It spoke volumes that the loudest cheer of the day from the travelling Cardiff fans came at half-time when it was announced that two trains back to Wales after the match had been cancelled. Gallows humour had long kicked in by then.
Adam Armstrong’s four-minute brace right in front of them had iced an already bitterly cold afternoon on the south coast.
His first was a goal to marvel at. Teed up just inside the area by Carlos Alcaraz, Armstrong took one motion to sort his feet out before bending the ball into the top right corner of Alex Runarsson’s goal.