Divin intervention: Mubama bags first Saints goal as late salvo sinks Stoke

Cyle Larin continued his rich vein of form with an opening goal after eight minutes, but it was soon cancelled out by £10million Ethan Galbraith.

And it took until the 89th minute for them to retake the lead, with former Stoke loanee Divin Mubama netting his first goal since signing for Saints.

Ryan Manning then put gloss on the scoreline, converting an added-time penalty, after Svante Inglesson had been sent off for fouling Sam Edozie.

The result bagged Saints three points, although it only takes them to minus one after the opening weekend defeat away at Watford last Sunday.

Needed that. Well done, lads! 👍#SaintsFC pic.twitter.com/YZ1lC8GVcZ

— Alfie House (@AlfieHouseEcho) August 22, 2026

The biggest story of the day came ahead of kick-off, with Taylor Harwood-Bellis left out of the squad having possibly played his last game for the club.

Tonda Eckert named a squad without Harwood-Bellis amid ongoing transfer interest from Aston Villa, but he was just one of three changes.

Cam Bragg and Lewis Dobbin also dropped to the bench as Kuryu Matsuki receded to midfield with Tom Fellows and Finn Azaz coming into start.

Before the match began, a stellar minute's applause remembered one of English football's greats in Kevin Keegan, who passed away this summer.

Saints got things off to a good start with the opening strike after eight minutes, scored by Larin to make it three goals in three games for him.

Azaz did well to control possession and launch a counter from deep, with a splitting pass from Flynn Downes then putting the clinical Larin in on goal.

But Stoke were edging the play in a largely tepid encounter, and they capitalised on a series of soft defensive efforts to equalise in the 27th minute.

Matsuki missed a slide tackle before Ryan Manning was unable to stop Sam Gallagher's cross, which passed three defenders en route to Galbraith.

Larin and Azaz both fired well over and wide with miskewed shots, but Saints were limited to only those two efforts and the goal in the first period.

Larin worked hard to get Saints back in front but cut an isolated figure at times, needing more support around him to make his first touches stick.

Saints moved the ball more quickly in the second half, and it became attack versus defence, but Viktor Johansson went untested for much of it.

Matsuki rifled a half-volley over the bar from close range, Ben Johnson diverted a Saints corner onto his own woodwork, and Manning smashed over.

Larin stang the wrists of Johansson with one of his last touches, before Divin Mubama and Dobbin were introduced with around 14 minutes to play.

And Man City talent Mubama opened his account for Saints in the 89th minute after a sublime one-touch pass from Azaz unlocked the defence.

Fellow substitute Dobbin had driven a pass inward to Azaz, who directed it at an angle to his new striker for a low finish across goal to snatch the win.

Saints were not done there with Edozie clipped by Inglesson as he travelled into the Stoke area, and Manning belted the spot-kick low past Johansson.

Saints: Peretz; Bree, Wood, Stephens, Manning; Downes, Matsuki (Bragg, 93), Fellows (Edozie, 90), Azaz (Akachukwu, 95), Scienza (Dobbin, 78); Larin (Mubama, 78).

Unused subs: Long, Quarshie, Welington, Archer.

Booked: Bree, Downes, Manning.

Stoke City: Johansson, Johnson, Wilmot, Gibson, Bocat (Talovierov, 80), Soumare (Rigo, 80), Galbraith, Gallagher (Inglesson, 71), Junho, Thomas, Hirst (Bozenik, 61)

Unused subs: Griffiths, Graham, Gianni, Pearson, Manhoef.

Booked: Gallagher, Galbraith, Inglesson, Talovierov.

Sent off: Inglesson.

Referee: Stephen Martin.