Sheffield Wednesday vs Southampton: Substitute Che Adams scores late winner 2-1 for Saints in the Championship season opener

Saints returned to the Championship with a victory as Che Adams earned them a late 2-1 win during Sheffield Wednesday vs Southampton in the opening game of the season on Friday night.

New manager Russell Martin started with James Ward-Prowse as captain and got off to an excellent start as Adam Armstrong put them in front.

Sheffield Wednesday, under new boss Xisco Munoz after the departure of Darren Moore in the summer, hit back after the break through Lee Gregory.

Adams then came off the bench to score the winner for the Saints in the closing stages.

It was the perfect start for Southampton as they made their return to the Championship after 11 years away.

Just eight minutes in and the quality of Nathan Tella - one of the stars of Burnley's promotion campaign last season - told. He cut in from the right and saw his bending shot deflect in off the head of Armstrong.

Southampton looked dominant but they quickly learned in the second half that life at this level won't all be straightforward. On 54 minutes Wednesday levelled, as Gregory pounced quickest from a corner to prod in from close range.

But there would be a late twist at Hillsborough as Southampton found their way through on 87 minutes. As Ward-Prowse found Adams in the box, and he coolly found the net.

Saints Russell Martin after the victory during Sheffield Wednesday vs Southampton:

"I'm really proud of the players. After five weeks' work, to come here, to where they were so good last season, albeit in a different division, was not an easy start for us. We've had a lot going on, a lot of noise around the place, which we can't really control, and the way the players have handled it and with what they've shown on the pitch tonight, I'm so proud.

"That was, for the first game, a big test for them. The courage they showed and the pride in what they were doing, especially towards the end of the game, the way they managed the game was incredible. I'm really grateful for that and I'm really pleased we could win for the amount of supporters we had come in tonight."