Ivan Toney scored one goal and set up the other as Brentford beat Southampton 2-0 in the Premier League at a sodden St Mary’s.

The striker converted Christian Norgaard’s flick-on from close range to give the Bees a first-half lead. After the break, Thomas Frank’s side had to do plenty of defending but were rewarded with a goal deep into second-half injury-time through Yoane Wissa.

It was the perfect response from Brentford following last weekend’s defeat at Everton and lifted the Bees to eighth in the Premier League.

Schade makes first Brentford start at St Mary’s

There was a full debut for January arrival Kevin Schade on the right side of attack in place of Mikkel Damsgaard.

Aside from that, Frank kept faith with the side that was narrowly beaten at Everton on Saturday.

The home side made a pair of changes. Ibrahima Diallo lined up alongside James Ward-Prowse in midfield, with Romeo Lavia dropping out.

Mohamed Elyounoussi replaced Theo Walcott on the right side of the hosts’ attacking three behind Che Adams.

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

Subs not used: Cox, Dasilva, Zanka, Ghoddos, Baptiste

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

Subs not used: Caballero, A. Armstrong, S. Armstrong, Mara, Salisu

Attendance: 30,048

The Bees lead at the interval thanks to Toney’s close-range finish

It was an even start in the lashing rain. Both sides were keen to press high, which led to a stretched game from the off.

Aaron Hickey needed to make an important early challenge on Carlos Alcaraz as Southampton broke from a Brentford corner.

Then, when a Brentford charge through the middle was halted unfairly, Mathias Jensen delivered from the right for Schade to loop a header wide of Gavin Bazunu’s goal.

Southampton were taking chances on the ball in the slick conditions and Brentford nearly profited from a poor Bazunu clearance; the ball landed at Vitaly Janelt’s feet, but he slipped at the key moment and sliced wide from 40 yards with the Saints keeper out of position.

From Brentford’s first corner of the night they created an opening but Toney missed his kick when free at the back post.

Joy from set-pieces was a theme that would continue through the evening as, from the next corner, again delivered deep, Ben Mee had a shot blocked before Mbeumo was denied by Bazunu from the recycled cross.

In between, Ward-Prowse tested David Raya’s handling with a cross from deep which evaded everyone and needed to be well claimed at full stretch.

The pattern of the game, with both sides pressing high and looking to play wide, meant there was plenty of space for both sides to attack into. It also meant that both midfields spent a lot of time running back towards their own goals when the press was successfully played through.

One such neat Brentford move allowed Schade to speed down the left, leaving Southampton players in his wake. He drove into the box and cut back for Mbeumo but Armel Bella-Kotchap closed down the angle quickly to make a crucial block.

Having come close with their first two corners, it was third time lucky for the Bees on 32 minutes. The first two chances had come from deep corners but this one was curled into the near post for Norgaard to flick into the path of Toney to prod home at the back post.

The sum of Southampton’s efforts to gain a leveller before the break was an Alcaraz long-range effort which fizzed over Raya’s bar.

Brentford did suffer a blow in first-half injury-time, losing Vitaly Janelt to a hamstring injury. Frank Onyeka replaced him.

Wissa wraps up the points in the final minute of stoppage-time

Southampton knew they had to ask more questions of Raya after the break but found Brentford in no mood to be breached.

The Bees soaked up everything that the Saints threw at them. Ethan Pinnock and Mee repelled countless balls into the box with Norgaard, Onyeka and Jensen sweeping in front of them.

Paul Onuachu was one of those introduced from the bench for the home side but even his 6ft 7in frame did nothing to cause Brentford’s backline any undue alarm.

Hickey cleared a Che Adams shot off the line from Kyle Walker-Peters and Ward-Prowse whipped a free-kick across goal and wide from 25-yards but that was all Southampton created for their second-half pressure.

And as the half went on, Frank’s Bees sensed they could get a second to put the game to bed.

Henry’s shot from a half-cleared corner was blocked before substitute Mikkel Damsgaard brought a low save out of Bazunu from the edge of the box.

Southampton fashioned one final opening for a leveller, but Kamaldeen Sulemana fluffed his lines when a loose ball dropped to him inside the area and sliced his effort well off target.

That was four minutes into the added seven minutes and, in the dying seconds of the additional time, a second Bees goal arrived. Toney won a flick-on just inside the Southampton half, releasing Wissa into space with nobody between him and Bazunu’s goal.

The striker drove to the edge of the box before curling past the stranded keeper and into the bottom corner.

Wissa, quickly joined by his team-mates, wheeled away towards the bedlam that was the away end, having confirmed another hard-earned three points on the road for Frank’s side.

Frank: I loved the bounce-back mentality

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank was delighted to get a win in what he described as a ‘scrappy game’ against Southampton.

Schade hails family spirit

Kevin Schade praised Brentford's togetherness following his first start for the club.