BRENTFORD powered to a 2-0 win over Saints at St Mary’s on a Premier League night where the home side never got going.

The Bees stung Saints with a rehearsed set-piece goal after numerous warning signs, Ivan Toney converting on the line after a front-post nod-on. Yoanne Wissa added a second in stoppage time.

It condemns Ruben Selles’s side to remain at the bottom of the Premier League for Saturday’s visit of Tottenham Hotspur, on a night they could have escaped.

No team has scored fewer goals than Saints in the Premier League this season (20) and that remains the problem despite £50million of January investment to fix it.

Many home supporters had already left by the time seven additional minutes were signalled and missed the second, confirming the defeat.

Selles made two changes to his team that held Manchester United last time out, with Moi Elyounoussi and Ibrahima Diallo replacing Theo Walcott and Romeo Lavia.

The pair were both included on the bench so it was rotation rather than a forced decision on the Spaniard’s part, who had enjoyed a good start to his managerial career.

Saints had kept three clean sheets in his four matches, including at Old Trafford in a 0-0 draw on Sunday, but remained bottom of the Premier League.

A win here would have seen them climb out of the relegation zone for the first time since November 5 but it did not start all to plan.

The Bees were threatening from back-post corner-kick routines right from the off but Saints had just about got away with it.

Gavin Bazunu, who was supremely confident with the ball at his feet during the opening stages, saved from Bryan Mbeumo as the Cameroonian should have opened the scoring.

That privilege fell to the main man – Toney, who is likely to face a ban for FA betting charges later this year – who turned in a front-post corner that was nodded on by Christian Norgaard for his 16th league goal of the campaign.

Charly Alcaraz went close to an equaliser with a thumping effort from outside the area but the game fell flat going into the break, as Brentford were forced into their first substitution through injury.

The second period started much brighter for Saints as Che Adams was denied a fifth league strike this term, blocked at the last as it travelled through a packed box towards goal.

Selles made a triple change – one of those enforced as Walker-Peters limped off – introducing Lavia, Walcott and James Bree before the hour mark, and Paul Onuachu also came on shortly after.  

The noise generated by St Mary’s when a cross heads towards the Nigerian would be worth his price tag alone if the club did not find themselves in such a precarious position.

Brentford were so confident they would not be broken on they had 10 men in the Saints third for their offensive free-kick. Goalkeeper David Raya stood on the halfway line as cover and sure enough eventually collected the ball.

Bazunu had to make a strong save in seven minutes of added time to give Saints a chance but that chance was spurned when Kamaldeen Sulemana flumped his half-volley attempt completely, with the ball going out for a throw-in before it was gathered by the offside Adams.

Wissa raced through as Toney flicked on after beating Armel Bella-Kotchap in the air and the Congolese side-footed past Bazunu.

Saints: Bazunu; Walker-Peters (Bree, 58), Bednarek, Bella-Kotchap, Perraud; Diallo (Lavia, 58), Ward-Prowse, Alcaraz (Onuachu, 66); Elyounoussi (Walcott, 58), Kamaldeen, Adams.

Unused subs: Salisu, A Armstrong, S Armstrong, Mara, Caballero (g/k).

Booked: Bednarek.

Brentford: Raya; Hickey, Mee, Pinnock, Henry; Norgaard, Jensen (Damsgaard, 79), Janelt (Onyeka, 45); Schade (Wissa, 64), Mbeumo (Jansson, 78), Toney.

Unused subs: Dasilva, Zanka, Ghoddos, Baptiste, Cox (g/k).

Booked: Hickey, Toney.

Referee: Michael Salisbury.

VAR: Neil Swarbrick.