DEFENDER Ryan Manning insisted "winning the game and getting a clean sheet is massive" after Saints beat Stoke City 1-0 on Tuesday evening.

Stuart Armstrong's first half free-kick was the difference as Southampton secured their second successive Championship win.

The full back played a key role in ensuring that the Saints defence, who had previously shipped 20 goals in nine league games, kept their first clean sheet of the season.

Manning, who was also stood over the free-kick which Armstrong dispatched into the top corner, told Sky Sports: "I’ll let him take them all if he puts them away.

"We had a tough few weeks there when we lost four on the spin. To beat Leeds (United) at the weekend stopped that rot and then to come here today and get the cliche at Stoke on a Tuesday night to build on that momentum we got on Saturday was massive."

When speaking to the Daily Echo after the Leeds game on Saturday, Manning had hoped that the victory would "be the making of the group".

The Irish international made a crucial defensive intervention early in the game to prevent Stoke from taking an early lead inside 10 minutes.

"(It was) exactly the same philosophy, total football at all costs and everyone who plays under him understands how enjoyable and how tough it is," Manning continued.

"It isn’t easy to play like that but when we are playing well and winning games there isn’t a better style out there. Momentum is everything in this league.

"Winning the game and getting clean sheets is massive. For Gav (Gavin Bazunu) and the back four and everyone at the club, it was something that was bogging us down.

"We have stood up to some big strikers and a lot of set pieces so all-round it was a terrific performance."