Nothing to play for? Somebody forgot to tell Saints that.

Just when you thought there was every chance that Saints might roll over and end the season with a whimper after losing in such gut wrenching fashion in the EFL Cup final, and even when they had the excuse to do just that in their first game post-Wembley at Watford, they produced something to lift the spirits.

Mired in midtable and so deflated after letting a great chance of silverware pass them by, you could hardly have blamed the players if there was an adverse reaction at Vicarage Road.

In truth, most Saints fans who turned up having been at the home of football just six days earlier probably felt vaguely similar themselves.

It’s so easy to say that the players are professionals, their job is to try their best and attempt to win every game they feature in, but that misses one key point. They are human.

They have emotions, like the rest of us. They have personal and collective ups and downs.

And, when you are down, when you are maybe struggling for motivation, as most of us do when we head into work some days, no amount of money or being told how lucky you are is going to pull that around.

The only thing that can rescue you is heart, spirit and determination.

Saints produced that in spades at Watford.

For a team who spent the first half of the season struggling to score goals, they have now netted ten in their last three matches.

For a team who were so mundane to watch for the first half of the season, they are now playing some scintillating stuff with the players having made it back to the 4-2-3-1 formation.

They seem a team rejuvenated, Claude Puel a manager revitalised and with an increasing sense of authority when things had seemed to be slipping away from him. He needs to make that last.

In terms of what Saints are playing for from here, it is really pride.

Of course, league positions equal cash for the club, but with Everton too far away to think at this stage seventh would be a realistic target then the desire to do as well as possible has to be paramount.

It certainly was at Watford.

Saints could have easily have folded like a pack of cards when Watford converted their first two goals, untimely as they were.

And throughout they had to stand up and be counted against a big, strong, physical team, who played a very direct style.

The first goal after just four minutes must have felt like a real punch in the guts with Troy Deeney converting after Stefano Okaka’s lay-off.

Saints didn’t lay down however and worked their way back into the game.

They were knocking on the door time and again and pulled level on 28 minutes.

There was a certain irony to it as well given all the talk over the goal that never was for Manolo Gabbiadini early on at Wembley.

On that occasion Ryan Bertrand probably wasn’t interfering with play and yet was flagged offside.

This time Nathan Redmond probably was and got away with it to further highlight the inconsistencies in offside decision making.

Dusan Tadic tried to thread a pass through to Redmond, the ball was blocked backed to the Serbian and his low drive arrowed into the bottom corner. Redmond, clearly offside, had to jump over the ball to get out of the way as Heurelho Gomes tried to save. That was deemed not interfering this week.

Saints had all the momentum behind them and grabbed the lead just before half time with a stunning team goal.

Redmond, who was unplayable for much of the afternoon, burst forward and laid the ball off to James Ward-Prowse. He turned and found Tadic, who played it back to Redmond, and he produced a pinpoint finish via the inside of the far post.

Saints kept their foot on the gas in the second period and were searching for the goal their dominance deserved to kill the game off, Gomes saving well from Tadic and Maya Yoshida top keep them at bay.

Having not put Watford out of their misery, the Hornets suddenly gained a little belief and it eventually paid off as they made it 2-2 on 79 minutes as Stefano Okaka finished off the cross of Isaac Success at the near post.

Again Saints found themselves at a crossroads, a moment where they could either roll up their sleeves and fight for the win or just go down feeling sorry for themselves.

They chose the former and with two goals in two minutes got the job done.

Manolo Gabbiadini scoring run continued with a poacher’s strike, following up after Gomes spilled Tadic’s drive from distance to become the first Saints player to net in their opening four games for the club.

It was three points in the bag shortly afterwards as Redmond was allowed to make his way into the area far too easily and punished Watford with a vicious shot that Gomes couldn’t get near.

There was still just about time for Watford to scramble one back with Abdoulaye Doucoure turning home but the game was pretty much up by then.

If Saints are to make anything of the remainder of the season then they have just one choice – keep going like this.