Leeds United hearts broken by Southampton striker - who dines out at their expense for one final and fateful time in 2023-24

When the Whites reflect on a Championship campaign which promised so much but ended in shattering fashion at the national stadium, the name of Adam Armstrong will be one that haunts them at the end of the road.

His fourth and final goal against Leeds in 2023-24 was devastating and finished them off ultimately.

The former Barnsley loanee – who scored in Southampton’s win at Elland Road on the last day of the regular season to follow on from his brace in the Saints’ 3-1 triumph at St Mary’s in the autumn – saved the best until last.

A momentary switch in United’s backline proved fatal. Armstrong had the astuteness to stay onside and broke Leeds hearts with his 24th-minute strike – his 24th goal this term.

In a well-matched final, which always had the look of a 50-50 match-up, it had the potential to be a major moment and it proved to be the game-breaking one and the headline goal of the North-easterner’s career to date.

He said: “It’s the biggest. I said all week that the goals leading up to this meant nothing. It was a one-off game.

“To get the winner with everyone here… I always back myself in these positions and that’s what I am there for. Strikers are there to score goals and create chances.

“Leeds are a good side and we knew what we were going to come up against. We knew just a few chances were going to come around and when they do, you have to take them.”

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It was a high-stakes, ultra-tense contest between two sides who have traditionally broken bread in the Premier League and consider themselves to be top-flight clubs in every way.

Something had to give it and it did in front of a crowd of 85,862. The fact that this particular game could have sold out Wembley five times over is not just testament to the Championship play-off final’s status as being the biggest one-off match in domestic football, but the cachet of both these clubs.

Armstrong added: “You try to focus, but you can’t because the stadium is simply so big and the atmosphere is incredible. Both sets of fans brought that with two great supports.

“We knew if we got the first goal, it would be a big bonus. We haven’t really sat back much this season, but I think we were excellent in the second half and seeing them right through.

“We knew what we were coming up against and Leeds are a very good and top side. But we believe in ourselves and what we have worked on all year to get to this moment. The main thing is sticking at it and we had to see out the game plan and luckily it got us the win.”

Play-off finals and Wembley are no place for losers, quite simply. The result, as opposed to the performance, is ultimately all that matters.

Armstrong instinctively got that and when asked what Southampton’s game plan was, his answer was as succinct and resounding as his unerring finish past Ilan Meslier to settle the contest.

“To win,” he commented.

“It’s unbelievable after being relegated last season. That was the worst feeling and this just tops it by a million miles. I’m lost for words.”

Substituted late on, Armstrong raced onto the pitch seconds from the end and took his shirt off after mistakenly starting to celebrate when the referee blew for a Leeds free-kick deep into stoppage time – thinking it was the final whistle.

His embarrassment was only temporary.