Saints turned the jeers to cheers with an heroic display packed with power and passion to regain their lost self-respect and leave Liverpool struggling to qualify for the Champions League.

Just eight days after booing their side from the pitch, the Southampton supporters were able to give their team a standing ovation after an intensely committed performance which had "Debt paid in full" stamped all over it.

Meanwhile bewildered and deeply frustrated Liverpool fans could be heard asking each other why the hell Saints were battling so hard with nothing to play for.

The answer could be summed up in one word - Pride.

The players had been badly stung by the criticism of their low-key displays in their last two games and they owed themselves and their followers a big response.

No-one, not even the harshest critic, could have asked for more in terms of heart and effort as every one of the team dug in and battled as though their lives depended on it.

It was a traditional May display from Saints who fought with the same intensity they have always shown at this time of year in relegation battles.

It was almost as though they needed a draw for survival, so strongly did they fight for this jealously-guarded point.

And the measure of their endeavour is that they came away disappointed not to have won on a ground where last season they were hammered 7-1.

There was an element of redemption for that woeful day too in this whole-hearted display which almost brought victory.

The national media, the Liverpool lap-dogs and arrogant Scousers will tell you that Gerard Houllier's side had an off-day, that they were below par and going through a poor patch.

Despite fielding an adventurous line-up, they have now gone six and a half hours without a goal and four games without a win.

But to say this was a Liverpool let-down would be an insult to the commitment of the Southampton players allied to a tactical game-plan which worked to perfection.

Glenn Hoddle packed the midfield with strong runners capable of both stifling the home side and bombing forward themselves. It was 4-4-2 going forward and 4-5-1 when the Merseysiders had the ball.

Front-runners Marian Pahars and Kevin Davies alternated in dropping back down the right flank to further bolster the resistance movement.

Right from the off Saints dug in and threw bodies in the way of every red shirt to neutralise any threat in its formative stage.

But don't think this was just a negative rearguard action by players with nothing more to offer than raw courage. This was a highly intelligent as well as brave display.

Their reading of the game was immaculate, none more so than Tahar El Khalej in the heart of defence and Matthew Oakley in midfield.

The Moroccan anticipated every threat, repeatedly nipping in to nick the ball away as the home side tried to interpass their way through to the Southampton area.

In front of him Matthew Oakley was magnificent in his awareness, vision and distribution alongside Trond Soltvedt who staked a strong claim to be part of Hoddle's rebuilding plans with a dynamic display.

With full-blooded back-up from Jo Tessem and Hassan Kachloul, Saints took a stranglehold on midfield which the Merseysiders were unable to loosen all match.

By midway through the first half the home fans were becoming first restless, then edgy and finally distinctly panicky.

An edge of desperation crept into Liverpool's play as the Kop urged them forward, sensing that the coveted return to Europe's premier competition was slipping through their grasp.

That played right into the hands of Hoddle's team who never once let their composure or commitment drop.

Jason Dodd and the ever-improving Wayne Bridge worked tirelessly patrolling the flanks to ensure that the mighty Merseysiders never once got behind them.

Liverpool struggled to find their way through the midfield minefield and found it equally hard to skirt round.

It meant they were mainly limited to hitting hopeful long-range efforts which grew increasingly desperate and therefore uncontrolled or to pump in long-range artillery shells.

Those were easy pickings for El Khalej and Richards who nodded everything away to ensure £11 million-man Emile Heskey posed little or no threat apart from one bad miss scooped over in the final minute.

Behind them Neil Moss was in commanding form. He tipped away a 20-yard drive by Titi Camara on 39 minutes and then beat away a good 15-yard shot on the turn by robbie fowler four minutes after the break.

Moss also competently stopped 25-yard efforts from Jamie Carragher, Patrik Berger and Camara again and, when David Thompson had a rare free header eight minutes from time, Moss caught it under the bar as the home fans prepared for a release of tension.

His handling was impeccable too. He confidently came and caught virtually every cross even under severe physical pressure and when in doubt he punched it out.

On the one occasion he was beaten three minutes from the end, the header by Stephane Henchoz clipped the top of the bar.

But, for all their defensive strength, this was no one-sided flukey draw because Saints had the better chances and might well have won it.

The best two fell to Jo Tessem. On 33 minutes he climbed well above Dominic Matteo to meet Hassan Kachloul's cross with a powerful header but Sander Westerveld reacted well to tip over.

Nine minutes after the break a cute back-heel from Marian Pahars sent Tessem clean through on goal but Westerveld was off his line fast to block at close range. The loose ball came too fast and too high for Kachloul to keep a difficult 15-yard volley down.

The lively Kachloul had a terrific 15-yard volley on the turn saved well and he should have had a penalty on 17 minutes when his cross was clearly handled by Rigobert Song.

Soltvedt almost won it near the finish with a 25-yard shot which flashed narrowly wide but still Saints were more than happy with the point - which proved a point.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.