How quickly things can change in football.

After Saturday’s games there was a sense of dread and doom about St Mary’s.

Results had dumped Saints into the bottom three, on a run of ten Premier League matches without a win, and having to face a Tottenham side on great form, and who had thumped them 5-2 just a few weeks earlier.

Come Sunday evening Saints were still in the bottom three, but how different the mood felt.

Gone were the storm clouds, replaced by rays of light.

Saints finally gave their fans what they needed, a performance, a full 90 minutes, of great play, energy and fight, as they more than matched Tottenham and got a very creditable point.

So often the final whistle at St Mary’s this season has brought with it boos, jeers and recriminations.

This time it was applause, chanting, and, most importantly, pride.

The players showed it and it was replicated by the fans.

If Saints are to get out of this it’s exactly what is required.

Mauricio Pellegrino needs above all support, both from the club, in terms of finally delivering new signings that ideally would have arrived already, and supporters.

At least he seems have to have got into his players that they are in a fight now.

Perhaps the reality dawned on everybody when the league table panned out as it did on Saturday.

You can just about stay blinkered while you have your head above water, but once you start to take it on board the reality becomes very stark.

It is still not too late in the season to do something about it, but the time for action had arrived, and Saints stepped up.

Saints came out at the start of the game with intensity and determination.

They weren’t afraid to press Tottenham high up the pitch, somewhat playing them at their own game, and went toe-to-toe with their in-form opponents.

It paid dividends too.

Manolo Gabbiadini set the tone after only 13 seconds with a shot that required a save from Michel Vorm, while had Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg been more ruthless then he might have got on the scoresheet.

Dusan Tadic put in two good balls, the first of which Hojbjerg had not anticipated might come to the far post and his run was too late, while later he got in at the near post but failed to make contact when he might have turned home.

Saints got the goal their pressure deserved on 15 minutes.

Ryan Bertrand’s sprint down the left and low cross was met by Davinson Sanchez sliding in at the near post to try and cut it out, but he made a mess of it and the ball went into his own net via the inside of the woodwork.

Saints needed to try and consolidate and were given a warning shot as an outswinging Ben Davies corner was half volleyed onto the post by Eric Dier just two minutes after they had taken the lead.

Just moments later the game was level.

This time it was an inswinging corner from Davies, Harry Kane shoved off the attentions of Jack Stephens and outjumped Gabbiadini in the middle of the six yard box for a simple header home just 197 seconds after Saints had netted.

Both teams had a decent chance before the break but Moussa Sissoko volleyed wide from a drilled Davies shot, while Stephens headed off target when he had the chance to pick his spot from a James Ward-Prowse free kick.

Both keepers also had to make saves, Alex McCarthy blocking from Dier and Mario Lemina’s effort stopped by Vorm.

While it perhaps shouldn’t have been a huge surprise that Saints produced a good first half given their recent performances, the trend over the last few weeks in particular has been for the second period to be a more deflating affair.

Saints have been accused of sitting back, of not remaining positive, though that has surely been as much to do with confidence as it has tactics.

So it was encouraging then to see them making a conscious effort to continue to press.

In truth there wasn’t too much in it for a long period of the half as both sides were restricted to efforts from distance as Vorm saved from Ward-Prowse and Gabbiadini, while Dele Alli’s low drive whistled wide.

The game did have a pulsating finish, and really could have gone either way.

Erik Lamela couldn’t convert at the near post for Spurs, thanks largely to great defending from Jack Stephens, while Saints almost had a fairy-tale moment.

With Shane Long out with flu, there was an unexpected chance for 17-year-old academy product Michael Obafemi.

He was introduced with eight minutes remaining and got a dream opening as Tadic crossed low from the right and Obafemi found himself unmarked six yards out.

However, he could not make anything like a clean contact and the ball went well wide.

Up the other end Kane had the chance to shoot in the area, but just when you expected yet another goal, he fired wide.

The reaction from the Saints supporters as the team walked off told you all you needed to know. The fightback may just have started.