STUART Armstrong admits Saints were left "very disappointed" with the decision not to be awarded a free-kick in the build-up to Leicester City's opening goal on Saturday evening.

Saints felt Ibrahima Diallo had been pulled back by Wilfred Ndidi as he looked to break clear for the visitors.

Referee Stuart Attwell waved play on, allowing Leicester to retrieve possession before Youri Tielemans played in James Maddison to score.

The hosts went on to win 2-0 with Harvey Barnes adding a late second.

Asked if he feels Saints should have been awarded a free-kick in the build-up to Maddison's goal, midfielder Armstrong told the Daily Echo: “We were pretty disappointed. We thought there might have been a hint of offside and before that there was definitely a foul on Ibra, which the referee didn’t give.

“We were all very disappointed with that. That’s the frustrating part of the game, when a decision doesn’t go for you and ultimately it leads in a goal."

Discussing the suggestion the incident occurred too long before the ball struck the net for video assistant referee Jonathan Moss to intervene, Armstrong added: “There’s been a lot of talk about VAR and things and because it’s there people expect you to look back on every single piece of play.

“But that was something the referee needs to see.

“We as players feel very strongly. I’ve not seen it back but being there in the flesh only five yards away, I’m pretty sure it was a foul and he didn’t give it. So, very frustrating from our side."

Armstrong himself came within whiskers of finding the net against the Foxes when his second-half effort crashed against the crossbar with the game still well in the balance.

“There was a point I thought it might sneak in but it was not to be," said the Scot.

"There was a couple of other opportunities. We just had to keep pushing and pushing.

“When you’re 1-0 down they always get deeper and more solid. It does make it difficult and it just wasn’t there for us.”