Southampton boss Russell Martin was in no doubt that his team shouldn’t have been beaten by the Blues.

Jeremy Sarmiento netted a dramatic 97th-minute winner for Town to take Kieran McKenna’s side back to the top of the table and all but end the Saints’ hopes of automatic promotion.

“We were the best team. We didn't deserve to lose,” the former Norwich City man insisted.

“We had 17 shots, five huge chances but missed three. They had relatively little until late on.

“We responded well until we conceded a poor goal, if you were watching the game you would know we were the dominant team and should win the game with two massive chances.

“Then we go down to 10 men and we responded well even at 2-2. Brooksy [David Brooks] goes through in the box and nearly squares it for 3-2.

“It was a brilliant performance and if we play like that between now and the end of the season we will be fine. 

“It gives me huge amounts of confidence and encouragement about what is to come. We played brilliantly tonight, nobody can say anything else.

“I am not saying it’s not a blow, it hurts a lot, but we will only know how much of a blow it was in four weeks.

“It hurts but I don’t know if [automatic promotion’s] gone, we have eight games and if we play like that I really think we can win all eight.

“That would put us on 98 points and I don’t think anyone has not got promoted on that, so we will aim for that while it’s still there.”

Regarding his team failing to take chances, he added: “It’s not a technical thing, they can all score. Sometimes it was great defending or goalkeeping, maybe it’s just a lack of composure in certain times. 

“We have also conceded goals we shouldn’t have conceded, so I am not going to blame anyone. We have scored a lot of goals this season so I don’t think it’s been a problem until now.”

Regarding James Bree’s 85th minute red card for bringing down Leif Davis when the left-back was in on goal, Martin added: “I think Taylor [Harwood-Bellis] is getting there but I have only seen it once so I don’t know.”

Quizzed on reports that Saints director of football Jason Wilcox has resigned to take up a role with Manchester United, Martin spikily responded: “Give me more than 10 minutes to get over tonight’s disappointment, and I’ll have more for you.

“You know my feelings on Jason, I have just had a text saying how proud he was of the performance. Once I know more I’ll tell you.”

Photo: TWTD

dyersdream added 22:52 - Apr 1 Awwww didums
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Bluedocker added 22:54 - Apr 1 Tough titty ya budgie b@stard
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bluesman added 22:54 - Apr 1 Weell there are 97 minutes in a football match and Town were the better side for about 30 of them. But more importantly our forwards used our minutes to put the ball in the net. Especially the last one! Unbelievable.
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Gforce added 22:55 - Apr 1 Those grapes he ate,must have been very sour.
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Carberry added 22:58 - Apr 1 Hey, that's football for you, Russell.
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TractorfactorSteve added 22:59 - Apr 1 Didn't score as many and conceded more. Deserved to win? Plonker.
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churchmans added 23:00 - Apr 1 He was in terms of the first 60mins they totally dominated and controlled us! But this is football! There is no script to follow! It is 90+minutes of skill,fitness,belief And we turned up when it mattered! We thoroughly deserved the win but I will sat this.... Whatever leauge we are in next year the defensive has to have changes! As there getting baled out on a regular basis! I was nearly in tears so emotional

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Edmundo added 23:00 - Apr 1 Good manager but naive compared to our Kieran. His team ran out of steam last 25 minutes. Ours didn't. COYB!
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peckam added 23:01 - Apr 1 Wow! Better team 1st half but not 2nd. Town hunted them down all over the pitch from the start of the 2nd half. He’s a very bitter man. Also deluded if they were brilliant 2nd half. Perhaps he is jealous that we have just doubled them!! Does he like Murphy’s?? Uppa Towen!!
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62WasBest added 23:13 - Apr 1 Martin. This isn't ice dancing. You don't get points for style, nor do you get what you believe you deserve. You get points for not being beaten and even more points for legally getting the ball in the net more times than the opposition. The rules are quite simple really.
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barrystedmunds added 23:25 - Apr 1 I think it’s clear to everyone that the three relegated teams have by far the most technically gifted squads with premier league savvy to back it up BUT there’s other factors at work here. We have shown that while we may not have the glitzy lineups, boy do we have team spirit and desire. He does himself no favours with his comments and being a bit more magnanimous in defeat might have been a better option.

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pennblue added 23:26 - Apr 1 credit where it is due, Southampton were outstanding 1st half and deserved something from the game and it was a fantastic game of football to remember. I can understand he is upset, trouble is he will likely rest players against Leeds and Leicester now
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Karlosfandangal added 23:27 - Apr 1 So all Town have to do is win 4 games and they will have 99 points so that’s us up Too then Mr Martin. Poor Leeds and Leicester O I bet you wish it was that easy, you played well and put us under for an hour. You will play us or Leeds or Leicester in the play off final
0

chepstowblue added 23:42 - Apr 1 He isn't wrong. For 65mins we didn't deserve to be on the same pitch as them, and were sleepwalking our way to an inevitable defeat. We seem to lull teams into a false sense of security, but from next to nowhere we summon up these extraordinary powers of recovery when all seems lost. This particular game is even harder to explain than Leicester, WBA, or Bristol City. Remarkable resilience.

4

shakytown added 23:59 - Apr 1 It's a 95 + minute game these days you whiny little scummer.
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Dissboyitfc added 00:00 - Apr 2 Showing his Norwich colours.The bloke lacks class, what a poor loser! they were the better team 1st half and we the better team 2nd half and over the 97 mins we scored 3 and they scored 2 that equals 3 points! We doubled them and ended their chances of automatic promotion, Sweet!
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ArchiRob added 00:05 - Apr 2 The Ipswich players definitely had best Attitude and application - by a mile.
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Europablue added 01:09 - Apr 2 They only started outplaying us really after they scored their first goal. I don't think you will see a poorer goal than the one we conceded for their equalizer. Davis was all over the place and didn't get back out to make an easy offside and I don't know why Tuanzabe didn't get to the ball first. Their other goal was well worked taking advantage of Davis messing up his positioning. We didn't score a poor goal, although they really should have cleared the ball better then Morsy wouldn't have got a chance to make the pass to Davis. I was just begging to get in at 2-1 down at half time. Losing Moore during the first half messed up our shape against a very talented group of players who just aren't up to our standards as a team. It is a very bad reflection on the manager that your players frequently get into good positions and make good chances but don't score. KM is very humble and will learn from the poorer parts of our play, but I don't see Southampton winning 8 in a row if the manager just says play exactly the same way again in the next 8 games. I'll be supporting Southampton against Leicester and Leeds. They certainly could get results in those games, and on their day are capable of beating anyone, they just didn't have the legs to challenge two exceptional teams and Leicester.

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WonTheCupin78 added 05:32 - Apr 2 Southampton were outstanding in the first half and if I'd been neutral I would have said were a joy to watch. Second half very different story. Once we got the equaliser felt all the momentum was with us.
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waldenblue7 added 06:07 - Apr 2 Thankyou very much for the six points Russell, thankyou very very much, thankyou very much for the six points Russell, thankyou very very very much….
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martin587 added 06:20 - Apr 2 Well MR.Martin we scored more goals than you and finished the stronger so we were the better side.WE WON.
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Saxonblue74 added 06:23 - Apr 2 Never stopped with his whining and swearing at officials despite so many decisions going their way. As he said, on many occasions great goalkeeping and defending scuppered them. Football is played in your own pen area as well as the oppositions and had he considered that they may have set up differently for the last 30 mins against the leagues top scorers/most late goals/most points from losing positions. He has a lot to learn. Called it a must win before the game but now "they'll be fine" if they play like that? Make your mind up!

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Fat_Boy_Tim added 07:13 - Apr 2 Small thing, but the reason their defender (Harwood-Bellis) was covering for the red card is because Lief was pulled back then on the floor. If he hadn’t been touched he’d have been one on one with the keeper. Same thing can be said for Al-Hamadi, a defender was level but never catching him if he wasn’t fouled, it only after he was dumped on the floor that the defender got behind. Defenders know that and make a song and dance about ‘covering’ after the foul. I think the ref bottles it with just a yellow on the second one. (Hmm, bigger thing than I thought!)

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ArnieM added 07:15 - Apr 2 Yes Mr Martin, your Saints side were the best team for 60 mins. Problem is the game lasts for more than 90 mins these days. Your boys ran out of steam ….. or thought you’d done enough to win!
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blueboy1981 added 07:24 - Apr 2 You cannot make a fair comment on here, but here goes at the risk of the normal. Southampton are a very good Team which they proved, they also have a very good Manager - which gives us credit in beating them, and not at our best ! Job Done.
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