Ryan Manning capped a great performance with an assist for Cyle Larin as Southampton eased past Colchester 2-0 at the JobServe Community Stadium, putting their name in the hat for the second round of the Carabao Cup.
Goalkeeper and Defenders
Daniel Peretz — 8/10. A quiet night in goal brought a clean sheet without fuss. Colchester barely tested him. Off the ball he had little to do; with it, he looked assured, spreading 54 touches at 81 percent and setting the tempo from deep. Nothing rattled the keeper on his return.
James Bree — 7.5/10. Few full-backs will enjoy a calmer evening. Two tackles and a block spoke for the defensive side. Further forward, his passing stayed crisp at close to 95 per cent, one delivery slipping a teammate into space. The right flank was his from first whistle to last.
Jack Stephens — 7.5/10. No player saw more of the ball. A haul of 129 touches at nearly 93 percent ran the tempo from the centre. Three aerial duels went his way; an interception snuffed out one Colchester break. His positioning was deep rather than adventurous.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis — 8/10. The pick of the centre backs. Colchester found no joy aiming balls into his area, where nine clearances piled up. On the ball he stepped out with purpose, good for 124 touches at 94 percent. A couple of shots even hinted at a threat going forward. He played more advanced at times, deep enough to defend yet high enough to build.
Ryan Manning — 9/10. The finest performance on the pitch by a distance. Six chances flowed from his left boot, the best of them the cross that Larin turned in for the opener. He never stopped surging forward, a constant outlet on the overlap. Three darts past his marker set the tone; the sheer work rate brought 115 touches. This was a full-back in a winger's clothing, his heat map clinging to the left flank and bleeding into Colchester's half.
Midfielders
Kuryu Matsuki — 7/10. Plenty of energy in the middle before a late exit. He caused problems on the ball, drawing four fouls and rattling off three shots. Not much of that end product stuck, yet the intent was clear. The bulk of his 92 touches landed in Colchester's half, more on the left of the attack than near his own back line. A late change closed a busy outing.
Flynn Downes — 7/10. A tidy shift alongside Matsuki in the double pivot. Four shots came off his boot, more than any teammate, though none tested the keeper. He kept the ball moving at 92 per cent pass accuracy and chipped in with a tackle and a block. Box to box was his beat, the heaviest touches falling in the left channel as Southampton pressed.
Attacking Players
Tom Fellows — 7/10. Lively on the right until an hour-mark change. Three chances sprang from just 48 touches, the best openings Southampton fashioned before the interval. He held the width superbly, running his wing end to end and slipping into the corner by Colchester's box. The double switch on 62 minutes cut the cameo short.
Lewis Dobbin — 6.5/10. Never able to get on the ball in the hole. Just 25 touches came his way, one shot on target the sum of his final-third work. He drifted between the lines without ever settling. A change with a quarter to go freshened the attack.
Léo Scienza — 7/10. Southampton's most advanced threat down the left. Three efforts and a chance created came from 67 touches. He lived high up the pitch, his heat map glowing in the corner of the final third by the byline. A willing shift ended with the 75th-minute switch.
Ben Brereton — 6/10. Service to the front never arrived for the lone striker. Barely 18 touches reached him across the hour. Two shots were as much as he could conjure up top. His positions dotted the attacking half, though little arrived to feed on.
Substitutes - Player Ratings
Cyle Larin — 7.5/10. On at the hour, off the mark by 72 minutes. Manning's cross was the invitation. Larin obliged to break the deadlock. Three efforts came in his cameo, two of them on target. He even helped at the back, hacking clear three times from set pieces.
Cameron Bragg — 7.5/10. A composed half-hour after taking Fellows's place. Bragg saw a fair bit of the ball at 35 touches and never looked hurried. One chance, one interception, and a header won made for a neat return. Oozed class.
Finn Azaz — 7/10. Quiet until his one telling contribution. In stoppage time, he slid Akachukwu through for the clincher. Fourteen touches made for a small return, but the assist was the pass that told. A useful spell to close the game out.
Cameron Archer — 6.5/10. Fresh legs up top for the closing stretch. Two efforts in 12 touches never worked the keeper. He ran the channels as Colchester tired, stretching the pitch in behind. A lively spell without a clear sight of goal. Brought down in the box for a clear penalty that was never awarded.
Romeo Akachukwu — 7.5/10. The latest cameo carried the biggest reward. Four touches were all he needed. The last was a crisp finish deep in stoppage time to seal it. His only shot found the net, a dream way to mark a debut off the bench.
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