SAINTS boss Ruben Selles praised his side’s spirit while lamenting the ‘details’ that he felt cost them in Monday night’s 4-3 defeat to Nottingham Forest.

Despite a promising start, Saints gave themselves a mountain to climb when sloppy defending allowed the hosts to take a two-goal lead inside 21 minutes.

Charly Alcaraz’s fourth goal since his January move gave Saints a lifeline but Forest regained their two-goal advantage shortly before half-time when Morgan Gibbs-White slotted home from the penalty spot.

READ MORE: Selles told 'calm down' by former Premier League man amid 'anxious' pitchside antics

On a back-and-forth night at the City Ground, Saints made it 3-2 six minutes into the second half as Lyanco headed in his maiden goal for the club. But once again, they were pegged back, this time Danilo finishing a superb Forest move to make it 4-2 with just over 15 minutes left to play.

James Ward-Prowse then made it 4-3 deep into stoppage time with a well-taken penalty but Saints were unable to snatch a late point as they suffered their 23rd defeat of the Premier League season to fall eight points adrift of safety with eight games remaining.

And speaking after the match, Selles was full of praise for the way in which his side approached the game while pointing to the flurry of individual errors that cost them a chance of taking all three points.

"It was really hard. It's really hard for us, that result,” the Spaniard said. “To control the game in the very beginning, we came here with a clear idea what to do. And then in two situations, we gave away two goals. 

“And then it's always a situation to fight back into the game. I think we did it. I think we stayed in the game. I think we saw the togetherness, the work, the things that we want to do, but it's really difficult when we give away the situations like we did today.

Daily Echo: Saints are now winless in their last ten Premier League matches.Saints are now winless in their last ten Premier League matches. (Image: PA)

"We fought back in the game, we scored the goal. The last action in the first half was a penalty again, in a situation that we need to defend better and then it's always difficult. 

“But I think the boys showed character. They wanted to come back, they wanted to play and we were in the game at 3-2. We had some chances and then again, we gave a goal away and again we had the character to come back and put the ball under pressure but there was not enough time."

The bank holiday defeat marked the 13th occasion that Saints have been beaten by one goal in the Premier League this season. It once again displayed Saints’ ability to stay competitive before folding in the crucial moments.

"Well, I think we need to be more robust in the way that we get the game,” Selles told the Daily Echo of why he feels this trend of single-goal defeats has continued all season. 

“We need to be more competitive, we need to want it because as you say, it's just those details, it is just one goal. 

“It is not anybody that played better than us and was dominant against us. It is actually the opposite because I think we had a good first part of the game and I think in a lot of moments we were in control.

"But those key moments that we need to defend better as a team, those key moments are when you control better. And then we emphasised that but unfortunately it happened again today."