SAINTS enjoyed a special night at St Mary's as they scored during a minute's applause in honour of a late Saints fan during their 3-0 win over Preston. 

Che Adams scored the first two goals on the night, his 100th and 101st strikes in senior club football, with the second taking on added importance.

During a tribute to 28 year old supporter Joe Godden, who tragically died last week, Adams finished under the big screen that bore his name. 

Stuart Armstrong then added the third just four minutes later to end the tie as a contest and begin a celebratory precession. 

In front of the TV cameras, the game was the only Championship match of the night after it was postponed last month due to a local fire. 

Three points allowed Saints to catch up on their promotion rivals, cutting the gap to league leaders Ipswich to five points with a game still in hand. 

Manager Russell Martin made three changes to his starting team from the last two unchanged outings but his plans were then altered further. 

An injury to Gavin Bazunu in the warm-up ruled the Irishman out and Alex McCarthy replaced him for his first league appearance of the season.

Martin put the out-of-contract 34 year old straight in ahead of Joe Lumley despite McCarthy not even being named on the bench. 

McCarthy got his gloves on the ball for the first time since August with a low and slow shot that took two attempts to gather. 

But it was all Saints from there - Ryan Manning was denied a penalty after going down in the area before Adams opened the scoring. 

In the 19th minute, he was in the right place to side foot in a perfect ball across the box from best pal Adam Armstrong. 

Adams added the second 10 minutes later, in the most remarkable of fashion. St Mary's was stood in applause, mourning the recent death of a young supporter. 

A smart backheel to compatriot S Armstrong gave Adams the space to move into the box, receive and finish in tribute of Godden. 

S Armstrong then got one of his own to make it three a few hundred seconds later, taking advantage of a poor clearance to curl into the bottom corner. 

Saints had several more chances before the break while Preston boss Ryan Lowe - who was booked early on - made his first change. 

Martin also made an early substitution, bringing on Shea Charles for Flynn Downes - presumably for some rest - during the interval. 

Adams had chances for his hattrick and missed one from close range, although he was spared his blushes as the linesman's flag went up anyway.

Saints supporters spent most of the second half serenading their players, with almost all of the stadium standing on its feet at one point. 

Substitute Joe Rothwell had a chance to make it four but overplayed trying to find Will Smallbone in the Preston area. 

David Brooks was denied by a brilliant save before Adams was brought off fit but without a hattrick in the final quarter of an hour.

The referee found justification to add three minutes onto regulation time but there was no need - this was Southampton's most comfortable night of the season.

Saints: Bazunu; Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Manning; Downes (Charles, h-t), Aribo (Smallbone, 70), S Armstrong (Rothwell, 70); Brooks (Kamaldeen, 81), A Armstrong, Adams (Edozie, 76). 

Unused subs: Lumley, Stephens, Bree, Fraser. 

Preston: Woodman; Lindsay, Frokjaer-Jensen, Brady, Storey, Hughes, Riis (Keane, h-t), Holmes (Cunningham, 39), Whatmough (Ledson, 71), Osmajic (Evans, 79), Mawene (Browne, 70).

Unused subs: Cornell, Stewart, Best, Seary. 

Booked: Mawene, Lowe (manager), Holmes. 

Referee: Sam Barrott. 

Attendance: 27,636.