MATT Targett believes Saints have been given a timely boost by the return of Danny Ings.

Ings was sensational for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side when he made his comeback in the 3-2 victory over Arsenal.

The striker has been out of action after suffering a hamstring injury in the 1-1 draw with Watford and hasn’t been seen in a Saints shirt since.

But he returned to the fold on Saturday and bagged two goals either side of half-time and Targett insists Ings will only get better.

Targett said: “He is a massive player for us.

“When we can get him on the pitch and playing, it’s a massive boost for us.

“Hopefully, he can stay fit for a long time and continue to score goals for us.

“We tried to push it and get him back for the Fulham game, but it backfired a little bit.

“It was nice to have him back, even though he isn’t 100 per cent fit yet.

“That fitness will continue coming with more games, and hopefully, he can carry on scoring.”

Saints had mastered the art of throwing away leads and when Arsenal equalised for the second time, it looked as though the Gunners would score a third and secure three points.

But Hasenhuttl’s animated presence in the technical area meant he wasn’t going to ever allow his side to sit deep and invite pressure on the defence.

The Austrian proved to not only be a motivator, but also a shrewd tactician when his second half substitutes came on and won the game for Saints.

“It was more difficult in the second half,” Targett added.

“We gave a lot in the first half and we used a lot of energy, so we had to dig in and stick together as a team.

“Charlie [Austin] and Shane [Long] came off the bench and made the difference when Long played a lovely ball to Austin and thankfully he nodded it home.”

With the unexpected win, Targett is keen to turn St Mary’s into a stadium that visiting teams won’t enjoy playing at.

The defender admitted that it was the loudest he had heard it in a while.

Targett said: “St Mary’s was rocking, and the atmosphere was great.

“Hopefully, we can turn it into a fortress.

“Recently, teams think they can come here and play nice football against us and it will be an easy place for them to come.

“But, we have got to change that as players and make it as difficult as possible for them.”