A big game for both clubs as the Tractor Boys look to secure a win that will all but guarantee automatic promotion, whilst Saints look to firstly take a giant step towards finishing in the top 4 and secondly taking their own slim chances of going up automatically to the final day. We have a goal to achieve this evening

It has been a fascinating end of the season in the Championship at the top end of the table, whilst Coventry are now already up, the 7 clubs behind them will all go into the final day with something to play for.

As mentioned Ipswich could secure promotion tonight, a one goal win over Saints would leave them 3 points ahead of Millwall for the final day fixture, but they will have a minimum +18 goal difference and there is no way that could be overturned.

But a Saints win could put us in with a slim chance on the final day but we would need both Ipswich at home to QPR & Millwall at home to relegated Oxford to both fail to win and then achieve a better result than Middlesbrough, which might prove easier as they are away at Wrexham who along with Hull & Derby could take the final play off place.

So tonight is not a mere formality for either side.

Ipswich manager Keiran Mckenna has already complained that his side are fatigued after a tough April, but Tonda Eckert is not making any such excuse, the moment the final whistle went at Wembley on Saturday he will have started to prepare his squad for this game.

He will be telling them that they have shown the nation that they can take on the best team in the land and give them a fright and that now they have to do it again.

I don't know exactly what Eckert does on the training ground and in the dressing room, but it has turned his squad into a well drilled unit, that can win games week after week and grind out results.

In contrast Ipswich after a great run that took them into the top two, have faltered in recent weeks, they have won just once in the last two games, drawn two and lost one, but the faltering started back in March when they had a little run of four games where they drew three and won only one.

That shows a dogged side that although has only won four games out of the last ten, has drawn five and lost only once.

They are hard to beat, but they are a side that are struggling to win, they are suffering the fatigue that their manager has complained of, but I would also suspect that their spirit and confidence is low.

We would hope that mentally they are a little frail, they come to St Mary's knowing that they face the best side bar none in the Championship over the last 17 games of the season, that is a long time, well over a third of the season.

Wembley for Southampton on Saturday was not a set back, it has not dented our confidence in that it ended a long unbeaten run, it was a celebration of just how much we have come on under Tonda Eckert, the spirit within the squad and indeed now amongst the fan base.

We did not celebrate failure at Wembley, we celebrated success and how we can now move forward in not only the last two games of the regular season, but three more in the play offs.

No one including Ipswich tonight will look forward to playing Southampton.

Tonda Eckert will be telling his troops all of this, he has built a squad and not a team, he has build success and not failure, he has built mental toughness and he has taken his team a long way.

He has a squad that has two players in every position who are all just as strong, he will make changes from the staring line up at Wembley, but each one will not weaken the side , likewise his substitution are never just to bring on fresh legs, they are keeping the pressure on opponents.

Cyle Larin could start tonight and if he goes off on comes Ross Stewart, just as goo and strong.

We the fans have faith in Tonda and tonight we have to transfer the atmosphere at Wembley on Saturday to St Mary's on a Tuesday evening.

This game tonight is just as important as Saturday, in fact even more so, if we can't get automatic promotion so be it, but we need to achieve fourth, to ensure the second leg of the semi finals are played at St Mary's.

That means that like at Wembley, every Southampton supporter must be roaring their team on, this is not an evening for sitting quietly and watching.

We win tonight and we take a big step forward, we might have seen our unbeaten run in all competitions ended, but the unbeaten League run goes on and if we add another five games to it then we will be back in the Premier league and this time better placed to stay up.

This is the first of those steps, if you want Tonda Eckert & his team so succeed, then tonight is the night to let them know.

Southampton supporters expect ! But expectation needs more than just that !

All Photos Via Reuters