So this is it.

No more distractions, welcome or otherwise.

No more uncertainties to worry about, dates kept free in the diary, players to have half an eye on a big day out.

Saints have four games left this season and the only thing to play for is Premier League survival.

The situation may look increasingly bleak but at least all minds should be fully focussed on this one goal and nothing else.

In truth, it felt like the FA Cup semi-final was more of a day out for fans, something to reward them for their support during what has been a wretched season.

Certainly for the players it came via a run that has been fairly blessed in a way in which their league campaign has not.

Though there were literally thousands of empty seats in the Saints end at Wembley due to a general weariness of the season, high prices and the reality of the club having had a few trips to the stadium in recent times, there were still a lot of supporters there.

They made their voices heard, and were so colourful, the red and white worn proudly, flags flying throughout the game.

Many expressed the view that they wanted to be there because it might be the last time for a while.

Whether that proves to be correct or not time will tell, but you understand the sentiment that the semis of the FA Cup is a big game, and Saints might not have as many glamour fixtures soon.

All that matters now is the four that lie ahead and the chance to change that mindset.

They go into them in rotten form, with little confidence and with virtually no margin for error, but they know what needs to be done.

And on a day when the result when against them at Wembley in the way many predicted, at least league matches involving relegation rivals didn’t compound the misery.

The major positive to take from the first half was that Saints did at least prevent Chelsea from scoring. They offered so little other than that it was hard to find anything else to provide much cheer.

Chelsea certainly knocked on the door enough, and in truth probably should have converted at some stage.

Olivier Giroud fired over with a shot on the turn early on while Willian was within a whisker when he cut back onto his left foot inside the area and curled in an effort which clipped the top of the crossbar.

Maya Yoshida’s superb last ditch challenge prevented Eden Hazard from turning home from close range while Giroud went close twice more but couldn’t quite find the target with improvised finishes off his knee and an acrobatic scissor kick.

Saints were so deep and pinned back, the wing backs providing no width to leave Shane Long and particularly Charlie Austin virtual spectators.

The only efforts at all for Saints were an early Austin shot on the turn that went well wide and Mario Lemina’s shot from distance that was a comfortable save for Willy Caballero in the Chelsea goal.

The sense of relief at making it in at the break still level lasted all of 28 seconds into the second period before Saints conceded.

It was a horror goal to let in too.

Incredibly, Giroud was able to pick his way past all of Lemina, Yoshida and Cedric Soares before turning home from a couple of yards out with Jan Bednarek having been brought down by McCarthy.

Chelsea tried to seize the moment and almost took the game away but Hazard’s curling effort across goal went wide.

Long had a great chance to try and level up as Austin’s dummy left him in behind but a heavy touch was his undoing.

Hughes changed up the formation and personnel, took a chance by loosing the reigns and it opened the game.

Nathan Redmond’s shot squirmed under Caballero but his half save just about did the job, while there was a moment of controversy as referee Martin Atkinson deemed Austin’s slight backing into the keeper was a foul and ruled out the possibility of a goal if the ball had just about crossed the line before it was flapped away.

For some reason that wasn’t reviewed by video technology, while Saints also felt they should have had a penalty for handball that wasn’t given.

However, after McCarthy had saved from Hazard, Chelsea got a goal to give themselves breathing space.

Cesar Azpilicueta’s cross found Alvaro Morata easing Hoedt off the ball and his downward header went in at the near post.

There were still a few chances left in the game.

Austin hit the far post from a tight angle, Hoedt somehow kept out Morata’s goalbound shot while McCarthy saved from the big striker and from an inadvertent deflection off of the unwitting Hoedt.

Now it’s back to the day to day grind, or at least what remains of it.

There is nothing left for Saints to do other than win some games and try to take matters into their own hands.