It was agony at the end, but Saints put in a performance that gives hope for the rest of the season and Saints fans can again be proud of their team.
The game was always going to be about City's attack versus our defence, the question would they swamp us with goals or could we get a result even if it was a defeat that we could build on.
Ralph Hasenhuttl made changes from the side at the Etihad a few days earlier and it had a more balanced look about it.
The pattern was set from the start, but it would be Saints who would ht the first goal, the pace of Nathan Redmond & Danny Ings was always going to offer more than we had on Tuesday and we were at least getting out of our own half.
A good move saw Armstrong's shot firm but straight at the keeper, but James Ward Prowse had followed in and as the ball was spilled he banged the rebound into the net to give Saints an unlikely lead.
The pattern then returned to normal and we were spending most of our time in our own half on the edge of the penalty box, but City were trying to walk the ball in, they were passing and passing, but they could not find a way past our resolute bank of players.
But some of our old traits were there and when they did put the ball in the box we often struggled to deal with it with some poor marking etc, but we got away with it by battling.
With 20 minutes to go we were starting to believe, but we were giving the ball away too cheaply and we were going to pay for that and City got to the byeline and pulled the ball back to find Aquero unmarked who fired under McCarthy to equalise.
City poured forward but we stayed firm and with three minutes left looked like we might see the game out, a City cross from the touchline looked innocuous, but sadly Alex McCarthy came and flapped at it and his slight touch diverted it down to Walker who fired home to give City a win they deserved but a defeat that Saints didn't.
There were many plus points to take from this, Pierre Hojbjerg and James Ward Prowse have got a lot of stick on social media of late but both put in great performances and led the way.
Overall this gives us something to build on and the spirit has returned, however it should be tempered with the fact that a lot of our problems in the back line remain, the three central defenders played well, but they were far from tight at times and got through with a combination of sheer battle, luck and some poor finishing from City.
No one would have put money on us being in this game to the final minutes and although a point would have been brilliant, sometimes it is the performance that can be worth more than a point.
Next Saturday is a big big game, it needs a packed St Mary's all behind the team to help them to all three points, the Leicester result should be forgiven and forgotten, we need to move forward not back.