Saints survival in the Premier League received a massive boost at the DW Stadium tonight as Wigan threw away a half time lead to lose to Swansea City.
A Wigan win tonight would have seen them come within a point of Saints and would have left us going into the last two games only a point above the drop zone, albeit with three clubs buffering us and that dreaded third from bottom spot.
But a see saw game up in Lancashire saw the pendulum swing first one way and then the other before Swansea finally triumphed after nine minutes of injury time, on reflection the Welsh sides winner on 76 minutes knocked the stuffing out of Wigan who had lead twice before finally capitulatiing and the final stages although nerve wracking, didnt really see the bombardment we expected from a Wigan side who even had the strange event of their third and final substitute injuring himself with his first kick off the game and having to go off leaving them with ten men for the last four minutes of normal time plus the nine of stoppage.
But this result is just what Saints needed, it leaves them four above Wigan with only two games to play and with a goal difference of plus 12 better than the Latics and also 3 goals more scored, it will take a mighty effort in their last two games to climb over us, indeed four points probably wouldnt be enough even if we lost both games and that would need them needing to beat Arsenal at the Emirates next Tuesday and then beating Villa on the final day and even then to send us down we would need the three teams below us to get at least two points, although Sunderland could effectively do that by beating us.
This result effectively also puts Stoke safe, again Wigan can equal their 41 points gaines so far and Stoke like us have a big goal difference in their case plus 13 over the Lancashire side, this means that Stoke perhaps wont be such a tough game in the fial game of the season, although on a word of caution look what Swansea did tonight from a similar position.
A good night for Saints tonight and one that takes us a step forward to safety although in this topsy turvy season no one can be sure of staying up in that bottom ten till the final whistle has been kicked.