RUPERT LOWE has spoken of his delight at Saints' FA Cup progress - but warned the club's final Premiership position remains the priority.

The Saints chairman has seen Saints slip to tenth in the table from fifth in January, after taking just nine points from their past ten matches.

That compares with having won 19 points from their previous ten matches and 15 from the ten games before that.

With every Premiership position worth around £500,000, a good finish could provide another financial windfall.

Lowe said: "If things are not good now for us, they will never be very good. The club has done very well to get to where we have in the Cup, but I think we've still got some work to do in the league.

"That is our main business and it is important we make the best of the next three games. The league must not be overlooked in place of the excitement that goes with the Cup.

"Everyone at the club is delighted to have got to the Cup final and we are all looking forward to May 17, but as a club you can't afford to overlook your main business and for us that is the league."

Maximum points in the final three games could, mathematically, push Saints to seventh and their highest league position since 1990, but they also still face the possibility of finishing as low as 15th.

The three final matches are all potentially difficult.

Bolton are currently fighting to maintain their Premiership status, Arsenal are gunning for the title, while Manchester City will be determined to win the final league match of the season - their last at Maine Road.

Lowe said: "It is a big game this weekend against Bolton, and then Arsenal and Manchester City are important games.

"Winning is a habit and a good one to catch."

The Saints chairman predicted at the start of the season that UEFA Cup qualification was feasible and, while full of praise for manager Gordon Strachan, stressed he always felt that level of success was possible.

"The team haven't exceeded what I expected at the start of the season," he said.

"In football you keep building your squad and can never be entirely certain when success is going to happen but if you get the building blocks right then you put yourself in a position where it can happen.

"Overall the club is getting stronger, we have a good squad and they are coached very well by Gordon and his staff."

Lowe also sent his congratulations to south coast neighbours Portsmouth on their achievement in winning the Division One title.

"It's great for south coast football," he said.

"It is a great achievement. Milan Mandaric has put in a lot of money and Harry Redknapp has done a great job. "When the clubs meet we hope it will be a great occasion played in the correct spirit and that we will get six points!

"We want people to behave sensibly like they did for the semi-final of the Cup and enjoy the game in the right atmosphere."

Saints have confirmed they are seeking an explanation for why there was a section of empty seats at the FA Cup semi-final with Watford.

Lowe said: "The turnout was great, although we were disappointed that there was spare seats that were not sold.

"We have written to the Premier League and the Football League to find out how that situation can happen when so many supporters from both clubs would have loved to be there.

"It's the FA's competition and at the end of the day they dictate seats."