Mark Hughes felt Saints didn’t get what they deserved as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Newcastle.

It was another disappointing day for Saints who failed to take a chance against a Magpies side who created virtually nothing during the entire game.

Hughes said: “It’s disappointing once again in respect of not getting what we deserved.

“We had something like 22 shots and we haven’t been able to convert one of them.

“On the day I felt we were the team looking to win the game.

“Newcastle came here and without a doubt they had watched our games in recent weeks, like against Bournemouth where we tried to press and caused Bournemouth numerous problems as a consequence, and they weren’t going to allow that to happen.

“Every time we tried to press they tried to knock balls over our backline and turn us around so we were consistently looking for momentum in our play. It was difficult to maintain that when teams are turning you around and you are having to start your attacks again.

“I thought we were better in the second half in not allowing that to happen and recognising when the balls were being played into space against us and stopping them on the halfway line and those high positions and that’s why we were able to build momentum at the end of the second half.

“It’s another clean sheet and defensively we look a lot more solid than we did at the start of the season but at the top end of the pitch clearly we need to start scoring goals because that’s stopping us getting rewards for our efforts.”

Saints have failed to score for five Premier League games in a row for the first time since 2001 and when asked how they could turn it around, Hughes replied: “You keep on creating chances which we are doing. We had any number of good chances.

“Right at the end we had a good chance for Shane, we had things bobbling around in the box, sometimes you just need it to hit somebody on the backside and the keeper can’t do anything about it and you see the game out comfortably.

“I think if we would have scored then it would have been an easier day from our point of view.

“The footballing gods aren’t really smiling on us and we have got to keep on going and keep on creating chances.

“Every game we play we are averaging 15-20 shots a game so at some point those chances will be converted into goals so we have got to maintain that focus, maintain that confidence and keep going.”