STEVE WIGLEY said his side "lacked professionalism" in allowing West Brom a quickfire equaliser.

After a good opening spell, Saints took the lead through Anders Svensson and it seemed they would then cruise to that elusive first league win under Wigley.

But instead some slack defending allowed Robert Earnshaw to equalise almost immediately and then fire the Baggies into a 2-1 half- time lead.

A point was only salvaged by a massively-deflected Svensson shot three minutes from time.

"For the first 30 minutes we played very well and we didn't have any problems," said Wigley, who has now drawn five and lost five of his 10 Premiership games in charge.

"Then we went in front and lacked professionalism because once we'd got in front we needed to steady down, win the ball back, keep it for a while and enjoy the feeling of having a goal lead for a change.

"But a couple of moments of madness, bad defending, basic heading and before you know it your team talk has changed at half-time.

"You're 2-1 down and having to lift people because confidence has gone a little bit."

Having had to adjust his interval team-talk, Wigley told his side to keep the ball on the floor rather than hitting high balls as that was their best hope of levelling.

"At half-time I told them there was only one way out of it - that was to try and pass our way out of it," he revealed. "For a spell most of the players managed to do that but, as the game goes on a bit, we started to play a couple of long balls.

"That was a shame because when we got the ball into Kevin Phillips and Anders Svensson behind their midfield we always looked a threat.

"We kept going like we do and that's the admirable quality of this group of players.

"I said at half-time 'at the minute we're not winners so we'd better make sure we're competitors.'"

He added: "We're having to work hard for everything we've got and we feel sometimes we haven't had the reward for our effort.

"But credit to West Brom as well because having gone a goal down they came and worked very hard.

"Once they got in front they were always going to work hard."