RALPH Hasenhuttl believes Danny Ings can sniff out a potential goal from nothing.

The striker was in the right place at the right time to take full advantage of a wayward Martin Kelly pass to net Saints’ equaliser against Crystal Palace.

It was his 14th goal of the season in all competitions, with 12 of those coming in the Premier League.

Hasenhuttl said: “The strange thing is that he is always the person in that situation.

“It means he feels and smells where the opponent can get problems or into trouble.

“I think it is the third or fourth time this season where in a pressing situation he is in the right spot, getting the ball at his feet and score.

“It is not a coincidence. And you have to be calm to score in this moment.”

The draw means Saints can go into 2020 full of confidence after losing just two of their previous eight games.

Four of those matches have been wins, including one away to Chelsea, which has lifted them out of the relegation zone.

Due to the games coming thick and fast, Hasenhuttl knew he would have to rest Ings at some point and chose to do so at Stamford Bridge.

And with the striker making a triumphant return to the starting XI at St Mary’s, the Saints manager felt his choice has been vindicated.

He added: “I think it was the right decision. It was tough for every player, this second game in 48 hours, you could see that they were really fighting, and it was really not easy at the end.

“But I saw a physically better team from my side. Especially after the equaliser when the crowd was waking up a little bit we had our best moments.

“The opponent was really struggling and, in the end, we saw an interesting game.”

Saints will now have a matter of days to prepare for the visit of Jose Mourinho’s Spurs side to St Mary’s.

And after witnessing his team complete a remarkable upturn in both performances and results, the Austrian doesn’t want to see them drop their standards.

“We are much more competitive team at the moment,” reflected Hasenhuttl.

“We have found a way that works and it is not a coincidence now that we are continuously taking points and we are able to force problems for every opponent.

“The guys that are coming know exactly what they have to bring. The level is now clear, the benchmark is clear.

“We will not lean back; we will go further forward and try to extend our performances.”