Still: Performance better than the result
Southampton manager Will Still reflected on another positive performance from his team in their meeting with Championship leaders Middlesbrough, but he was also left with a feeling of frustration at only earning a point from the match.
Saints were in control for much of the contest at St Mary's and took a deserved lead shortly after the hour mark through a magnificent Adam Armstrong strike, but they were pegged back late on by a deflected effort from substitute Kaly Sène.
"I think the performance was really positive, it was much better than we have been," said Still. "Unfortunately, a bit of luck isn't quite on our side for the moment. I'm still not quite sure how that ball's hit the floor and looped over our keeper and landed in the back of the net.
"I thought we restricted them to the bare minimum, we were in total control for large parts of that game. We scored a great goal, I think the only thing we can look back on and be frustrated with is the fact that we didn't quite kill the game off and didn't punish the opposition for the mistakes that they've made.
"As long as it's one-nil, you know that the opposition has always got half a chance to get back in the game and on a third of a chance they've somehow grabbed a goal and I think they'll be pretty pleased with a point. They're the leaders, they're a good side and we've restricted them to the bare minimum and forced them to change shape, change system and what they were doing, but it is what it is.
"I think there's a lot of positives, but we need to influence that luck on being on your side and not going against you. There's only one way that you do that or make it happen is keep believing in what we're doing, keep staying in games and keep playing and keeping at it and that's what we're going to do."
Talking about Armstrong's goal, Still said: "The move, the collective shape and spirit, that goal kind of typified what we want to do. We created a lot of big opportunities or half situations that we can do a lot more with, but it's not quite clicking, it's not quite there for the moment.
"But, like I said, there's only one way that it will be, and that's by sticking at it, keep working and I'm sure Lady Luck will work on another day, just unfortunately it's not quite gone our way today."
