SAINTS manager Nathan Jones was disappointed to not take a single point from their match with Aston Villa, saying: “We are looking a much more solid outfit.”

Ollie Watkins scored the only goal of the game with a header from a free-kick in the 77th minute, after Che Adams and James Ward-Prowse saw efforts ruled out.

The latter came following a VAR check both supporters and Jones have expressed disappointment towards – with uncertainty if it was initially a clear and obvious refereeing error.

It ends a run of three consecutive wins for Saints and means they have lost all three Premier League games at home since Jones’s appointment.

“It’s really disappointing to have the disallowed goal and then concede in the manner which we did, a soft goal with a bit of naivety shown,” Jones admitted.

“That’s the disappointing thing, when you work religiously on something we pride ourself on and it’s costing us at the minute.

“We had a good week and showed we could be an aggressive and potent side, but today we weren’t as potent as we could have been. They’re a good side and it was difficult but once we got to grips with it we were able to create more ourselves.”

He added: “We are looking a much more solid outfit and that’s the really disappointing thing, they haven’t looked a solid outfit for a long time but now we have a platform to win games.

“Then we can work on being clinical and being fluent but we can work on that and if we’re conceding silly goals we wont games, no matter how entertaining we look.

“At the moment, it’s more important to win games than being entertaining. Everyone has to contribute to these performances.

“The players might lack confidence or whatever it is but we need something to turn and today and today we right in the game, it was a marginal thing.

“We think we’ve scored and got the breakthrough, we have a wonderful chance with Adam Armstrong and the keeper makes a save.

“Our keeper didn’t really have anything to save, apart from the goal. That’s the real frustrating thing for us because we’re looking solid, we’re defending better and we’re more aggressive but those little margins are going against us.”

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