Just when you thought Saints were through the worst of an injury and suspension crisis up it pops again to make Saints task against Premier league leaders Chelsea that much harder.
Saints fans eagerly awaiting team news for the game against Chelsea expected the side to be depleted by the unavailability of Ryan Bertrand unable to play against his parent club, what they didn't expect though was that his fellow full back Nathaniel Clyne would also be missing, in his case through injury.
This made the task against Chelsea that much harder, but the 90 minutes that was to follow showed that this side under Ronald Koeman not only have adaptability, but they are able to knuckle down and fight with the best of them, the fact was that despite having 61% possession, the visitors would only manage 7 shots in total and i on target.
That 1 shot though was the one that earned them a point, Saints switched off in first half injury time and you just cannot do that against Chelsea, especially Eden Hazard who really should have been marshalled out o the touchline, but instead came back cut inside and fired home.
I said in the preview that perhaps the key for Saints would be pace and if we could get at the ageing John Terry and his back four then we had a chance, this we did in fine fashion in the 17th minute when SadioMane showed that if you play to his strengths he can be devastating when he raced clear of Terry and fired Saints into the lead.
From then on though it would be backs to the wall stuff especially in the second half when Chelsea virtually camped in the Saints half, but this was a performance that showed Saints have steel and although they were ran ragged they stuck to their task and each and every man put in a shift.
Perhaps what helped Saints though and was the reason why Chelsea managed so few shots and only that single one on target was that they always seemed to want one more tough, they always wanted to showboat, beat one more man or try one more trick than was really needed, yes Saints did their job, but my overall view was that what is stopping Chelsea being the side they should be is that they showboat too much.
I noticed throughout the game that too many of their forward players only worked when they had the ball, when they didn't they strolled back nonchantly leaving the defensive work to others and this was perhaps why we got a draw and could have sneaked it with the odd breakaway, it cannot be denied Chelsea are good, but they know that and sometimes forget you have to work at it.
But I did not come hear to tell Chelsea were they are going wrong, the praise has togo to a Saints side that played as a team, Matt Targett it should be remembered was starting for the first time in the Premier League and in a side that had to revamp its formation, one based on two attacking full backs, yet he played like a veteran, of course at times he rode his luck, but he also made it though his sheer guts.
It is hard to pick out a man of the match when so many players did such a fine job and showed just what a good squad we are assembling, our first game of 2014 was on New Years Day at home to a Chelsea side who destroyed us emphatically 3-0 leaving us in 9th place and wondering whether our bubble had burst, just under a year later and we are a different kettle of fish with a battling spirit and the ability to change and adapt that wasn't there last year.
So although a game which in fairness we could have collapsed in and been beaten by the same scoreline as in January, we knuckled down and came through meaning we go into 2015 in third place and with aspirations of a good second half of the season that could see us challenge for a fourth place finish.
A good end to the year and for me the only thing missing was Nathaniel Clyne running on to the pitch at the end in his full kit to celebrate with his team mates, now that would have been irony ith a capital I