Saints condemned

Saints will start life in League One next season on minus ten after failing to win against Burnley today. Having had their fate sealed by the Football League's midweek ruling, the side managed a spirited display but were unable to secure their fifth home win of the season.

Saints 2 - Burnley 2

Goals from BWP and David McGoldrick were not enough to carry the side's bid to finish above the drop zone to the final day. Having their second relegation in four years confirmed, the points deduction will carry over to next season. The final whistle was greeted with silence around St Marys before fans ran onto the pitch, some of whom climbed the goalposts and approached the travelling Burnley fans. It was a physical expression of the pain that has been mounting all season after the side's terrible home form and scenes are unfolding outside the stadium.

Next week's fixture at the City Ground now meaningless, it a sad end to a sorry season and the club must now use the summer period to regroup and rebuild and ensure its future.

"Inextricably linked": Points penalty sends Saints down

Southampton have been effectively relegated to the third tier of English football for the first time in forty-eight years.

The Football League sealed the club's fate in a statement this afternoon, with the report commissioned to look into the club's finances after it entered administration earlier this month finding the football club and the holding company were "inextricably linked."

If Saints do achieve a miraculous survival this season, the points will be deducted from their final tally and they will still go down.

The likelihood, however, is that the club will be relegated of their own accord this weekend and start life in League One on -10. It is a hard league at the best of times, but Saints will face a huge challenge to avoid successive relegations after the player sales likely this Summer.

That assumes, of course, that the club is still operating next year.

It is a sorry day for SFC.

Oblivion beckons for sorry Saints

Any hope still harboured by Saints of survival this season was destroyed this afternoon, as the side slumped to a poor defeat at Hillsborough.

Sheff Wed 2 - Saints 0

With just two games left, Mark Wotte admitted the side now needed a miracle to survive, especially with Notts Forest winning against Coventry. While Norwich have their game in hand tomorrow, even Barnsley managed to scrape a point against Reading to enhance their own hopes.

For Saints, however, this looks like being a sorry end to a sorry season and the start of an uncertain future. While 2 wins may be enough, the chances of that happening are so slim that few will be hopeful. Reserves of optimism are spent- for Saints, this looks to be it.

Yeovil here we come.

Back from the brink: could the Great Escape be back on?

After seven matches without a win, Saints at last picked up three points this afternoon in a result that gives the club a fighting chance of survival.

Saints 1 - Crystal Palace 0

It was a massive result. In the first home game following that Charlton horror-show, a creditable 24,000 fans turned up to cheer on Mark Wotte's side, but few carried high hopes of success after a torrid season at St. Marys.

The Wolves result, combined with Nottingham Forest's surprise win on Saturday, looked to have sealed the club's fate and reserves of hope were largely used up by the sequence of seven games without a victory that preceded this result. However, a well-organised Saints side responded to the critics, with Bradley Wright-Phillips leading the line and David McGoldrick getting the goal in a vital win.

The result moves them to within two points of safety, but with just three games left they need to continue winning if they are to pull off what would be an incredible escape. However, Norwich and Barnsley will be feeling the pressure tonight, particularly given the latter's run-in and the fact that Saints and Forest meet each other on the last day.

20 Norwich 43 -8 46
21 Barnsley 42 -14 46
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22 Nottm Forest 43 -18 46
23 Southampton 43 -19 44

Victory away at mid-table Sheffield United will not be easy, but is now crucial if Saints are to survive; the two final games will be much harder. But it seems the side has come into a bit of form at exactly the right moment. Brace yourselves- the Great Escape could be back on...

Relegation on the horizon as lifeless Saints put to sword

It was a case of don't mention the score for Saints at Molyneux this afternoon, as three goals within the opening twenty minutes came as another massive body blow to their hopes of survival.

Wolves 3 - Saints 0

Winless in six coming into the game, Saints would have preferred easier opponents in such an important match, but their downfall was of their own making. A complete lack of marking led to Wolves putting away two easy headers in the first six minutes, while a clumsy striker's challenge from Marek Saganowski led to a penalty which killed all hopes of a Saints revival in the eighteenth.

Now two points from safety (having played a game more than their rivals) chances of survival look slim indeed. The side looked bereft of confidence and with four games left they will need to find some form from somewhere. But there was no discernable fight shown in a performance that seemed to sum up a woeful season.

It was a performance that had relegation written all over it.

JP up to size as Saints make point against Watford

It is all too probably too little, too late, but it is possible to take some heart from tonight's draw against Watford after a week of misery on the south coast.

Watford 2 - Saints 2

Having lost all six encounters since the sides met in 2003 - in the semi finals of the FA Cup; how times have changed - few gave Saints much hope of success in their game in hand at Vicarage Road tonight. However, the side managed to bounce back from Saturday's horror show and claim a point, with Mark Wotte going for broke with a 4-2-4 formation.

The star of the show was JP Saeijs, whose header opened proceedings before Saints displayed their trademark inability to hang onto a lead. However, the Dutch defender made up for giving away a penalty on Saturday by winning his side a point minutes from time with a sweetly struck free kick.

Saints still look near-certainties for relegation but football is a funny old game and the remaining five fixtures could throw up anything. They remain two points behind and Saturday's trip to Wolves is not the most inviting; but, being Saints, you just never know.

COYRs

Football League delay a worrying sign

The Football League has decided against making a ruling today on whether or not to dock Saints points for going into administration. Worryingly, the board has instead commissioned an independent inquiry into the club's finances that will influence any decision made.

It looks as if they are treating the matter seriously and are yet to be persuaded by the argument that the fact that SFC's parent company, Southampton Leisure, entered administration and not the football club means the latter should avoid a points deduction.

Today's news makes survival this season even more important.

Having passed the League deadline for entering administration any points deduction would be carried over to next season if Saints go down. If they don't, the points will be deducted from their final tally this season. Either way, a points deduction would see Saints playing League 1 football next season.

Only if Saints can fight off relegation and a points deduction will they survive. But that is an unlikely scenario, and today's news bleakens the already dismal picture for fans of SFC.