- Che Adams scored a double and Stuart Armstrong also scored in the game.
- The club continues to take advantage of the problems of Leicester, Ipswich and Leeds
- The championship title contenders are falling at the final hurdle! Who takes advantage of the day to get from here to the Premier League? Listen to the everything is beginning podcast
This is shaping up to be the best battle for automatic promotion in the history of the Championship.
The top four are separated by just five points after a Che Adams double inspired the Saints to a commanding victory over Preston.
Russell Martin’s side still have to travel to Leicester City and face a tantalizing final day clash at Leeds with the top four on course for 90 points or more.
But MartÃn’s men are the ones who have the most momentum and, playing like this, they will be on par with anyone.
The evening did not start well for the hosts, who lost goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu to injury during the warm-up.
Che Adams scored twice in the first half as the Saints cruised to a comfortable victory over Preston.
They will still hope to gain automatic promotion to the Premier League the first time they apply.
Russell Martin’s team dominated the match and are now just four points behind Leicester City.
Alex McCarthy, 34, was drafted in to start his first league game of the season.
Fortunately, he wasn’t busy with the Saints amassing over 76 per cent possession for long stretches.
It was no surprise when they took the lead in the 19th minute.
It came from a characteristically fluid passing movement, with David Brooks and Adam Armstrong the architects and Adams available to coolly convert from six yards.
The first half was Russell Martin football at its finest and ten minutes later, Adams scored his 17th goal of the season to cap another great play by the team.
This time it came from the left side where Ryan Manning played in Adams, who brilliantly fooled Brooks before receiving it back and finishing low into the corner.
The Saints were unstoppable and four minutes later they were three up after a disastrous Duane Holmes clearance fell straight to Stuart Armstrong who fired his shot into the near corner.
In the next attack, the Scotland international hit a post from the edge of the area with Preston at sea.
The first half was Martin football at its finest, with Stuart Armstrong also on the scoresheet.
Preston boss Ryan Lowe struggled to control his frustrations and was booked in the game.
Ryan Lowe’s frustration threatened to take over. He was booked by referee Samuel Barrott as he replaced the calamitous Holmes already in the 39th minute.
The match looked more like a training exercise than a competitive game in the second half, although Adams almost had his hat-trick when he knocked down Kyle Walker-Peters’ pass before Freddie Woodman ran off his line to save.
Woodman was on hand again to keep the score down after he cleared Brooks’ effort from the top corner as Saints continued to press for more.