Saints boss Nigel Adkins has challenged his players to continue their impressive away form at draw specialists Hull City.

Adkins takes his players to the KC Stadium to face a Hull side that has drawn seven of its last nine games.

“We’re taking one game at a time, we know we’re very good at St Mary’s but we’re picking up victories away from home,” Adkins, pictured, said.

“The desire is there to win games which as everyone knows is the hardest thing in the world to do.

“We didn’t just want an away draw (at Millwall), we wanted to win the game and we had the resolve to do that.

“But Hull will also be well organised.”

Hull manager Nick Barmby had only been in charge for a couple of weeks when Saints came from behind to beat his side 2-1 in November. “It was a very good game at St Mary’s, it was an exceptional ten minutes that won us the game,” said Adkins, recalling the goals by Guly Do Prado and Adam Lallana at the start of that second half.

“Nicky’s done a great job there, they don’t concede many goals and they’re set out with a very good defensive 4-3-2-1 formation.

“But they’ve got goals in the team as well and they’ll be a threat.”

The KC Stadium is also the home of Hull F.C.’s rugby league players, who beat Widnes Vikings 58-10 on Sunday afternoon.

“Will having a rugby match played on the pitch this weekend reflect on how the game’s played? I don’t know,” Adkins continued. “But what we do know is that it will be just as challenging a game as we had at Millwall. We have to work very hard to endeavour to keep a clean sheet and break down another very well organised team.”

See today's Southern Daily Echo for a full big match preview.