Saints winning run came to an end, but the unbeaten run is still ongoing, on a night where it was a game too far with the team looking very lacklustre, it felt like a defeat, but the reality was it wasn't and we now need to pick ourselves up and go again.

The evening didn't start well for Southampton when Jack Stephens was forced to withdraw from the starting line up with a calf injury, plunging his hopes of playing at Wembley on Saturday into doubt.

You sensed this had upset the team balance and Bristol City seemed to sense this as they came out of the traps running.

The warning signs were there in the first few minutes, Daniel Peretz needing to make a smart save to stop City taking an early lead after a City player bursting past Nathan Wood and going through one on one.

The warning was not heeded and on 5 minutes the visitors had the lead, a curling cross into the box was almost undefendable and with a City player coming in, Ryan Manning's last ditch attempt to block it only saw him put it into his own net before their man did.

After that we looked out of sort lacking the spark that had seen us through so many games in this run, but on the half hour mark we were back in it, Ryan Manning putting in an an undefendable free kick of his own, and Cyle Larin slotting home from close range.

But if we thought that would dent the Robin's resistance, we would be wrong and the game was locked at 1-1 at half time.

In the second half we looked better and the crowd seemed to be sitting back and waiting for the magic to happen, on came Leo Scienza and Tom Fellows most assumed the show was about to begin.

However just minutes later, City took the lead again, we got caught napping at a corner and Bell flicked his header into the far corner whilst most of our defence stood watching.

This did rouse the crowd a little and with a little over 25 minutes to go we finally started to go up a gear, on 74 minutes, a mazy little run by Tom Fellows ended with a superb hanging cross to the far post and in came Ross Stewart to power home a header.

Surely now we would go on and win the game, but having come this far, City were in no mood to give up a point, even though it meant absolutely nothing to them.

There were chances, Shea Charles seeing a close range volley well saved by the keeper, but we were facing a wall of Bristol City players, that meant the likes of Leo Scienza had no real opportunity to run at the defence and when they did there was always a man behind covering.

We just couldn't get clear chances on goal, City had more efforts on target than us, they had 5 to our 4 and that coming from only 7 touches in our penalty area.

At the end it felt like a defeat, but the reality was it wasn't, we have to get this game in perspective, we have been on a brilliant run, it was going to have to end sometime, but it was only the streak of wins that has ended and we are still on the unbeaten one.

It wasn't a great night for Saints on the pitch, the news filtered through that Millwall had won at Stoke, they are now 3 points ahead with just two games left, Ipswich are level with us and have 2 games in hand, automatic promotion is now going to be difficult to say the least, but this team never gives up to the final whistle of the final game, so you never know.

However there was good news, Hull's failure to win means that we are now virtually assured of a play off spot, something that at the start of the month was far from certain, they and Wrexham are level on 70 points, that is 6 points behind with 2 games left, mathematically they can catch us on points, but with our goal difference being 18 goals better than Wrexham & 20 better than Hull it would need a massive turnaround.

The aim now is to ensure that we finish in 4th place, that is still a tough ask, Middlesbrough are 3 points behind and play Sheffield Wednesday at home this evening, we are 4 goals better off but that will surely evaporate this evening.

So not the evening that we were hoping for, but just a month ago we would have been celebrating if someone had told us we would be in this position today.

Now we have to sit back and hope for the results to go our way before we play again when Ipswich visit next Tuesday.

But before then we have a big day out at Wembley, perhaps this will see our overall unbeaten run ended, but this is a day to celebrate the 50th anniversary of our FA Cup win of 1976, we should savour that opportunity and enjoy it whatever the result.

It is now a week off from Come on you reds and is now COME ON YOU YELLOWS !

All Photos Via Reuters