Ronald Koeman believes Saints’ 1-0 win at QPR could prove to be a vital moment in the season.

After being hit by a sucker punch defeat at home to Swansea last weekend, Saints bounced back with a victory at Loftus Road.

It came via a Sadio Mane injury time winner but it was a game Saints dominated.

The three points lifted Saints back up to third in the table and Koeman said: “It’s not all about the first four places in the table.

“It’s trying to reach a European position for next season. That will be the target and maybe the seventh place is enough or maybe the sixth place on the table.

“I think the way we play today and for sure the result was very important.

“I think you have always in a season some key moments during the season and one of these was today after the defeat of last week to show our way how we like to play football, to have a good result and that’s very important and very good.

“It’s the fourth win in a row away and that’s fantastic.”

He added: “I think it was a little bit similar to last week. I think we played good football, we were the dominating team until the last ten minutes, we had some good chances but we didn’t score.

“The team was doing very well and I’m proud of the players.

“They made it very difficult, it was really a battle and it wasn’t a 0-0 game because there were a lot of battles in the midfield, some good chances for Southampton and later QPR and finally maybe the most lucky because ten minutes before the end Fraser had a fantastic save by 0-0.

“We scored finally the winning goal, I think well deserved and a great spirit of the players and after last week it’s a great feeling.

“If you score in the last minute even with a draw I was happy with the performance of the players and a little bit more now with the three points.”