IT WAS a crunch match for Saints that saw one Southampton pub crowned champion.

The Hinkler Pub, in Thornhill , has won a prestigious national award thanks to the electric atmosphere created by Saints fans as they cheered their team on during their charge for the Premier League .

The Hinkler Road watering hole has been crowned Marstons Community Pub of the Year to the delight of staff and punters who have helped to turn the pub around in the last five years.

When landlady Tracey Atwood first realised the judge had arrived to score the pub on the day of Saints’ vital promotion clash against Middlesbrough, in April, she was worried that the noise would go against them and was not expecting good news.

But it was the passion and lively atmosphere that impressed the judge, who instead of staying for just 30 minutes stayed for four hours to enjoy the match day party.

The match actually ended in a 2-1 defeat for Saints, a result that took their promotion push down to the final day of the season when they finally sealed their Premier League place by thrashing Coventry 4-0.

Tracey, who had run the pub with her partner John Horrocks for five years, said: “We weren’t expecting it so it was brilliant to be crowned winners.

“I was worried that the cheering and men jumping on chairs during the match wouldn’t have gone down well with the judge but he said that this was what a good community pub was all about.

“This pub has had a bad reputation in the past but with the help of our customers we are turning things around. It really is a team effort here.”