Eckert delighted with players' effort

The Under-21s coach was taking charge of the senior team on an interim basis for the first time and he oversaw a valuable three points, as second-half goals from Jay Robinson and Léo Scienza proved enough for them to hold on despite a late rally from the hosts.

It wasn't always pretty for Saints, but they dug in when needed and Eckert was pleased with how they held on under pressure.

"We knew before the game that there would be some spells in there where we need to suffer and leave everything on the pitch that we possibly can, and I think you saw this today," he said.

"I hope that all of the travelling fans saw this today, that we had a team on the pitch that left everything, absolutely everything, out there. And that's what you get in the end.

"It's never easy, especially from the block of games that we are coming from now, to come with confidence on the pitch from the very first minute.

"You could see that there are some spells in there that we need to get over and there are many things that we need to improve and I promise you that we will. But everything that I wanted to see is that we leave everything on the pitch, that we leave our heart on the pitch, that we have passion and desire. And I think you saw this over 90, plus six, minutes today."

Eckert added: "The first win is always the most difficult one. And we knew that it's probably not going to be a beautiful one today. But if you get through periods of the game like we did today, that means a lot.

"And if we can win games like that, that maybe are not so beautiful on the eye in the second half, I think that we can also win other ones. But that resilience is beautiful and that is what's going to make us a winning team."

On Robinson, Eckert said: "He brings so much talent on the deck and it is for us to give him the continuity and to put him in positions where he can expose that. But, for the club, I think there is no better story than having a boy from the Academy playing from the start and scoring a goal."

And on Scienza, whose sensational solo goal ultimately proved the difference in the game, he added: "We need to work on Leo also on his position and that's what we worked on during the week, that he finds those moments where he comes to feet to open up and then he does his magic and it's a beautiful one."

Saints did lose Scienza to a knock shortly after his goal, but Eckert said the initial indications were that it's nothing of great concern.

"We'll assess him," he said. "I think we have the whole day tomorrow for regeneration, but he looks ok."