It was a typical slow start for Saints as they went a goal down early doors, but the good news is the team rolled up its sleeves and earned a win the hard way, the League table looks a lot better this evening and Ralph Hasenhuttl showed that he has more than just a plan B.
Saints could not have started more badly, Palace clearly had a game plan and it was to attack us from the start before we had found our rhythm and it worked, a poorly defended goal was conceded with barely 2 mins on the clock and for 10 minutes or so it looked like this would be another one of those games.
But clearly the team spirit is still there and we dug in and on 19 minutes we got our rewards, Nathan Redmond played in a decent ball to Danny Ings who fired home to equalise.
But if we thought that we would now have Palace on the rack we were wrong, again we got caught napping and Zaha looked for and got a penalty, but Fraser Forster had done his homework and dived to his left to save well.
At the start of the second half it was the reverse of the first, it was Saints who came out of the blocks first and it was Che Adams who scored it, squeezing home at the far post and although Palace huffed and puffed and used their physical presence, Saints stood firm and started to look like the side of 6 months ago.
Just as Palace were starting to try and build up their own finale with 15 minutes to go Che Adams did well to control a through ball and lay it into the path of Danny Ings who poked it past the visitor's keeper, it would be his last kick and on came Michael Obafemi.
Palace never stopped trying, but Saints has the bit between their teeth and made sure that they didn't let Palace back in it.
This was a team performance, no one is saying we are world beaters, but there wasn't a single one on the pitch who came off without knowing they had played their part in a well earned win and put in a shift.
Fraser Forster looked like the keeper of old big & strong and saving a penalty at the right time, you couldn't say he made any wonder save, but he did all that was asked as him
The central defenders had a torrid time but stuck with it as Hasenhuttl changed his formation at the back twice in the second half, bringing on Salisu for Bednarek at half time in the centre and then reverting to a back three bringing Stephens into the centre of the trio from left back.
I'm impressed with Mohamed Salisu every time I see him, he is big and strong and he has quick feet , add to that he can read a game and he can be a class player next season.
In the centre of midfield James Ward Prowse has been forced to play a more withdrawn role since Stuart Armstrong came into the centre, with JWP holding whilst the Scot surged forward.
Nathan Redmond gets a lot of stick but he did a lot of good things out there tonight including laying on Danny Ings ist goal, on the other side Minamino was clever and worked well with KWP to create some good chances.
Up front Danny Ings with two goals took the plaudits, but Che Adams quietly gets on with things, a well taken goal and a lovely through ball for Ings second.
Ralph Hasenhuttl has to be given some credit here, with almost a full squad to pick from he adapted well and changed tactics and formation to ensure that we managed the game for 40 minutes after taking the lead, he should get a lot of credit for what he has done this season in trying times with a squad decimated by injury.
So this wasn't a perfect game, there were still plenty of things that need to be worked on, but this is not the time to do it, lets just enjoy a great performance that told us we have the foundations for next season and that we can finish the season with a flourish and just enjoy the last few games.