FIVE OF THE BEST: Memorable home games against Swansea

Last season, Saints were 2-0 winners on home soil with goals from Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez.

And that classic game features in our pick of five matches below: 

4th September 1946 Division 2 Southampton 4-0 Swansea City – (McGibbon 3, Veck)

A team line up from the start of the 1946/47 season

Saints’ first game of the season had due to take place away at Newport County, but when that was rained off, the team would have to wait until September to get their campaign under way.

It was worth the wait as Saints raced into a three goal half-time lead thanks to a pair of strikes from Doug McGibbon and one from Bobby Veck after a shot had been parried.

McGibbon completed his hat-trick on 53 minutes with a header from Don Roper’s corner, as Saints – who fielded eight league debutants in the game – ran out comfortable winners.

Southampton team: George Ephgrave, Bill Ellerington, Bill Rochford, Bill Stroud, Eric Webber, George Smith, Don Roper, Alf Freeman, Doug McGibbon, Jack Bradley, Bobby Veck

26th November 1960 Division 2 Southampton 5-0 Swansea City – (Mulgrew 2, Paine 2, Sydenham)

The 1960/61 Southampton FC squad

All five goals from the hosts arrived in the second half of this game, with Terry Paine central to all of them.

First, the winger was on hand to cross for Tommy Mulgrew, who headed home on 53 minutes. Paine doubled the lead on the hour with an effort from ten yards out, before making it 3-0 when he converted Mulgrew’s cross.

With a suspicion of offside, Mulgrew tapped home Paine’s assist on 78, and then Sydenham wrapped up the win by finishing from Paine’s third assist of the game.

Southampton team: Ron Reynolds, Ron Davies, Tommy Traynor, Dick Conner, John Page, Cliff Huxford, Terry Paine, George O’Brien, Derek Reeves, Tommy Mulgrew, John Sydenham

21st September 1963 Division 2 Southampton 4-0 Swansea City – (McGuigan 2, O’Brien, Paine)

The 1963/64 Southampton FC squad

John McGuigan capped a fine debut with two goals in this success for Ted Bates’ side.

McGuigan notched his first with a diving header from John Sydenham’s cross to open the scoring on the half hour and give the hosts a half-time lead.

George O’Brien doubled the advantage, before Terry Paine made it 3-0 from the spot. McGuigan rounded off the scoring with a swinging drive that sealed back-to-back wins for Saints, who had also beaten Swansea 3-0 the previous season at The Dell.

Southampton team: Ron Reynolds, Stuart Williams, Tommy Traynor, Ian White, Tony Knapp, Cliff Huxford, Terry Paine, George O’Brien, George Kirby, John McGuigan, John Sydenham

28th December 1981 Division 1 Southampton 3-1 Swansea City – (Armstrong, Keegan 2)

Kevin Keegan makes it 2-1 to the hosts

Dave Armstrong put Saints into a third minute lead when he curled a cunning free-kick into the net.

Ante Rajkovic levelled up before half-time, but Saints ramped it up in the second half to seal the victory.

Kevin Keegan struck twice in 17 minutes, first by squeezing a home a shot from close range and then swooping to knock in a rebound from Mick Channon’s parried shot for 3-1.

Swansea manager John Toshack conceded: “Southampton gave us a lesson in everything: passing, control, speed of thought and movement.”

Southampton team: Ivan Katalinic, Ivan Golac, Nick Holmes, Steve Williams, Chris Nicholl, Malcolm Waldron, Kevin Keegan, Mick Channon, Steve Moran, Dave Armstrong, Alan Ball

6th October 2013 Premier League Southampton 2-0 Swansea City – (Lallana, Rodriguez)

Lallana fires Saints into the lead at St Mary's

Goals from Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez helped Southampton to victory over Swansea and into the Premier League's top four.

Captain Lallana fired high past Michel Vorm early on, before Saints keeper Artur Boruc saved brilliantly from Michu while Nathan Dyer struck the post.

Swansea rallied after the break, but Rodriguez's late volley sealed the win.

It was a third consecutive win for Mauricio Pochettino’s men, while Swansea’s defeat meant only one win in four.

Southampton team: Artur Boruc, Nathaniel Clyne, Jose Fonte, Dejan Lovren, Danny Fox, Morgan Schneiderlin, Adam Lallana, Steven Davis (Guly do Prado 89), Victor Wanyama, Dani Osvaldo (James Ward-Prowse 58), Rickie Lambert (Jay Rodriguez 68)