Saints overcome first half struggles to defeat Hull

Perhaps it was the sight of the pitch bathed in sunshine that did it, but this had more the feel of an early season match than a crucial one in the run-in.

Even in the stands it wasn’t a full house, the atmosphere was a little more muted. It just felt odd.

Then you get to the game.

For the first 45 minutes it was the strangest performance from Saints.

They were nervy, careless, sloppy. From their technical ability, to keeping possession, from their organisation to even their desire to win second balls, it was very out of character. They were inexplicably poor.

Shane Long rounds Steve Harper in the opening seconds of the game but the chance went begging

You could have been forgiven for thinking their season was all but over and they were planning their holidays, or that they were just extremely nervous. Neither made much sense given the circumstances.

In truth, they were fortunate not to be playing a better team than Hull. If they were to put in that sort of display against many top flight sides they would have been dead and buried by half time.

However, you don’t find yourself in Hull’s position in the league by being particularly ruthless in such situations, and Saints were let off the hook.

They got in at half time where it seems that Ronald Koeman gave his side a rocket, and they came out with a very different mindset and mentality. It was much more like the Saints we have seen this season.

And, sure enough, they had far too much for Hull and in the end were very comfortable 2-0 winners.

These things sometimes happen in football, but they had better not happen again for Saints this season if they are to really round off in style.

James Ward-Prowse slots home from the penalty spot

The table remains deceptive. It seems Saints are out of the top four race but, another couple of wins, and that will certainly change given the fixtures the other sides have coming up.

After the defeat against Everton, perhaps a reason for their hesitancy at the start of the game, Saints had to get three points here to stay within sight.

They eventually achieved that and now have two of their toughest remaining fixtures coming up – away to Stoke and home to Tottenham. Those results will really make or break their chances of being in the very thick of it come the end of May.

Make no mistake though, though the hoopla may not be there because of the league position, and you won’t get the club jumping and down about it, closer analysis of the situation suggests they remain well in it after another three points.

Almost as important as getting the win was who scored the goals. They were significant strikes for both chaps involved.

There has been a lot said about a lack of goals from James Ward-Prowse. He hadn’t scored for the first team for more than three years before the weekend. He had never scored in the Premier League.

Perhaps that explained why, despite being the nominated penalty taker, he seemed to surrender to Sadio Mane’s desire to take the spot kick, won when Shane Long was chopped down by Alex Bruce in the area.

Ward-Prowse is young, and perhaps lacks a bit of self confidence in front of goal, understandable given his barren run. But he is a cracking player, utterly superb from dead ball situations, and should back himself.

Maybe he will in the future, and will simply shove aside potential usurpers such as Mane, having dispatched it so calmly to give Saints the lead on 56 minutes.

Graziano Pelle celebrates his goal with Dusan Tadic and Morgan Schneiderlin

If a lot has been said about Ward-Prowse’s lack of goals, then there has been a deafening torrent when it comes to Graziano Pelle.

It seemed almost hard to believe Pelle had gone 14 Premier League games without a goal.

He put in another good performance against Hull, once more contributing much to the team.

But it seemed another blank was coming his way until with nine minutes to go it all changed.

Dusan Tadic played a lovely ball into Morgan Schneiderlin who cut it back to Pelle. You’d be tempted to say he couldn’t really miss with the keeper all but taken out of the equation and just eight yards out, but given how things have gone for him of late such a statement would certainly have been bold.

Sure enough though he held his nerve and slotted home to seal the win for Saints, and to surely also give him a massively needed boost in confidence.

He is such a confidence player that you wouldn’t bet against him getting on a run now.

Saints could have taken the lead almost straight from the kick-off as a woeful back pass played Shane Long in on goal. He decided to go round the outside of Steve Harper but a heavy touch saw the ball run behind.

As Saints laboured in the first half Sone Aluko threatened a couple of times, while Harper denied Pelle and Toby Alderweireld.

It's all smiles for Ronald Koeman after another Saints win

Kelvin Davis really set up the Saints win with a brilliant save early in the second half from Jake Livermore, diving to his left to just keep the ball out. It was moments later that Saints won the penalty.

Ryan Bertrand cleared a James Chester header off the line, but that was Hull’s only other chance of a second period that could have had the perfect ending as Alderweireld’s cut back found Steven Davis in a great spot in the area, but he fired over the bar.

The sunshine may have made it feel like summer, but Saints need to stay in the here and now for a few more weeks to make this brilliant season truly magical.