Saints came from behind to beat Hull 2-1 at St Mary’s and extend their cushion over the play-off places to eight points.

Nigel Adkins’ team fell behind two minutes before half time as Robert Koren scored after a smart save from Kelvin Davis.

However, Saints staged a second half revival to make it 21 home wins on the spin in all competitions.

Guly Do Prado levelled the scores two minutes after the restart before Adam Lallana bagged what proved to be the winner with a header from Frazer Richardson’s cross on 55 minutes.

Hull’s chances were dented by a late red card for Robbie Brady.

The win means Saints have joined the all-time top ten for most consecutive home league wins and, while West Ham also won to keep Saints just about within sight, the gap between them and the play-offs places has suddenly become a chasm.