Saints’ European hopes were dealt a blow as they were beaten 1-0 at Everton.

Phil Jagielka scored the only goal of the game early in the first half as Ronald Koeman’s side suffered their first defeat in four matches.

With Arsenal and Manchester United also winning it left Saints in sixth place, some eight points off of the top four with seven games remaining and level on goal difference with seventh placed Tottenham who play on Sunday.

It was a disappointing afternoon for Saints who forced Tim Howard into a fantastic early save but then struggled to create further chances, even as they chased an equaliser in the second half.

Everton were straight on the front foot with Aaron Lennon charging forward from the right and working the ball out to Leon Osman on the left. He cut inside and tried his luck with an inswinging right footed shot from 20 yards but it went wide of the far post.

Saints quickly recovered and started to probe away before forcing Tim Howard into a good save on six minutes.

Shane Long made a superb break down the right and whipped in a cross that was met by a deft flick towards goal by Graziano Pelle as he darted to the near post.

It appeared to be looping over Howard and into the goal but the Everton goalkeeper managed to dive and claw the ball back and away from behind him.

Ryan Bertrand was the saviour at the other end, making a superb last ditch challenge to prevent James McCarthy from almost certainly giving Everton the lead as he prepared to shoot eight yards out after being slipped in by Arouna Kone.

However, nobody could stop the Toffees grabbing the lead on 16 minutes.

Saints couldn’t get a touch on the ball from an inswinging left wing corner and the ball broke to Gareth Barry. He slid it in to the centre of the six yard box where Phil Jagielka was able to turn it home.

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Bertrand became the first player in the book after obstructing Lennon.

Saints were struggling to find their early form again and were happy to see Kone head wide after being picked out by a right wing cross from Seamus Coleman.

James Ward-Prowse did threaten with a free kick from 20 yards out but it went narrowly wide.

After being forced off the ball when he almost got in behind Ward-Prowse did test Howard but his fierce strike from outside the area was fairly central and, even though it moved in the air, the Everton stopper was able to beat it away with one hand.

Everton came close again on 34 minutes as Kone crossed from the right and Nathaniel Clyne did well to get the ball behind as Osman attempted a diving header.

Another left wing corner almost caught Saints out again, but this time Jagielka headed over under plenty of pressure from six yards out.

That proved to be the last chance of a half in which Saints had started well but failed to recover their attacking rhythm after falling behind.

The second period started with Saints slightly more in control of the ball but really struggling to create again.

There was very little happening for them in a forward sense and Koeman knew he had to make changes.

He did exactly that on 61 minutes as he made a double substitution with Dusan Tadic and Sadio Mane coming on for Eljero Elia and Ward-Prowse.

Long went into the central attacking midfield role off of Pelle with Tadic on the left and Mane on the right.

Saints had a half chance from a corner on 64 minutes. It was a left wing outswinger from Tadic that Long had to backpedal to get a head to which meant he was not able to get any real power or direction on it and it went well wide.

Saints had an optimistic penalty appeal waved away by referee Lee Mason as Mane broke into the area and bumped into Lennon.

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Everton made their first changes on 70 minutes with Steven Naismith and Muhamed Bresic replacing Kone and Ross Barkley.

Naismith was straight into the thick of the action and was also asking for a penalty as he was challenged by Bertrand but again it was the right call from Mason to turn it down.

Tadic was causing problems in and around the area as he and Mane switched wings and tricked his way down the right and cut the ball back to Pelle but from a difficult angle his first time finish was well wide.

Saints finally created a decent second half chance on 78 minutes as Tadic played a short right wing corner to Clyne whose low cross into the area picked out Jose Fonte 12 yards out.

However, his first time shot flew over the bar.

Koeman made a final change with eight minutes remaining to try and find a goal with Filip Djuricic replacing Toby Alderweireld as Saints switched to playing three at the back with Fonte having Clyne and Bertrand either side of him.

Everton were virtually no threat at all in the second half as they sat back and defended their lead but did win a decent position as Leighton Baines whipped in an inswinging left wing free kick.

It was met by the head of John Stones but he could only steer his effort well wide of the target.

Saints tried to squeeze on some late pressure but couldn’t get hold of the ball for any sustained period to really make it happen.

Pelle lifted over Howard but wide with the flag already raised for offside and that was about as good as it got.

Everton did a sound job of shutting the game down in the final moments and saw it out until the final whistle to grab the win.

In truth it was a flat performance from Saints after the international break and with other results certainly shortens their margin for error in the remaining games.