If there is one team you don't want to play when trying to end a goal drought it is West Brom, it took a special goal to win a horrible game.
Tony Pulis is one of the most odious managers in football, in fact change that, one of the most odious person not just in football but of virtually any other public figure, he puts out teams designed to spoil the game and that was clear from the moment they ran out of the tunnel at St Mary's, they were time wasting in their own warm up such was their desire to run the clock down without conceding a goal and then hope to get one on the break.
Mauricio Pellegrino did little to try and change things himself to end Saints poor form, one change and as good as Steven Davis is, he is not a game changer or in general a scorer or creator of goals.
So with little changed this game followed the same pattern as most of our other fixtures this season, we had the majority of possession, but rarely got any of our players in decent goal scoring positions, with the opposition content to sit back and let us pass the ball around in midfield.
For most of the game Saints looked solid, Fraser Forster juggled a cross to let his critics have a moan, but crucially made the one save he had to, but the issue is not defending it is about creating good chances and once again we failed to do so.
With five minutes left there seemed to be nothing on the horizon to suggest a goal, Pellegrino had thrown on Boufal and Austin four minutes earlier, but that looked a case of too little too late and the odious Pulis was rubbing his hands at the thought of a point.
Then Boufal picked up the ball midway in his own half and ran with it and ran with it, beating five players before stroking the ball into the bottom corner for what was arguably the best ever individual goal scored at St Mary's.
West Brom were broken, there was no late onslaught from them and Saints held out comfortably for all three points to push themselves into the top ten.
Yes it was another dire game, but the goal changes things in that it will inspire confidence, as we move up the table we can start to play not only with more confidence but more importantly without fear.
Boufal's goal showed that Saints have plenty of goal scorers and match winners, the issue is getting them into positions where they can score.
Now Mauricio Pellegrino has to start to show his leadership qualities, we have a trip to Brighton next week followed by a home game against Burnley, both are winnable and the manager has to do what his predecesor failed to, win three games in a row, if we can do that things will look a lot rosier.
So a game where the result matters a lot more than the manner of achieving it, this late goal changed the whole picture, we can start to look up the table rather than over our shoulders.
Last word though to Tony Pulis who had this to say about Boufal's goal in the post match press conference.
"The viewers will see it and think it's a wonderful goal. He's going past five players, one or two you'd hope would do better. It's disappointing."
What a lovely humble man who can lose with good grace !