NATHAN Tella netted on his return to the B team as Thierry Small and Lewis Payne completed a 4-0 romping over high-flyers Aston Villa to make it three consecutive wins in Premier League 2.

The Saints first-teamer won and slotted away an early penalty before summer signing Small scored his first goal for the club from close-range, while Payne struck twice quickly following the break.

David Horseman’s side have completed a turnaround of fortunes after they failed to win any of their first seven fixtures in the league this campaign.

It was a strong unit at Saints B’s disposal with Will Smallbone also making a start following his reintroduction to the first team in the EFL Cup at Stamford Bridge last Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Villa were forced to name a weakened team with top scorers Caleb Chukwuemeka and Aaron Ramsey, along with key forward Cameron Archer, among the notable absentees.

Villa’s first team were in Premier League action against West Ham just a couple of hours after this match, and some fresh injury concerns to the likes of former Saints talisman Danny Ings and midfielder Douglas Luiz saw Dean Smith need to use the young players.

And it helped Saints to overcome visitors in a combative affair which saw six yellow cards given – five to Horseman’s B team.

Tella was involved with both of the goals in the opening half having tucked away the penalty he won, before it was his two bites of the cherry that fell to 17-year-old Small’s feet from point-blank range deep in injury time.

A minute into the second-half, OIudare Olufunwa fed Payne through the right and he finished from a tight and continually narrowing angle for his first, before he added his second bursting down the very same side.

The result saw Saints climb to 10th in the table with 11 points from their opening 10 Premier League 2 fixtures, while Villa are third with 17.