Southampton score in 99th minute to win 3-2 against Watford

Will Smallbone scored in the first minute before a 13th of the season from Che Adams had the hosts in cruise control.

But Tom Cleverley's Hornets had other ideas, pulling one back before the break through Ryan Porteous and snatching a late equaliser via Ismael Kone.

Saints had two goals disallowed to make it 3-1 before the leveller, with substitute Ryan Fraser narrowly offside - but it was Downes who would win it.

With one of the final kicks of the game, he latched onto a Ryan Manning corner at the back post and forced in through a crowd. 

Manager Russell Martin named an unchanged side from Southampton's 2-1 win over playoff-chasing Coventry City on Tuesday. 

This meant Stuart Armstrong and Jan Bednarek staying on the bench, with another match at St Mary's against Preston on Tuesday. 

Ryan Manning also returned to the squad after he was left out altogether midweek, with Martin insisting there was no "big falling out".  

Promotion rivals Leicester City and Leeds United had both been beaten in their games ahead of the Saturday 3pm kick-offs.  

This dangled the prospect of getting back into the automatic race in front of Saints and they duly responded.

It took just 57 seconds for Smallbone to head in Adam Armstrong's cross - in what was a 12th assist of the season for the number nine.

Smallbone claims the fastest goal of Southampton's season so far, although Jamie Vardy only took 21 seconds at St Mary's in September. 

Gavin Bazunu had a nervy moment with the ball at his feet, air-kicking a clearance before eventually getting the pass off just in time. 

But Saints struck again, with David Brooks keeping alive a deflected Kyle Walker-Peters cross for Adams to tap in from close range after 20 minutes.

The Hornets did sting back through Porteous, who latched onto loose possession on the edge of the area to strike via a Jack Stephens deflection. 

A Armstrong looked to fashion himself a chance ahead of the break, hooking a Joe Aribo ball out of the sky and away from two defenders. 

He could only fire over the crossbar, though, and Saints went into half-time with a one-goal lead. 

Harwood-Bellis had to clear off the line from a Porteous header to keep that lead intact - Adams should have capitalised on the counter but air-shot. 

It was a little bit sluggish from the home side, as it had been in the minutes before the interval, and Martin made a double-change before the hour mark. 

Che Adams had the ball in the net for a second time but the referee's whistle had long gone, owing to a foul on goalkeeper Dan Bachmann by Fraser.

Fraser himself then saw a goal disallowed; the nippy winger was ruled offside as he latched onto an A Armstrong pass and finished. 

The hosts were made to pay in the 85th minute when Kone was given free passage to the edge of the area and stroked a shot slowly into the bottom corner. 

The signal for seven added minutes refreshed belief inside St Mary's, and Downes caused pandemonium with his latest of winners.

Saints: Bazunu; Bree (Manning, 71), Harwood-Bellis, Stephens, Walker-Peters; Downes, Smallbone (Bednarek, 79), Aribo (S Armstrong, 56); Brooks (Fraser, 56), A Armstrong, Adams (Mara, 79).

Unused subs: Lumley, Rothwell, Kamaldeen, Edozie. 

Booked: Fraser.

Watford: Bachmann; Hoedt, Porteous, Lewis, Pollock (Andrews, 61), Chakvetadze (Morris, 61), Asprilla, Bayo (Rajovic, 78), Dele-Bashiru (Kone, h-t), Dennis (Martins, 61), Kayembe. 

Unused subs: Hamer, Sierralta, Ince, Livermore.

Booked: Hoedt, Kayembe.

Referee: John Smith.