Charles reacts to his screamer against Oxford United

Midfielder Shea Charles revealed he had been anticipating his moment to unleash a long-range strike ever since he was instructed to hang back during corner kicks.

That opportunity finally arrived in spectacular fashion, as he curled a stunning effort from 35 yards into the top corner, doubling Southampton’s lead in their 2-0 victory over Oxford United on Saturday.

The 22-year-old had to think quickly after Cam Archer’s pass, intended for Tom Fellows, ran through to him, with an Oxford defender closing in fast. Spotting the angle immediately, Charles didn’t hesitate and struck the ball with confidence.

It marks his second sensational goal of 2026, adding to his dramatic late winner against Leicester City. That 96th-minute strike in a thrilling 4-3 comeback win was nominated for February’s Championship Goal of the Month award, though it lost out to Leicester’s Abdul Fatawu.

Still, Charles believes his latest effort might be even better in terms of execution.

“Technically, today’s finish was better,” he admitted after the game at St Mary’s. “But considering the moment, the Leicester goal stands out more—coming from 3-0 down and scoring so late made it special.”

He explained that his role during set pieces had him ready for such a chance. “I’ve been staying back for corners and just waiting for the opportunity to shoot from the edge of the box. When it came, I was under a bit of pressure, but I thought I might as well go for it—and it flew into the net.

“As soon as the ball went past Tom, I knew I was hitting it. He left it for me, I saw the space at the front post, and that was enough.”

His goal helped Southampton secure their ninth win in 12 Championship matches, extending their impressive unbeaten run to 14 games.

“I’m really pleased,” Charles added. “We expected a tough match given how Oxford set up, but getting two early goals made a big difference.

“They can be hard to break down, and with the number of games we’ve played, fatigue can play a role. Once we scored early, they became more compact and focused on not conceding again.

“We knew we had to stay disciplined and avoid mistakes. I think we managed that well before half-time, although we were fortunate when they missed a one-on-one chance.

“That’s the nature of the Championship—if that had gone in, it could have changed everything, and we would have had to respond.”