The jubilant celebrations at St Mary’s at the final whistle as Saints defeated Bournemouth rather said it all.

This was a game Saints felt like they had to win if they were to give themselves a chance of staying up, and they delivered.

Maybe it felt as if some of the celebration was a little over the top when victory still left them in the bottom three, but, nonetheless, it was at least a show of spirit from Saints, which is what they will need if they are to convert this chance they have given themselves into Premier League survival.

They mustn’t lose sight of the fact there is still a long way to go.

Saints are likely to need another couple of wins to do it, or at least must tell themselves that is the case, and that will not be an easy task given they now face two away matches before a season ending game against Manchester City at St Mary’s.

However, there hasn’t been much to get excited about at St Mary’s this year and so you couldn’t really blame anybody too much for the heady levels of elation that were reached.

Taking away from the raw emotion, this was a game Saints did fully deserve to win, and, despite a few nervy moments, mainly did so relatively comfortably.

It did rather help that Bournemouth didn’t really turn up.

There had been a feeling that the Cherries had packed up for the season recently having got enough points to feel their safety was secured.

You felt though that the chance to win a south coast clash with Saints and make a definitive statement about their position as top dogs in the area would be enough to motivate them, but it was not.

They were fairly lame opposition for the majority, they gave the ball away far too easily, and really invited Saints to get the win.

Saints looked briefly as though they might be masters of their own downfall again as they handed Bournemouth a goal just before half time.

Credit where it’s due though, Saints did stand up to the pressure that came on them at times during the game, and, encouragingly, tried to impose themselves on the opposition.

Of course there were some jitters, and they are likely to be tested far more than this during the last three games of the campaign, but you couldn’t ask for any more than them getting a chance to stay up.

Defeat would have extinguished all hope, but for now it remains, and maybe this will spur a little momentum before it’s too late.

The fact they have now dragged Huddersfield back into it, and given their rotten run-in, could also be hugely significant.

Saints owed an awful lot for their win to Dusan Tadic, who was at his imperious best with two goals and some wonderful creative football.

He gave Saints the lead with the first chance of the match on 25 minutes as a quick counter attack from a Bournemouth corner saw Nathan Redmond set Mario Lemina away. Tadic was a man spare and Lemina waited until just the right moment to deliver the pass.

Tadic was in one-on-one and produced a cool finish into the far corner.

Saints really stepped up after that moment and were starting to rue the fact they might miss out on going in at half time 2-0 up as Asmir Begovic saved from Charlie Austin and Lemina.

But just before the break Saints wobbled.

They got away with one as Nathan Ake turned in the area and didn’t get a clean strike to his shot which Alex McCarthy saved with his legs.

There was no let off in stoppage time though as Steve Cook got a run on a static Saints defence to win a header from a corner and Josh King was unmarked to turn into the roof of the net at the far post.

Saints didn’t dwell too long though and retook the lead nine minutes into the second period.

Steve Cook tried, and failed, produce a piece of close control to bring down McCarthy’s punt up the field on his chest.

Tadic stole in to nick the ball, pressed forward and produced a fine left footed toe poked finish across Begovic to make it 2-1.

Saints had opportunities to wrap it up but Shane Long’s touch from Austin’s shot was saved by Begovic, while the Cherries keeper also kept out Ryan Bertrand when Tadic’s wonderful pass presented him with a chance.

Inevitably, there was some late Bournemouth pressure, though even then they hardly convinced they were going to get an equaliser.

Andrew Surman twice shot close but wide, while McCarthy made a save from Ryan Fraser’s deflected shot as the final whistle approached.

In the end Saints did enough, and St Mary’s went truly wild.

Saints must guard against thinking they have done enough already.

This result has to be the start of the survival bid as it is not the end of it just yet.