rolled a shot into the bottom-right corner, putting his new club ahead before the penalty was awarded. The goal was a stark reminder of the heartbreak for Stoke, who had been on the brink of a point until the last moments.
Stoke’s performance was hampered by fatigue and a few key mistakes, including a recovery tackle by Eric Bocat that saved a potential second goal for Larin. Southampton’s resilience and the late contributions from Mubama and Manning proved decisive, ending a run of draws for the Saints and giving them a much-needed victory at St Mary’s.
