Ronald Koeman believes his team’s first half display against Bournemouth was their best 45 minutes for more than a year.

Saints blitzed the Cherries in the opening period of their first top flight meeting, and led 2-0 at the break, with the scoreline staying that way until the final whistle.

Though the second half was a slightly different story, Saints had done all they needed to secure the three points.

Koeman said: “I think it was the best 45 minutes, maybe the best in more than one year, because with a high tempo we had good ball possession.

“If you watch the two goals it’s all about the high quality of football and I am very pleased about that.

“We know still we have to learn from mistakes.

“We know you get a reaction of the opponent after half time, it’s normal, and how you deal with that reaction, keep it winning battles, that confidence on the ball, ok we can do it better than we did in the second half.”

Despite that turnaround after half time Koeman insisted he was not frustrated by his team’s second half display.

“Not disappointed,” he said. “Why?

“We know it’s I think impossible to play 95 minutes at the way how we play the first 45 because you get always a reaction of the opponent and that makes it difficult.

“Of course we had not that domination in the game second half, we lost more battles, we lost more passes and it was not the same.

“Also depending the opponent who put everything in the second half.

“We have a good example against Leicester as we learn from the Leicester game.

“They didn’t create, maybe one chance, one opportunity, good save by Maarten Stekelenburg, but of course we like to continue playing, to be more dangerous like the first half.

“To play 95 minutes on that level what we showed in the first half in my opinion is impossible.”

A prime example of Saints’ first half excellence was the opening goal scored by Steven Davis after some simply wonderful football in the build-up.

It certainly pleased Koeman and was the result of plenty of hard work on the training ground.

“Always our sessions is about football,” reflected Koeman.

“Of course we need good defending, we need good organisation, but if you see that moment good movements, good passing, overlapping from the left full back Ryan and Steven was on the moment to score the first goal.

“Great goal, great movements, and that’s how we like to play football.

“It’s difficult because also depending the opponent.”